CaseStudy:Expansion of U.S. Court facilities in Salt Lake City

In 1997, the General Services Administration (GSA) invited the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) to participate in consultations for the expansion of court facilities at the Frank E. Moss Courthouse. The courthouse was designed by James Knox Taylor, built in 1905, expanded in 1932, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building to the Exchange Place Historic District in 1978. When GSA determined its federal court tenant needed more space, GSA proposed to rehabilitate and reuse the historic courthouse in accordance with Executive Order 13006, “Locating Federal Facilities in Historic Properties". GSA also proposed to construct an architecturally compatible annex on an adjacent site within the same city block as the historic courthouse.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) Hall–designed by George F. Costerisan, built in 1891, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977–was located on property the GSA proposed for the federal court annex. In 2003, responding to Section 106 consultations and the passage of Public Law (PL) 108-7 by Congress, GSA acquired a nearby site to accommodate the planned relocation of the I.O.O.F. Hall.

In early 2004, the Programmatic Agreement (PA) “Regarding Expansion of U.S. Court Facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah,” was executed by GSA, the Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, and the ACHP. The agreement addressed relocation of the I.O.O.F. Hall, completion of I.O.O.F. Hall-related mitigation, rehabilitation of the existing Moss Courthouse, and development of a compatible courthouse annex. In late 2004, citing heightened security requirements, Congress passed PL 108-447, which mandated design changes for the annex, and authorized the GSA to acquire and demolish the nearby Shubrick Hotel–designed by John C. Craig, built in 1912, and considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Section 106 consultations were reopened by GSA, and in 2008 the “First Amended Programmatic Agreement by and among the U.S. General Services Administration, the Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Regarding Expansion of U.S. Court Facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah” was executed, with the City of Salt Lake City as a concurring party. The Utah Heritage Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation were consulting parties to the agreement. The amended PA stipulated the same mitigation as the prior PA, with an additional photo documentation requirement for the Shubrick Hotel.

In summer 2009, after more than 10 years of consultation, the GSA completed the I.O.O.F. Hall building-moving mitigation stipulated by both the PA and the First Amended PA. Informed by analysis by expert engineers, the 48-foot-tall, 2,500-ton load-bearing masonry I.O.O.F. Hall was moved approximately 100 feet west, rotated 180 degrees, and moved back beyond its original site. It was then moved north across a street, and then another 80 feet to its new location. Meanwhile, the Shubrick Hotel was documented and demolished. Now that the I.O.O.F. Hall is secure on its new foundation, its façade will be rehabilitated by GSA, the building’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places will be updated by GSA, and the property will be offered for sale with a façade easement held by the Utah Heritage Foundation. Construction on the new courthouse annex is planned to begin in 2010. Upon completion of the new annex, the historic Moss Courthouse will be vacated, rehabilitated, and readied for continued use by the courts.

The demolition of the Shubrick Hotel and the relocation of the I.O.O.F. Hall were significant adverse effects. However, GSA’s successful administration of the I.O.O.F. Hall moving operation, coupled with extensive and ongoing Section 106 consultations, is indicative of the agency’s commitment to satisfying tenant needs while meeting community stewardship and historic preservation responsibilities in challenging circumstances.