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Proposals & Projects

CPA Proposals & Projects

Newton City Hall 

1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton Centre, MA 02459

goals:

Preserve, restore and rehabilitate key, character-defining historic features and significant historic artifacts held in Newton's 1932 Georgian-style City Hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the surrounding landscape designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm, while allowing this historic building to meet current community needs.

See also City Archives page for related projects at several sites, including but not limited to City Hall.

funding:

$446,910 CPA funds appropriated (historic resources)
$386,150 CPA funds spent (all unspent balances returned to Community Preservation Fund)
$1,100,000- $3,200,000 additional CPA requests anticipated (based on Fy14-19 Capital Improvement Plans )
 

NOTE: Amounts above exclude the City-owned Civil War Monument, on the grounds of the private Newton Cemetery.

projects:

contacts:

  • For building:
    Public Buildings Commissioner
    City of Newton
    52 Elliot Street
    Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
    617.796.1600
  • For historic art, artifacts & archives:
    City Clerk
    Newton City Hall
    1000 Commonwealth Avenue
    Newton Centre, MA 02459
    dolson@newtonma.gov
    617.796.1210
  • For landscape:
    Commissioner of Parks & Recreation
    City of Newton
  • 246 Dudley Road
    Newton, MA 02459
    bderubeis@newtonma.gov & cschein@newtonma.gov
    617.796.1500

the historic significance of Newton City Hall:

1997 - listing of Newton City Hall on the National Register of Historic Places

February 2012 - City Hall Historic Building Report - from CPA-funded series for all historic City buildings
 

City Hall War Memorial Auditorium

goals:

  • Exterior Stairs - Provide detailed recommendations for the restoration of stonework and masonry, including appropriate mortar, of the exterior stairs leading to the War Memorial Auditorium entrance on the west side of City Hall. Note: This study also included the municipal Civil War Monument, built of similar materials but located on the grounds of the nearby Newton Cemetery (private).
  • Acoustics & Accessibility - Rehabilitate the War Memorial Auditorium by providing wheelchair access compliant with current standards, and improve acoustics in both the Auditorium and Aldermanic Chamber, to make these historic spaces usable for a wider range of public events while preserving their historically significant features.

funding:

for 2004 assessment of War Memorial exterior stairs:
$15,000 CP funds appropriated & spent (historic resources)
for 2013-14 acoustics & accessibility project (final funding came only from non-CPA sources):
$80,000 federal (CDBG) funds spent
$749,950 CPA funds originally requested (historic resources)
$581,741 additional CPA funds that would have been requested if scope of work was expanded at CPC request
 

Proposal Review & Appropriations

2004-05 War Memorial Exterior Stairs

15 October 2004 - Proposal for Assessment

30 March 2005 - CPC funding recommendation

16 May 2005 - Board order (appropriation)

2013-15 War Memorial Acoustics & Accessibility

February-July 2013 - pre-proposal

18-20 December 2013 - corrected full proposal (orig. submission 15 November 2013):

  • main proposal (including photos, project manager, sponsor capacity, historic analysis)
  • project budgets (development & operating)
  • project site & floor plans, elevations (these large files may load slowly; many are sized for 24x36 inch paper; details may be hard to read if printed at smaller sizes -- for on-screen reading, set display to 100% or larger):
    part 1
    part 2
    part 3

additional background documents:

26 February 2013 - slide presentation to CPC public hearing

19-23 June 2014 - revised draft proposal, with potential expanded/alternative scope requested by the CPC (accessible exterior entrance and restrooms; exterior elevator as alternative for accomplishing project goals)

14 July 2014 - Public Buildings' request for the CPC to hold this proposal temporarily

10 April 2015 - Public Buildings' official withdrawal of this proposal (project funded from non-CPA sources)

Project News

War Memorial Exterior Stairs

June 2006 - Interim Assessment Report

June 2007 - Final Assessment Report, including recommendations (long file, may load slowly) and plans

City Hall Balustrade, Windows & Lighting

goals:

Restore key, character-defining features of Newton's 1932 Georgian-style City Hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places: balustrade and cupola, arched wood windows (especially in the second-floor Aldermanic Chambers and War Memorial Auditorium); lighting in main public corridors.

funding:

$391,260 CPA funds appropriated 2003-04 (historic resources)
$330,500 CPA funds spent 2004-2008 (unspent balance returned to CP Fund)
$1,093,000 CPA funds to be requested as of 2012 (historic resources)
$1,423,500 TOTAL of CPA funds spent + anticipated requests
 

Proposal Review & Appropriations

2002-04

December 2002 - combined proposal for multiple features of City Hall (cupola & balustrade, windows, lighting)

8 January 2003 - revised proposal:

February 2003 -

7 April 2003 - CPC funding recommendation

May 2003-May 2004 - Board orders (appropriations):

2012-13

3 July 2012 - City Hall historic windows pre-proposal  

2 November 2012 - The City of Newton postponed submission of a full proposal.

24 July 2013 - The CPC agreed to consider a full proposal once a prototype study has been completed to assess repair, restoration and replacement options for the various styles of historic windows in City Hall.

Project News

2003-04 - original project timelines

7 June 2013 - consultant assessment report on City Hall windows

City Hall Landscape 

goals:

Provide a phased plan for the preservation and rehabilitation of this award-winning landscape, designed and installed in 1931-32 by Henry Vincent Hubbard of the Olmsted Brothers firm to complement the Georgian design of Newton's new City Hall, with ponds fed by Cold Spring Brook.

funding:

$40,650 CPA funds appropriated & spent (historic resources), including $650 for City of Newton legal services
 

Proposal Review & Appropriations

27 April 2005 - preservation plan: CPC funding recommendation

20 June 2005 - preservation plan: Board order (appropriation)

8 August 2005 - Board order (appropriation), with supporting documents:

Project News

October 2006 - Final Preservation Report & Recommendations (long files, may load slowly)

 

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