tupper & reed applicant statement structural alteration ... · on the building’s history as a...

Tupper & Reed 2271 Shattuck Avenue

Applicant Statement – Structural Alteration Permit December 13, 2013

Overview Brick Hat, LLC, is pleased to present this proposal for Tupper & Reed, a vintage-style premium cocktail bar focusing on tableside service for guests with advanced reservations, and drawing on the building’s history as a sheet music and instrument store from the 1920’s to 1940’s. This historic time period will form the basis for the décor and experience of the space, including cosmetic improvements of the existing woodwork, and details such as 1920’s-styled wallpaper and luxurious drapery, complemented by vintage musical instruments and accessories of that era. The owners have located and purchased an original gramophone with the Tupper & Reed nameplate to contribute to the historically accurate décor. Project Description The project site, at 2271 Shattuck Avenue, is a 6,000-square-foot property known as the Tupper & Reed Building. The space has been vacant since March 2013. The project seeks a Structural Alteration Permit granted by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to allow a sign modification on a designated Historic Resource. The project would restore the building’s original name, Tupper & Reed, and would add signage to the building façade that replicates the building’s historic signage. The project would also conduct interior cosmetic improvements to create a high-quality cocktail bar establishment. Tupper & Reed will draw on the building’s history to form the basis for the décor of the space and the guest experience, including the availability of phonographs on which guests may listen to music in small, intimate listening rooms.

ATTACHMENT 2 LPC 02-06-14

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Tableside cocktail service will be provided, and a reservation system for table-seating will avoid overcrowding. Physical improvements will include re-painting, new wall-paper and curtains, wood finish refurbishment, and upgraded finishes, as well as minor floor improvements. Exterior improvements are limited to the new signage described above. The owners, Doug Dalton and Brian Sheehy, each have 10 years of direct experience in the bar business. Doug Dalton has been a leader in the development of information technology in the Bay Area for over 10 years. Brian Sheehy has 20 years of direct experience in hospitality management, having previously held executive operational management and sales leadership positions with Marriott International and Kimpton Hotels, until he joined this business on a full-time basis in 2006. Brian and Doug have been successful in applying their unique past experience to the business of bars, including the well-known establishments Bourbon & Branch, Rickhouse Bar, Swig Bar, Cask Store, Local Edition, and Tradition, all in San Francisco. Doug and Brian specialize in creating, owning and operating premium cocktail bars based on connections to fascinating by-gone times. There has been a resurgence of interest and demand for exceptional cocktail bar experiences over the past five years and their business has been recognized as a leader in this area of the beverage business. Doug and Brian’s bars are built upon a formula of creating high-quality and unique hospitality spaces in historic locations, for imbibing fresh and creative cocktails, created by well-trained career bartenders. Tupper & Reed would be focused 100% on exceptional beverage service, providing exceptional hand crafted cocktails, artisanal spirits, beer and wine. Their business has been featured in many publications including Food & Wine Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Esquire Magazine, GQ, and Market Watch. Two weeks ago two of their bar managers were recognized in the San Francisco Chronicle as Rising Bar Stars in the Bay Area Existing Setting The project site is located on the east side of Shattuck Avenue between Kittredge Street and Bancroft Way, at lot 2029-012-00. The lot size is 3,485 square feet, and the existing building has a total square-footage of 7,996 gross square feet, including the basement, ground floor, and second floor. Shattuck Avenue is a wide, median-divided traffic and transit corridor that functions as Downtown Berkeley’s ‘main street.’ The site is in a central area of Downtown Berkeley. The site is adjacent to a three-story mixed-use building to the north, which contains a quick-service café and full-service restaurant on the ground floor, and residential apartments on the second and third levels. Just south of the site is a two-story retail store which sells electronic equipment and functions as an internet café. Directly west of the site, across Shattuck Avenue, are the UA-7 movie theater, a full-service restaurant, and the Central Branch Library. The project site is also proximate to a number of other amenities, as well as entertainment and cultural opportunities. Northwest of the project site is the Landmark Shattuck Cinema, and around the corner from the project site is the California Theater, located on Kittredge Street. The site is one and one-half blocks south of the Downtown Berkeley BART station, one block south of the Hotel Shattuck Plaza, and


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two blocks west of the southeastern corner of the UC Berkeley campus. The site is also surrounded by a large number of quality restaurants throughout Downtown Berkeley, and is three and one half blocks from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the Aurora Theatre Company, the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, and The Jazzschool. Structure History and Significance The existing the Tupper & Reed Building is a City of Berkeley Landmark designated in 1984. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. John Tupper and Lawrence Reed constructed the building in 1925 to use for their music store, which they had established in Berkeley in 1906. The building’s architect was William Raymond Yelland, a UC graduate who designed many structures in a similar storybook style. The Tupper & Reed building is a two-story clinker brick structure with a gabled slate roof and towering chimney. An iron cutout of a piper is mounted on top of the chimney, initially erected to mark the location of the Sign of the Piper Restaurant, which was located in the upstairs portion of the building. A front entry court accessible from Shattuck Avenue provides access to both the main and second floors, as well as to the basement. To the right, a narrow stairway leads to the small balcony on the second floor, which is set off with a graceful balustrade. This design is repeated to create a corresponding rhythm on the left side of the building’s western bay. The face of the building originally featured a full glass front in which to display musical instruments. A large interior fireplace on the main floor served as the back wall of this display area. The glass face has been changed to brick with front-facing windowpanes. The fireplace remains a central feature of the main floor. The structure was used for the Tupper & Reed music store until 1959, when a fire caused Tupper & Reed to move next door. The fire destroyed approximately 60% of the building’s interior. Restoration and duplication of the original interior was undertaken by previous users. For example, two wooden pillars on the ground floor survived the fire, and served as models for replacements of other pillars which were burned. The second floor area features two small fireplaces that are features of the original building, as well as brass chandeliers, wallpaper, and wainscoting which has been replaced in a complementary style. The front façade of the building is largely covered by heavy ivy growth on much of the building’s exterior. A small niche of two columns and relief sculpture decorates a small alcove on the front of the second floor. The structure has been vacant since March, 2013. Prior to this vacancy, the space operated as an ABC-licensed bar and restaurant (formerly Bec’s Bar & Bistro and Beckett’s Irish Pub) since 2000. The building previously housed the Metropol Restaurant. The Tupper & Reed building is historically significant as a classic example of the Storybook architectural style. The storybook style, characterized by a sense of whimsy and an aesthetic similar to old-world villages, was popular in California during the 1920s and 1930s. The style often uses uneven roofs, cobblestone, and mismatched or odd-shaped doors and windows, to create the playful Storybook look. The building’s architect, William Raymond Yelland, is considered a primary architect that worked in the Storybook style. Yelland is also noted for Berkeley’s Thornburg Village building, which Yelland designed, and which opened in 1927. Yelland also designed numerous residences, a firehouse, and restaurants.


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The majority of Storybook-style structures are residences, in which the Storybook style is used to create a warm homey feeling. The Tupper & Reed building is, therefore, somewhat unique in its use of this style for a commercial space. However, the intimate character typical to Storybook homes is also apparent in this commercial building, including both the exterior design and the interior features, such as the uneven brick fireplace that Yelland personally supervised. These elements create a unique and comfortable ambiance unusual to commercial structures in the surrounding area.

Project Team

Owner

Brick Hat, LLC

561 Geary Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

Applicant/Contact

Brick Hat, LLC

c/o Rhoades Planning Group

1611 Telegraph Avenue Suite 200

Oakland, CA 94612


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T U P P E R

R E E D

MUSICBAR COCKTAILS

Swatch A

A

B

3. Existing Facade

1. Old & New Signage

1. Old Bec's signage to be removed.

2. New Tupper/Reed letter signage to be mounted to brick facade without causing damage to the surface. Hot-dipped galvanized sleeve anchors shall be embedded in original and currently visible brick dowel openings of the original Tupper/Reed letters. 1/2 Inch thick and 4 inch long sleeve anchor bolts will extend 1 Inch from the exterior of the bricks and fasten to the rear of the sign letters. �ese fasteners shall not interrupt sign typography.

Swatch B

2. Signage Area

MUSIC

BAR / COCKTAILS

approx. 96 in. x 68 in.

approx. 68 in. x 56 in.

= 22 in. x 60 in.

= 22 in. x 22 in. each

T U P P E R

R E E D


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tupper & reed applicant statement structural alteration ... · on the building’s history as a...

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