In a letter from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we learned that our plea for votes may not have gone unheard… well, maybe our plea and a few others. The National Trust for Historic Preservation won $200,000 in the Members Project from American Express and TakePart! And it gets even better… Because the intense competition in the Arts & Culture category ended in a tie between the two organizations, the generous people at American Express have awarded $200,000 to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, too.

For more information, read MEMBERS PROJECT ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND WINNERS TO SHARE $1.2 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS.

From the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s message:

Dear Friends,

After twelve long weeks and a photo finish, the winners have finally been announced in American Express’ Members Project. And we’re thrilled to announce that we won!

Voting ended on May 23rd with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy each showing 43% of the vote. After a week-long auditing of the thousands of votes cast, the official announcement came yesterday that there was indeed a tie in the “Arts and Culture” category and that both organizations would be awarded the $200,000 prize. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

It’s been tough battling with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy these last three months, since we are usually close collaborators. RTC sees unused rail corridors as literal pathways to our cultural past. By reopening these unused and often abandoned lines as public rail-trails, they’re not only re-stitching the transportation fabric of our country, they are preserving a tangible connection to our nation’s railroad heritage and improving our quality of life today. So we’re proud of our ally, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. But we’re proudest of a few other allies – our members and friends who took time out of their week to vote for us to win this generous grant from American Express. The picture in this email says it all to those who voted (as well as the many of you who attempted to vote and were thwarted): THANK YOU! We simply could not have won without the support of the folks who voted for us so faithfully. And since the voting ended in a statistical dead heat, we know that each and every vote mattered!

In a statement released yesterday, National Trust Acting President David J. Brown announced that we will use our winnings to expand our online education programs and reach new, younger and broader audiences with preservation’s message of sustainability and economic vitality. A very fitting use of winnings from an online campaign, since that medium will be critical to our efforts to introduce a new generation to historic preservation and the satisfaction that comes with working together to save places that matter. Again, thanks for your efforts on our behalf.

Gratefully, The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

So, May is Preservation Month, an effort spearheaded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation that began in 1971 as Preservation Week and was expanded to a month-long celebration in 2005. According to the City of Pasadena:

The 2010 Preservation Month theme is Old is the New Green. In Pasadena, preservation month has been celebrated since 2004 with an annual awards program that recognizes positive contributions to historic preservation in the city. Awards are given to property owners and designers/architects and contractors for exceptional historic resource restoration or rehabilitation projects. Awards have also been given to recognize individuals that have contributed to multiple projects and for positive infill projects in historic neighborhoods.

Awards will be presented on May 27, 2010 at 6:00pm at Dabney Hall, CalTech. Click here for directions and on flyer for additional information.

Among the projects that will receive a 2010 Historic Preservation Award for outstanding “rehabilitation,” as decided by the Historic Preservation Commission, we are pleased to congratulate two honorees from Old Pasadena:

55-61 East Colorado Boulevard – Dan Mellinkoff
From the National Register of Historic Places:

Constructed: 1889
Frost Building Altered: 1919, D.C. McCallum, builder
This two-story building was the original Pasadena store of Wetherby and Kayser, an old Los Angeles shoe business owned by Eva Fenyes, a prominent local citizen. The simple façade of white glazed brick is ornamented by a boxed cornice at the roof line and simple pilasters framing the street level entrance to the second story. Six single-pane windows are arranged asymmetrically on the second story. The alley façade has arched windows and entrance, and a distinctive metal sliding door. Architectural details include leaded glass transoms, pressed metal cornices, and a decorative metal gate. The building was damaged in a fire, but underwent a certified rehabilitation in 2004.

The new tenant, Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, will be the Los Angeles area’s third Intelligentsia, following the Silver Lake and Venice locations.  They are slated to open this Summer and will be a welcome addition to East Colorado.

100 West Green Street
Friend Paper Company Building
Constructed: 1964 by architects Whitney Smith + Wayne Williams
Now the home of The Sofa Company, PappaRich, Onesipkim, and the De Lacey at Green lofts and town houses, the remodeled mid-century building looks better than ever.

From The Sofa Company website:

The Historic “Friend Paper” Building
The Friend family, long associated with the paper industry and graphic arts in America, contracted the construction of the Friend Paper building in 1965. Designed by one of Pasadena’s native sons, leading architect Whitney R. Smith, its architectural style is a union of Classicism and Modernism, termed New Formalism. Native river rock within the pre-cast concrete is an example of this type of architecture’s use of traditional, rich materials.

Renovation
In 2007, the new condos opened directly behind the historic building, but the  Friend Paper building was still neglected and empty. TSC found the retro architecture inspiring and imagined transforming the old shell into a new presence at the foot of these modern condos. About 12 months later, TSC launched the new opening of 100 W. Green Street with an expanded building of 8,000 sq. ft. including a hot new loft that overlooks Old Pasadena.

Help the National Trust for Historic Preservation win $200,000 from the Members Project of American Express It’s super easy. Just click here and vote by Sunday, May 23!  You don’t even have to register if you have a Facebook account.

From their web page:

Take Part: We Need Your Vote. We’re down to the wire and looking to you to help us in a very important online voting campaign – American Express TakePart. Voting ends on May 23 – this Sunday – and we are in a dead heat with our main competitor. We’re at the point where every vote counts, and the $200,000 we are so close to winning is money that will go a long way in helping us save places that matter. Voting is particularly easy for Facebook users, because you’re able to login using Facebook Connect, so signing on is a one-click process. Visit http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote now to vote, and then tell your Facebook friends by using the share button on the voting page. Thank you so much for your help!

Holly Street Clock and the Shops on Holly signage

A stately vintage-style corner clock has taken its proud perch at the corner of Holly Street and Fair Oaks Avenue to anchor what property owner, Jim Plotkin, has christened “The Shops on Holly”. Jim conceived of this project about a year ago and has been working diligently with historians, design experts, and city officials to design, manufacture and install an authentically styled clock to crown the unique independent mix of stores and restaurants that line Holly Street.

Neon and metal - manufacture of the new clock

The clock was designed by Hunt Design, a prestigious Pasadena firm specializing in signage and exhibit design. Synced to the official atomic clock, it will always show the exact time.  Constructed of aluminum and including neon and LED lighting, it is regally mounted on the Holly Building corner and looks east down Holly toward our City Hall, crowning Lula Mae, one of the delightful independent retailers that has seven years success at that location.

Brackets installed on the corner of the Holly Building

James Macpherson, editor of Pasadena Now, recently wrote a wonderful piece titled “A New Icon Is Born”.   Click here to read it.

Two cranes hoisted the clock into place

As Jim would like to hear everyone to say, “See you under the clock…”

Neon and LED lighting glows in the night

Jim Plotkin - Old Pasadena stakeholder

Jim Plotkin has made a significant investment in Old Pasadena and is as committed as anyone to keeping the District vital and competitive, particularly in this tough economy.  Jim started out in retail in 1964 as the owner of the Pasadena Vacuum and Sewing Company located in the Stanton Building at 80 East Colorado Blvd.  He purchased the building and then refurbished the property in 1972.  The Stanton Building is now the home of the Sprint store.

T-Mobile architectural detail

This would be the first of many properties Jim would acquire and restore in Old Pasadena through the years.  In addition to the Stanton Building, Jim now has investments in several other Old Pasadena landmarks.  He owns the Web & Seward Building located at 124 East Colorado Blvd.  The Web & Seward Building once housed the original drug store in Old Pasadena, and is currently the home of Pasha Grill.  Jim also owns the Holly Building, located at 2 East Holly Street, which was formerly the old Holly Hotel.  Re-furbished in 1991, it now includes such businesses as Lula Mae and Mignon Chocolate.

T-Mobile façade - freshly painted

Finally, there is the T-Mobile Building.  With its Art Deco design, this building dates back pre-1900 and was originally a pawn shop.  In order to preserve the historic integrity of the building, Jim commissioned Paul Rogers, with Drawger, who researched the historic art deco color schemes to be used in the preservation of the buildings façade. Working with the City of Pasadena Design & Historic Preservation office, Jim and Paul made the final color selection.  “I am so pleased with the way the restored façade came out.  It has re-branded the original art deco vibe from the early 1900s.”

As a founding member of the Pasadena Business Improvement District (PBID), Jim was instrumental in the re-development project which raised funds for the Schoolhouse and De Lacey Parking Facilities.  As a board member and active investor in Old Pasadena, Jim’s passion for a better Old Pasadena is much needed and greatly appreciated by us all.

Posted by:  Anna Addis, VP of Operations

Photos by: Janet Swartz