Former library lands historic designation

The former library building at 120 E. Main St. received the Aspen Historic Preservation Commission’s blessing to seek historic designation as an “AspenModern” property.

A Fritz Benedict-designed building that once served as the Pitkin County Library is set to become a protected historic structure after Aspen City Council reached a deal with the building’s owners on Tuesday. In exchange for allowing an “AspenModern” historic designation on the former library, the building’s owners will receive a range of benefits and rights from the city. The historic designation will protect the structure from demolition or character-changing renovations in perpetuity.



“If this parcel were to go to the free market and go away, it would be something you can never get back,” said Aspen resident Charlie Tarver during the public comment portion of the council meeting that authorized the deal. “(Historic designation) is the best thing you can do.” The building, located at 120 E.

Main St., was designed by well-known Aspen architects and designers Fritz Benedict and Herbert Bayer, as well as Ellen Harland — one of Aspen’s first female architects. Built in 1966, it is regarded as a classic example of Wrightian architecture associated with architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The structure initially served as the Pitkin County Library. Famed broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite and former Colorado Gov. John Love (1963-1973) attended its opening ceremony.

The building stopped functioning as the library in 1992, after which a limited liability company associated with the Basalt-based landscape architecture firm Design Workshop purchased it. The former library has since served as Design Workshop’s office and later as commercial space for a variety of tenants, including the copy and photo editing business Aspen Reprographic. The building sits across from Paepcke Park, in front of a vacant lot that separates it from East Bleeker Street.

The owners of the former library have drafted initial plans to build a two-unit residential building on a narrow lot behind the historic building, between it and a parking lot on East Bleeker Street. Perry, president of Aspen Reprographic, said during an interview on Thursday that he can tell apart longtime Aspen locals when they recognize his office as the old library. Perry said some of his customers can still identify where different library sections were located in the building.

Customers often remember the music and kids’ sections when they come down the stairs to see him, Perry said. Perry said he was surprised the building wasn’t already historically designated. “It has huge historic relevance to the town,” Perry said.

Representatives from Design Workshop appeared at the council’s meeting to negotiate the deal. The deal was based partially on requests from the property owners and recommendations from city staff and the Aspen Historic Preservation Commission. Property owners first presented the deal to the HPC in July.

In exchange for allowing the historic designation on the building (which will likely reduce the property value by reducing the possibility for development), the property owners will be allowed to generate 10 transferable development rights, which they can sell on a local market. Community Development Director Ben Anderson said on Tuesday that city TDRs (transferable development rights) have recently sold for around $600,000. TDRs are tradable rights that allow property owners to build 250 square feet of floor space beyond what is already entitled on their parcels.

The rights are meant to limit the scale of building development in Aspen. Property owners will also receive rights to build two deed-restricted housing units on the lot behind the former library. The units would have a combined maximum floor area of 2,481 square feet and occupy the second and third floors of a new 28-foot building facing East Bleeker Street.

The building’s design would require HPC approval. Representatives from Design Workshop had originally requested approvals for free-market housing units, but city staff and council members pushed for local workforce housing instead. The property owners will be able to determine the income category of the units, meaning they will likely designate them as “resident-occupied” housing.

RO housing has no rent cap but is restricted to tenants who work full-time in Pitkin County. “I mostly care about making it affordable housing even if it is RO,” said Councilman Sam Rose. “I really think as a council and stewards of this city, where housing is the main issue, this wouldn’t be a good deal without it being affordable housing.

” Council also agreed to grant property owners waivers on various fees, 10 years of vested rights and allowances for rooftop mechanical installations necessary for the building to become a restaurant in the future. “This is a treasured building for our community,” Mayor Torre said to property owners on Tuesday. “Thank you for participating in the AspenModern program.

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