The historic banking hall inside the former Baltimore Trust Co. skyscraper, now undergoing a controversial conversion to an Under Armour Performance Center, would be designated an “interior landmark” under a plan proposed by members of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP).

Concerned about reports of what some preservationists consider inappropriate changes to the banking space, CHAP members have voted unanimously to devote part of their January pre-meeting briefing session to considering the idea of adding the banking hall at 10 Light Street to the city’s list of interior landmarks.

Possible Public Hearing

The discussion is a precursor to holding a public hearing on the subject, if members decide to do that.

The building would have to be posted to give the public legal notice of the proposal. A formal hearing and vote to recommend landmark listing would then be held after January, if the commissioners so choose.

If the former banking hall is added, it would be one of only a handful of spaces in Baltimore to be designated an interior landmark.

Other interior landmarks include the City Hall rotunda, Senator Theatre auditorium and main lobby, St. John’s Huntingdon Church in Old Waverly, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany-designed sanctuary of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on St. Paul Street.

“That’s pretty rare company to be in,” said Tom Liebel, chairman of CHAP following its Tuesday meeting.

Interior landmark designation protects historically significant spaces from inappropriate alterations by requiring design review for proposed changes.
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Once a space is added to the interior landmark list, according to CHAP guidelines, any proposed changes to the protected area must be approved by the preservation panel before construction can begin.

The idea of designating the banking hall as an interior landmark surfaced one month after building owner Cary Euwer of Metropolitan Partnership came to a CHAP meeting and outlined plans to turn the banking hall into a fitness center.

Euwer confirmed that the conversion plan calls for one of the banking hall’s most significant architectural features, a series of five marble mosaic floor panels by Maryland born muralist Hildreth Meiere, to be hidden from view by new floor coverings designed for exercising.

He said the marble floor would be covered by three layers of material – a fiber layer, a foam layer and then carpeting on top of it.

Euwer’s company is investing $75 million to convert 10 Light Street from offices to 400 apartments with the Under Armour Performance Center at street level.

Seeking Historic Tax Credits

The developer is seeking approximately $18 million in tax credits from the state and the federal government for preserving the Art Deco skyscraper in accordance with federal preservation standards.

In a Brew article, some local preservationists said they don’t believe it is appropriate for Euwer to receive tax credits when his biggest tenant is concealing one of the building’s most distinctive architectural features.

Euwer says the new floor covering will help protect the marble mosaics from damage while Under Armour occupies the building.

He said the floor coverings will not be attached to the marble by any sort of glue or mastic, making the process 100% reversible in case a future tenant wants to uncover the mosaics.

Liebel conceded that the interior landmark designation may not prevent Under Armour from covering the mosaic panels since construction is underway.

He said CHAP is counting on the Maryland Historical Trust and the National Park Service to prevent the developer from damaging the interior since he is seeking tax credits from them.

Liebel said interior landmark designation for 10 Light Street came up because certain commissioners feel strongly that the banking hall is a significant space and should have the protection that comes with landmark designation, including design review concerning  any future changes.

The interior landmark designation would go beyond any one renovation plan and help safeguard the space in perpetuity.

“It’s not about the proposed renovation, per se,” Liebel said. “It’s: Does the space as it stands today have sufficient integrity and quality to be a Baltimore interior landmark? It’s not about the tenants. It’s about the significance of the space.”