HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM_2A - 211 N Sunrise Way_HSPB_158
HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD
STAFF REPORT
DATE: July 2, 2024 PUBLIC HEARING
SUBJECT: APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FOR HISTORIC SITE
DESIGNATION OF “THE GAS COMPANY BUILDING” LOCATED AT 211
NORTH SUNRISE WAY, CASE HSPB #158 (APN 508-070-016) (SY).
FROM: Department of Planning Services
SUMMARY
The current owner of the property submitted an application to the Historic Site
Preservation Board (HSPB) seeking approval for major alterations to the existing building,
formerly the Gas Company Building, which is identified as a Class 3 site. The HSPB
reviewed the item on March 5, 2024, stayed the request and initiated the designation
proceedings pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.130 (Demolition or Alteration to
Class 3 and 4 sites). The historic resources report was written by Architectural Resources
Group (ARG), an on-call consultant for the city. The period of significance for this site is
1969.
If designated as a historic resource, the property would be subject to the regulations
outlined in Section 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.
2. Close the public hearing and adopt Resolution HSPB #158, “A RESOLUTION OF
THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL
DESIGNATE “THE GAS COMPANY BUILDING” LOCATED AT 211 NORTH
SUNRISE WAY, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB
#158, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN #508-070-016).”
BACKGROUND AND SETTING:
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is on Tribal Fee land in Section 14. The building is a
concrete single-story civic structure that was completed in 1969 for the Southern
California Gas Company. The Brutalist-style building was designed by architect Robert
Ricciardi which went on to receive many design accolades from the architecture and
design community upon its completion. The original site was approximately 1.92 acres in
size, but the owner recently received approval to split the lot into two parcels. The
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 2 of 9
approved Tentative Map (Case TPM 38635) created two separate parcels that are
consistent with the development standards and the existing building is on Parcel 2 which
is approximately 29,508 square feet in size. Following the lot split, the Class 3 status now
resides with Pacel 2 which contains the resource.
AERIAL VIEW OF THE SUBJECT PARCEL.
EAST ELEVATION FROM NORTH SUNRISE WAY, 2024.
Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc.
March, 2024 Site inspection by members of the HSPB and City Staff.
Ownership Status
May, 2019 Purchased by the current owner.
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 3 of 9
Historic Context Statement “Post-World War II (1945-1969)”
The post-World War II context of Palm Springs concentrates on the demands of a former
“village” transforming into a city. With that comes the development and expansion of utility
services and the construction of civic and institutional facilities. The Southern California
Gas Company announced their plan to build a new Palm Springs District headquarters
office and selected the architect Robert H. Ricciardi to design the building.
Context: Post-World War II Palm Springs (1945-1969)
Theme: Post World War II Civic and Institutional Development (1945-1969)
Registration Requirements: To be eligible under this theme, a property must:
Date from the period of significance; and
Reflect important civic or institutional development from the period; or
Represent an excellent example of an architectural style or property type;
and
Display most of the character-defining features of the property type or
style; and
Retain the essential aspects of historic integrity.
Context: Architectural Styles & Local Practitioners
Theme: Modern Styles of the Post-World War II Era
Sub-theme: Brutalism
Registration Requirements: To be eligible under this theme as an excellent
example of its architectural style, a property must:
Retain most – though not necessarily all – of the character-defining
features of the style, and continue to exhibit its historic appearance
If important for illustrating a particular architectural style or construction
technique, must retain most of the physical features that constitute that
style or technique.
ANALYSIS:
A historic resources report (“the report”), site visit, and city documents and forms are the
basis of this staff report. The existing building retains many character-defining features
such as the exterior concrete finish, building mass and scale and the original site
placement. As a rare example of Brutalist architecture within the city limits, the building
appears to retain its design and material integrity.
The building is strategically located at the corner of East Andreas Road and North Sunrise
Way giving it the visibility needed for a civic building. The simple rectilinear shape with
deep overhangs is clad in cast-in-place concrete which gives it its unique design
aesthetic. The concrete walls accentuate the aggregate texture along the vertical
grooves. This modestly sized building is an exceptional example of a civic building
designed in the Brutalist style. Since its completion in 1969, the building has undergone
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 4 of 9
a few exterior alterations to accommodate for accessibility upgrades and other
mechanical updates such as HVAC. Currently, the building remains vacant.
Historic Preservation activities in Palm Springs are regulated under Municipal Code
Section 8.05 (“Historic Preservation”). The purpose of the Historic Preservation
Ordinance is:
“…to stabilize and improve buildings, structures or areas which are
considered to be of historical, architectural, archaeological or ecological
value, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy and to promote
the use of historic resources for the education and welfare of the citizens.”
Conditions that apply to Class 1 historic sites or resources:
1. It shall meet the definition of a historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section
8.05.020.
2. An archival file shall be maintained on the property by the City.
3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.
4. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed in a location
viewable from the public way.
5. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Resources and Historic
Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code.
6. If designated, the findings in support of designation shall be stated in a resolution
of the City Council that shall be recorded with the County Recorders’ office within
90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.
Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the
HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following
criteria:
Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or
object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following
findings (“a” and “b”) are met:
a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic
significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is a significant and rare example of Brutalist
architecture as a civic building in the period following World War II in Palm Springs. The
building was recognized by the design community for its significance following its
completion and has maintained its design and material integrity over the years. As one of
Robert H. Ricciardi’s important works, the historic significance of the Gas Company
Building is apparent. The following is a detailed analysis of the criterion and integrity
findings.
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 5 of 9
(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a
meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;
While the opening of this facility is an important indicator of the city’s transformation, no
singular event of significance was directly associated with this site. The site does not
qualify under Criterion i.
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who
made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;
The Gas Company Building was a quasi-public building that provided services to the
community. The report did not uncover an individual of significance being associated to
the site; therefore, Criterion ii is not met.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of
national, state or local history;
The construction of the Southern California Gas Company Building signaled the demand
for public services and the empirical evidence that the city was experiencing growth
during this time. The building features bold forms, sculptural articulation, exposed cast-
in-place concrete cladding, and the integration of raised plazas. Based on these
characteristics, the building at 211 N. Sunrise Way is considered a Brutalist building.
Although this style of architecture is somewhat of an anomaly in Palm Springs since most
of the new construction was considered Mid-century Modern, the rise of Brutalist design,
especially for civic and institutional buildings, was on the rise in other cities. This means
this structure is a reflection of the period at a national and state level and a rare example
of this type of architecture at the local level. The property qualifies under Criterion iii.
(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a
type, period or method of construction;
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs
evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of
construction) and the method (of construction). It appears that the building was
constructed using standard construction methods and materials and does not qualify for
this criterion.
(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer,
artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that
possesses high artistic value;
The architect, Robert H. Ricciardi, is a notable figure that was active locally and
recognized on the list of significant practitioners. His contributions expand beyond the city
limits of Palm Springs and the report outlines his work in more detail. Ricciardi moved to
Palm Springs in 1959 and worked and trained with the local masters like William Cody
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 6 of 9
and Donald Wexler. He later goes on and partners with architect Hugh Kaptur during the
1960s. His portfolio of work includes many civic and commercial buildings, and the report
notes that Ricciardi received an AIA award for the design of the Gas Company Building.
Ricciardi’s 50+ years in the field has influenced the field and his peers, and the Gas
Company Building possesses high artistic value, thus Criterion v is met.
(Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable
entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in
evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on
which more than one entity exists; or
The resource is not within a historic district and does not qualify under Criterion vi.
(Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information
important to national, state or local history or prehistory.
No information is available on any pre-historic significance of the site.
Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,b). The site, structure, building
or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as
established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design,
materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.
The Gas Company Building is evaluated based on the following topics of integrity based
on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards:
Location.
The location of the structure is in its original place of construction; therefore, the integrity
of location is met.
Design.
The building has a simple layout of geometric volumes and articulated forms create a
unique spatial experience. The vertical concrete elements on the façade contribute to the
vibrancy of the design and the scale, while modest, maintains a presence. There is no
frivolous ornamentation applied to the surfaces of the exterior walls and the voids
between the volumes are used to insert openings for light and air. While the building has
been altered in certain locations like the south façade to incorporate accessibility
upgrades, the overall mass, scale, and materials are uniform and intact. The overall
integrity of the original design has been preserved.
Setting.
The building remains in its original location at the corner of Sunrise and Andreas but the
report aptly points out the changes in development pattern surrounding the area since the
1960s. The infill projects now include a number of residential projects based on the
underlying zoning and allowable uses. The continued changes surrounding the site have
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 7 of 9
resulted in the loss of integrity of setting.
Materials.
The steel frame building and the cast-in-place concrete exterior with vertical grooves
created by the formwork reveal an elegant design that is consistently viewed on the
exterior. Windows and openings are minimal and elongated to match the vocabulary of
the architectural style. Currently, the broken windows have been boarded up, but the
openings remain intact. The integrity of materials is met.
Workmanship.
While conventional construction methods may have been used to build, the cast-in-place
concrete walls use of formwork to create the individual vertical grooves exhibits a
specialized level of workmanship and attention to detail. The property as it stands exhibits
craft and high-quality workmanship. Staff finds the integrity of workmanship is met.
Feeling.
The bold yet small-scale Brutalist structure holds its allure at the corner of Andreas Road
and Sunrise Way. The physical features of the building remain virtually unchanged and
clearly demonstrate the feeling associated with civic architecture and how it was
expressed during that period. The integrity of feeling is intact.
Association.
The property is associated with the architect Robert H. Ricciardi and this building is
considered one of his more significant and well-received projects. The high level of design
and material integrity affirms the building’s strong association to the architect’s vision and
the period in which it was constructed. The integrity of association is met.
DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS:
In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to
distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that
contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features
that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but
which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining
features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating
future alterations to the historic resource.
On page 26, the report identifies the physical character-defining historic features of this
site as follows:
• Location at northwest corner of N. Sunrise Way and E. Andreas Road
• Orientation of primary façade east toward N. Sunrise Way
• Low (one-story) scale
• Irregular plan with courtyard space at the west façade
• Blocky geometric massing, with asymmetrical primary façade
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 8 of 9
• Flat roof with flat parapet
• Cast-in-place concrete walls with textured broken edge detail along the vertical
grooves
• Primary entry fronted by wide, open concrete patio with broad concrete entry steps
• Recessed primary entry with floor to ceiling glazed entry assembly with fully glazed
metal double doors
• Cantilevered steel entry canopy with wood slat underside and open steel frame
extension to south
• Recessed and narrow floor-to-ceiling metal windows with solar-tinted glazing
• Integrated concrete planters along the east and south facades
• Integrated concrete box sign base at east façade
• Five free-standing original light fixtures located at one of the east façade planters
Non-contributing elements:
• Walkway and accessible curb ramp at the west façade and accessibility ramp
and railings on the south façade
• Fall protection hand railings along the roof
• Mechanical equipment penthouse with corrugated metal screening on the roof
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct
or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3)
(the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines,
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for
resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTIFICATION:
Pursuant to section 8.05.140 of the Municipal Code of Palm Springs, all residents within
five hundred (500) feet of the subject property have been notified and notice was
published in a newspaper of general circulation.
CONCLUSION:
The Gas Company Building meets the definition of a historic resource based on Criterion
3 and 5 of the Palm Springs Historic Preservation Ordinance and meets all of the integrity
findings; therefore, staff recommends Class 1 Designation as a historic landmark
property.
PREPARED BY: Sarah Yoon, Associate Planner/Historic Preservation Officer
REVIEWED BY: David Newell, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report July 2, 2024
HSPB-158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 9 of 9
Attachments:
A. Vicinity Map
B. Draft Resolution
C. Application, related background materials, photos.
ATTACHMENT A
Department of Planning Services
Vicinity Map
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
211 North Sunrise Way
ATTACHMENT B
RESOLUTION NO. HSPB #158
A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION
BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,
RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE
THE GAS COMPANY BUILDING LOCATED AT 211 NORTH
SUNRISE WAY, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, (HSPB #158),
APN #508-070-016.
THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD (“HSPB”) FINDS AND DETERMINES
AS FOLLOWS:
A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the
designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, The City of Palm Springs filed an application pursuant to Article III,
Section 8.05.070 (Procedure and Criteria for Designation of Historic Resources) of the
Palm Springs Municipal Code requesting historic resources designation for “The Gas
Company Building” located at 211 N. Sunrise Way. The application included a historic
resources report (“the report”).
C. WHEREAS, on March 1, 2024, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board
(HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource, accompanied by
City staff; and
D. WHEREAS, on March 5, 2024, the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB)
reviewed an application proposing alterations to a Class 3 Site. At the meeting the HSPB
voted unanimously to impose a 120-day stay of alteration, and direct staff to initiate an
application for possible historic resource designation of the site; and
E. WHEREAS, on July 2, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic
Site Preservation Board (“HSPB”) to consider Case HSPB #158 was held in accordance
with applicable law; and
F. WHEREAS, The HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence
presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the
staff report and all written and oral testimony presented.
THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
RESOLVES:
SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “1”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.
Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the
HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following
criteria:
Resolution No. HSPB #158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 2 of 6
July 2, 2024
1. Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure,
building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource,
provided both of the following findings (“a” and “b”) are met:
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic
significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is a significant and rare example of Brutalist
architecture as a civic building in the period following World War II in Palm Springs. The
building was recognized by the design community for its significance following its
completion and has maintained its design and material integrity over the years. As one of
Robert H. Ricciardi’s important works, the historic significance of the Gas Company
Building is apparent. The following is a detailed analysis of the criterion and integrity
findings.
(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a
meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;
While the opening of this facility is an important indicator of the city’s transformation, no
singular event of significance was directly associated with this site. The site does not
qualify under Criterion i.
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who
made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;
The Gas Company Building was a quasi-public building that provided services to the
community. The report did not uncover an individual of significance being associated to
the site; therefore, Criterion ii is not met.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of
national, state or local history;
The construction of the Southern California Gas Company Building signaled the
demand for public services and the empirical evidence that the city was
experiencing growth during this time. The building features bold forms, sculptural
articulation, exposed cast-in-place concrete cladding, and the integration of raised
plazas. Based on these characteristics, the building at 211 N. Sunrise Way is
considered a Brutalist building. Although this style of architecture is somewhat of
an anomaly in Palm Springs since most of the new construction was considered
Mid-century Modern, the rise of Brutalist design, especially for civic and
institutional buildings, was on the rise in other cities. This means this structure is a
reflection of the period at a national and state level and a rare example of this type
of architecture at the local level. The property qualifies under Criterion iii.
(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a
type, period or method of construction;
Resolution No. HSPB #158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 3 of 6
July 2, 2024
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs
evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of
construction) and the method (of construction). It appears that the building was
constructed using standard construction methods and materials and does not
qualify for this criterion.
(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer,
artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that
possesses high artistic value;
The architect, Robert H. Ricciardi, is a notable figure that was active locally and
recognized on the list of significant practitioners. His contributions expand beyond
the city limits of Palm Springs and the report outlines his work in more detail.
Ricciardi moved to Palm Springs in 1959 and worked and trained with the local
masters like William Cody and Donald Wexler. He later goes on and partners with
architect Hugh Kaptur during the 1960s. His portfolio of work includes many civic
and commercial buildings, and the report notes that Ricciardi received an AIA
award for the design of the Gas Company Building. Ricciardi’s 50+ years in the
field has influenced the field and his peers, and the Gas Company Building
possesses high artistic value, thus Criterion v is met.
(Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable
entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in
evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on
which more than one entity exists; or
The resource is not within a historic district and does not qualify under Criterion vi.
(Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information
important to national, state or local history or prehistory.
No information is available on any pre-historic significance of the site.
SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.
Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,b). The site, structure, building or
object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in
the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design, materials,
workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.
The Gas Company Building is evaluated based on the following topics of integrity based
on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards:
Location.
The location of the structure is in its original place of construction; therefore, the integrity
of location is met.
Resolution No. HSPB #158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 4 of 6
July 2, 2024
Design.
The building has a simple layout of geometric volumes and articulated forms create a
unique spatial experience. The vertical concrete elements on the façade contribute to the
vibrancy of the design and the scale, while modest, maintains a presence. There is no
frivolous ornamentation applied to the surfaces of the exterior walls and the voids
between the volumes are used to insert openings for light and air. While the building has
been altered in certain locations like the south façade to incorporate accessibility
upgrades, the overall mass, scale, and materials are uniform and intact. The overall
integrity of the original design has been preserved.
Setting.
The building remains in its original location at the corner of Sunrise and Andreas but the
report aptly points out the changes in development pattern surrounding the area since the
1960s. The infill projects now include a number of residential projects based on the
underlying zoning and allowable uses. The continued changes surrounding the site have
resulted in the loss of integrity of setting.
Materials.
The steel frame building and the cast-in-place concrete exterior with vertical grooves
created by the formwork reveal an elegant design that is consistently viewed on the
exterior. Windows and openings are minimal and elongated to match the vocabulary of
the architectural style. Currently, the broken windows have been boarded up, but the
openings remain intact. The integrity of materials is met.
Workmanship.
While conventional construction methods may have been used to build, the cast-in-place
concrete walls use of formwork to create the individual vertical grooves exhibits a
specialized level of workmanship and attention to detail. The property as it stands exhibits
craft and high-quality workmanship. Staff finds the integrity of workmanship is met.
Feeling.
The bold yet small-scale Brutalist structure holds its allure at the corner of Andreas Road
and Sunrise Way. The physical features of the building remain virtually unchanged and
clearly demonstrate the feeling associated with civic architecture and how it was
expressed during that period. The integrity of feeling is intact.
Association.
The property is associated with the architect Robert H. Ricciardi and this building is
considered one of his more significant and well-received projects. The high level of design
and material integrity affirms the building’s strong association to the architect’s vision and
the period in which it was constructed. The integrity of association is met.
SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS
In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to
distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that
Resolution No. HSPB #158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 5 of 6
July 2, 2024
contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features
that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but
which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining
features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating
future alterations to the historic resource.
Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:
• Location at northwest corner of N. Sunrise Way and E. Andreas Road
• Orientation of primary façade east toward N. Sunrise Way
• Low (one-story) scale
• Irregular plan with courtyard space at the west façade
• Blocky geometric massing, with asymmetrical primary façade
• Flat roof with flat parapet
• Cast-in-place concrete walls with textured broken edge detail along the vertical
grooves
• Primary entry fronted by wide, open concrete patio with broad concrete entry steps
• Recessed primary entry with floor to ceiling glazed entry assembly with fully glazed
metal double doors
• Cantilevered steel entry canopy with wood slat underside and open steel frame
extension to south
• Recessed and narrow floor-to-ceiling metal windows with solar-tinted glazing
• Integrated concrete planters along the east and south facades
• Integrated concrete box sign base at east façade
• Five free-standing original light fixtures located at one of the east façade planters
Non-contributing elements:
• Walkway and accessible curb ramp at the west façade and accessibility ramp
and railings on the south façade
• Fall protection hand railings along the roof
• Mechanical equipment penthouse with corrugated metal screening on the roof
SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct
or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3)
(the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines,
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for
resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.
SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITES.
According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1
Historic Resource:
Resolution No. HSPB #158 – The Gas Company Building
Page 6 of 6
July 2, 2024
1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code
Section 8.05.020.
2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.
3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.
4. The structure/site may not be modified nor objects removed without following the
procedures outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.110 “Demolition or Alteration
of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources – Certificate of Appropriateness”.
5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a
location viewable from the public way.
6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts
under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.
7. The site shall not be further subdivided.
8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for
recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.
Based upon the foregoing, the Historic Site Preservation Board recommends that the City
Council designate The Gas Company Building located at 211 North Sunrise Way, a Class
1 Historic Resource (HSPB #158).
ADOPTED THIS SECOND DAY OF JULY 2024.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
Christopher Hadwin
Director of Planning Services
ATTACHMENT C
The Gas Company Building
211 N. Sunrise Way
Historic Resources Report
211 N. Sunrise Way
Palm Springs, CA
Prepared for:
City of Palm Springs
Department of Planning Services
Prepared by:
June 18, 2024
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report June 18, 2024
ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP i
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
2. Architectural Description .................................................................................................. 2
2.1 Site and Setting ................................................................................................................ 2
2.2 Building ............................................................................................................................ 3
2.3 Existing Conditions Photographs – ARG, April 2024 ........................................................ 4
3. Alterations and Chronology of Development .................................................................... 6
4. Historic Contexts .............................................................................................................. 8
4.1 Post‐World War II Commercial Utilities Development in Palm Springs .......................... 8
4.2 The Southern California Gas Company in Postwar Palm Springs .................................... 9
4.3 Development and Use of 211 N. Sunrise Way .............................................................. 10
4.4 Architecture ................................................................................................................... 13
5. Regulations and Criteria for Evaluation .......................................................................... 16
5.1 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources and Historic Districts ...................................... 16
6. Evaluation of Significance ............................................................................................... 20
6.1 Previous Surveys and Designations ............................................................................... 20
6.2 Contexts, Themes, and Registration Requirements ...................................................... 20
6.3 City of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource .............................................................. 21
6.4 Character‐Defining Features ......................................................................................... 26
7. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 27
8. Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 28
Appendix A. 2016 Property Data Form
Appendix B. Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024
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1. Introduction
At the request of the City of Palm Springs’ Department of Planning Services, Architectural Resources
Group (ARG) has prepared this Historic Resources Report for a vacant commercial utilities building at
211 N. Sunrise Way just east of downtown Palm Springs. The building was constructed in 1969 and the
Citywide Historic Resources Inventory identified it as locally eligible “as an example of post‐world War
II institutional development, and as an example of Brutalist architecture in Palm Springs.”1
Completion of this assessment involved a site visit and visual inspection of the building by ARG
Principal Katie Horak on April 17, 2024; compilation and review of historic building permits and project
documents obtained from the Palm Springs Department of Planning Services; primary and secondary
source research conducted through various local and online repositories, including the Palm Springs
Historical Society Research Library; development of applicable historic contexts and themes
(expanding on those in the City’s Historic Context Statement); evaluation of the property’s individual
eligibility under City of Palm Springs Class 1 and Class 2 historic resource criteria; and evaluation of
historic integrity. This report was prepared by Mary Ringhoff, Senior Associate, and Sydney Landers,
Architectural Historian, both of whom meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification
Standards for Architectural History.2
In summary, ARG finds that the property at 211 N Sunrise Way meets City of Palm Springs Class 1
eligibility Criteria iii and v. As the property also retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance, it
appears eligible for listing as a Class 1 (landmark) historic resource.
The following report provides a contextual basis for analysis and a detailed discussion of how the
determination was made.
1 City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, Citywide Historic Resource Inventory – Eligible, January 5, 2023,
accessed April 2024 at https://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/64260/638088476736030000.
2 Mary Ringhoff is a Senior Associate in ARG’s Los Angeles office, with 15 years of experience in the field. She is a graduate of
the Master of Historic Preservation (now Heritage Conservation) program at the University of Southern California. Sydney
Landers is an Architectural Historian in ARG’s Los Angeles office, with 3 years of experience in the field. She is a graduate of
the Master of Historic Preservation program at the University of Texas at Austin.
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2. Architectural Description
Site map (building location highlighted in yellow and parcel outlined in red). ARG annotations to Google Maps.
2.1 Site and Setting
The subject property, 211 N. Sunrise Way, is located about a mile east of downtown Palm Springs and
consists of a commercial parcel (APN: 508070016) at the northwest corner of North Sunrise Way and
East Andreas Road. It lies within the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, and is classified as a fee
allotment.3 Development in the vicinity consists of low‐scale commercial, institutional and residential
properties reflecting a wide range of construction eras. The city block that the subject property sits
within contains a two‐story commercial/industrial facility (former utilities company complex) directly
to the north and a low‐scale condominium complex to the west. The surrounding street grid adheres
to a regular, rectilinear pattern oriented to the cardinal directions. The surrounding topography is flat.
The parcel is square in shape and measures 81,893 square feet; its northern half is undeveloped and
vacant.4
3 Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians GIS Portal, accessed May 2024, https://www.aguacaliente.org/gis. See also
Appendix B, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024.
4 Parcel dimensions obtained from the Riverside County Assessor‐County Clerk‐Recorder, April 2024.
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The building sits at the southeast corner of the parcel and is moderately set back from the street. Its
immediate surroundings are developed with an asphalt‐paved parking lot, concrete medians, and
trees including eucalyptus and palm. Just northwest of the parking lot, at the western property line, is
an unroofed, rectangular trash enclosure with concrete block walls and metal fence with gate. There
are concrete low walls and rectangular planters surrounding the building on all sides as well as along
the southern parcel boundary. The building is surrounded by xeriscaping and trees, including
eucalyptus, with agave plantings at the south side.
The building’s east (primary) façade is accessed via a wide concrete walkway with joints and a set of
broad, shallow concrete steps with metal handrails, leading to a wide, open concrete patio. Flanking
the walkway are two low, integrated concrete planters. The south planter wraps around the patio
corner and contains two mature Mexican fan palms. A grouping of five freestanding light standards
with rectangular lamps is affixed to the edge of the patio near the palms. A narrow low wall projects
eastward from the planter and features an integrated original box sign that with replacement lettering
reading “Building For Lease.” The concrete planter to the north of the entry steps contains three
mature eucalyptus trees. A concrete ramp with metal handrails leads north from the south sidewalk to
the primary entrance patio, with an adjacent concrete planter Directly abutting the ramp to the east is
a narrow grade‐level concrete walkway and steps leading up to the primary entrance patio.
2.2 Building
The subject property contains a one‐story Brutalist building, now vacant but originally the Palm
Springs district headquarters for the Southern California Gas Company. Constructed in 1969, the
building has an irregular footprint and a concrete foundation; it is fronted by a concrete patio and
planters as noted above. The building is capped by a flat roof with a flat parapet, behind which sits
intermittent, non‐original metal railing. There is a small equipment penthouse clad in corrugated
metal at the southeast corner of the roof. The majority of the exterior walls are cast‐in‐place concrete
walls with broken edges along the vertical grooves creating a rustic, unfinished appearance. The
building features minimal fenestration that is typically single, floor‐to‐ceiling solar‐tinted glazing, fixed
and metal unless noted otherwise.
The primary façade of the building faces east, towards N. Sunrise Way, and is asymmetrical in
composition. The primary entrance is offset south from the center and is recessed. It is capped by a
flat steel canopy with a wood slat underside containing inset lights; the southern portion of the
canopy is open (steel frame only) and cantilevers beyond the recessed entrance. The entrance
contains a set of fully glazed metal double doors capped with a transom and flanked by floor‐to ceiling
glazing. Directly abutting the north end of the recessed entrance is a rectangular section of concrete
wall that projects slightly outward from the rest of the east façade and slightly above the main
roofline. There are two metal depository boxes embedded into the walls framing the entrance.
Recessed between the projecting volume and the northern half of the east façade is a narrow, floor‐
to‐ceiling window.
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The south façade features minimal fenestration or ornamentation aside from a recessed, narrow
floor‐to‐ceiling window at center and one narrow, west‐facing fully glazed door with transom,
embedded into a recessed portion of the wall, near the west end of the façade.
The west (rear) façade features a recessed entrance (offset south from center) that is framed by the
building, forming an open courtyard space. This entrance is accessed via large sliding glass doors (fully
glazed metal) set within a floor‐to‐ceiling glazed assembly. The north wall of the courtyard consists of
a floor‐to‐ceiling glazed assembly with a single fully glazed door at the east end. The south wall of the
courtyard consists of the same glazed assembly with large sliding glass doors (fully glazed metal),
slightly different from the others at this façade. To the north of the courtyard, there is a set of slab
metal double doors with a metal transom panel.
The north façade features different cladding that breaks up its visual massing: smooth stucco at a
portion of the east half, with the rest typical cast‐in‐place concrete detail. Directly to the east of the
stucco wall is a recessed narrow, floor‐to‐ceiling window and directly to the west of it is a recessed,
boarded up single door capped by a fixed transom.
2.3 Existing Conditions Photographs – ARG, April 2024
211 N. Sunrise Way, east (primary) façade, view
northwest.
211 N. Sunrise Way, primary entrance at east façade,
view northwest.
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211 N. Sunrise Way, ramp at south façade leading
to primary entrance, view northwest.
211 N. Sunrise Way, south façade, view northeast.
211 N. Sunrise Way, west (rear) façade, view east. 211 N. Sunrise Way, interior view onto rear courtyard at
west façade, view west.
211 N. Sunrise Way, north façade, view southwest. 211 N. Sunrise Way, typical recessed window seen
throughout, north façade, view south.
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Typical exterior concrete, note cantilevered steel
canopy with open steel frame extension at east
façade, view southwest.
Typical concrete planter and landscaping seen
throughout, note original light fixtures at east façade,
view west.
3. Alterations and Chronology of Development
Upon review of historical building permits, newspaper sources, photographs,5 and city directories,
ARG created the following chronology of development for 211 N. Sunrise Way.
1969 Southern California Gas Company Desert District headquarters constructed. Permit
scope of work lists a masonry, steel and frame building with composition roof.6
1980s E. Andreas Road completed south of the property; south curb cut and driveway
entrance added to increase access.7
1985 Permit to construct metal stud walls for partition in lobby area.8 Owner is Southern
California Gas Company.
1989 Building reroofed (replaced with 3‐ply built‐up roof). Owner is Southern California Gas
Company. Contractor is Garcia Roofing.9
2009 Permit for Payment Branch Office Remodel. Doors at front and rear facades removed
and replaced for compliant alternative. Accessibility ramp added at south façade to
primary entrance. 24 hour depository equipment at east façade removed and
replaced with compliant alternative, slightly offset from original location. New
5 Primarily 1977 photographs of the building held by the Palm Springs Historical Society.
6 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. 354, 03/28/69.
7 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern
California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967;
comparison of historic aerial photographs on historicaerials.com.
8 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No.B‐7664, 11/05/85.
9 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. B‐14708, 01/20/89.
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sidewalk and accessible curb ramp constructed at west (rear) façade. Replace lighting.
Owner is Southern California Gas Company. Architect is Gensler.10
2009 Building reroofed (replaced with single ply roof system). Contractor is Anning Johnson
Co.11
2012 Permit to install hand railing along roof for fall protection. Owner is Southern
California Gas Company. Contractor is San Marino Roof.12
Observed alterations not documented in the permit record include signage changes since installation;
landscaping around building changed from lawn to xeriscaping between 2019 and 2021; and
mechanical equipment penthouse on roof installed sometime prior to 2008.
10 Gensler, “So. Cal. Gas Palm Springs, Payment Branch Office Remodel, Plan Check Corrections/Addendum 1,” prepared for
the City of Palm Springs, 09/23/09.
11 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. C‐25168, 11/23/09.
12 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. 2012‐1905, 08/01/12.
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4. Historic Contexts
Historic contexts or significant historical themes provide the relevant framework within which to
evaluate significance of the subject property. The subject property falls under the following historic
contexts, themes and subthemes as identified in the Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement
(2018):
Context: Post‐World War II Palm Springs (1945‐1969)
Theme: Post World War II Civic and Institutional Development (1945‐1969)
Context: Architectural Styles & Local Practitioners
Theme: Modern Styles of the Post‐World War II Era
Sub‐theme: Brutalism
Registration requirements for each theme are listed and used in Section 6, Evaluation of Significance.
Additional historic context relevant to the understanding of 211 N. Sunrise Avenue is provided below.
4.1 Post-World War II Commercial Utilities Development in Palm
Springs
The first residential subdivisions within the Palm Springs Village emerged in the early 1920s
surrounding the existing village and resorts. In this time, Palm Springs transformed into an
international resort spot with elaborate winter getaway homes primarily built by Los Angeles’ elite
class. Much of the City’s infrastructure prior to World War II catered to tourism and support services,
reflecting the heavily seasonal nature of its population. With the growing population of the village in
the 1920s and 30s, the demand for standardized services and utilities became readily apparent and
pushed the city to incorporate in 1938.13 Prior to incorporation, utility development was haphazardly
organized and largely dependent on subdivisions for underground utilities and irrigation water
systems.14 Utility companies in the area during the 1930s and 1940s included the California Water and
Telephone Company, the Palm Springs Water Company, Southern California Gas Company and
California Electric Power Company.15 As the City’s population remained seasonal until the advent of
readily‐accessible air conditioning in the 1950s, orders to resume/discontinue utility service revealed
distinct population waves.16
After World War II, Palm Springs experienced a population boom much like the rest of Southern
California. The City resumed annexation efforts in the late 1940s to expand its footprint and prevent
encroachment from nearby cities.17 By the early 1950s, air conditioning became more and more
common in the average home, turning Palm Springs into a feasible, year‐round place of residence
(though seasonal population fluctuations continued as well).18 Opportunistic custom and tract home
13 Historic Resources Group, City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, prepared for the
City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, December 2018, 142.
14 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 73.
15 “New Seasons Gets Under Way Earlier,” The Desert Sun, September 10, 1943, 1.
16 “New Seasons Gets Under Way Earlier,” 1.
17 “P.S. Township To Be Extended,” The Desert Sun, August 6, 1948, 1.
18 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 181.
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developers took advantage of newly incorporated undeveloped land to build, adding to the growing
pressure on utility infrastructure.19 In 1959, a federal law was passed permitting Native American
Tribes and Tribal members to offer 99‐year leases on their land; in Palm Springs’ case, this affected the
development of land in Section 14 and elsewhere owned by members of the Agua Caliente Band of
Cahuilla Indians. Many tribal owners proceeded to develop their land near and adjacent to the city
boundaries, causing the built environment to expand and eventually falling within the boundaries of
the City proper. The location that would come to contain the subject property is part of Section 14, at
its eastern boundary along Sunrise Way.20
From 1940 to 1960, the permanent population of Palm Springs grew 292 percent, from 3,434 to
13,468 people.21 The seasonal winter population outpaced permanent population growth, increasing
pressure on the city’s public infrastructure.22 As the City relied on the seasonal population increases to
sustain itself economically, the need for extensive utility development became more and more
apparent. Palm Springs expanded its municipal infrastructure as quickly as it could, using commercial
as well as public utility providers to do so.
4.2 The Southern California Gas Company in Postwar Palm Springs
The origins of the Southern California Gas Company lie in the formation of the Los Angeles Gas
Company in 1867 as the first and only gas supplier in Southern California. By 1889, more competition
emerged, and the company was purchased by two San Francisco entrepreneurs to form Los Angeles
Lighting.23 The company combined its gas and electric utilities in 1904 to form Los Angeles Gas and
Electric Company. In 1910, the Southern California Gas Company was formed as the main rival of Los
Angeles Gas and Electric until it was acquired by Pacific Lighting in 1929.24 In 1937, Los Angeles Gas
and Electric divested its privately‐held electrical rights to the City of Los Angeles to consolidate and
become a sole resource provider. At this time, both affiliates of Pacific Lighting adopted the current
moniker, the Southern California Gas Company. In June of 1939, the City of Palm Springs passed
Ordinance 59, granting franchise to the Southern California Gas Company to distribute and sell gas in
the City of Palm Springs.25
The Palm Springs area is part of Southern California Gas’s Desert District, which encompasses the
Twentynine Palms‐Yucca Valley area. The Desert District is a subset of the Eastern Division, comprising
greater Riverside and Imperial counties. By the 1940s, Southern California Gas started to explore
infrastructure options that would ensure a consistent supply for its consumers; at the time the
company was relying on sources as far away as Texas and Canada. To that end, it purchased depleted
oil and gas fields in the greater Los Angeles area to utilize as underground storage fields.26 While the
19 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 185.
20 Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024 (see Appendix B).
21 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 179.
22 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 179.
23 Lynn Kronzek, Los Angeles, Place of Possibilities: the People and Resources That Created Los Angeles, Carlsbad: Heritage
Media, 1998, 412.
24 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 413.
25 “City Council,” The Desert Sun, June 23, 1939, 1.
26 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 413.
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storage fields relieved supply and demand issues temporarily, natural gas usage hit a record high
during World War II and brought up more questions of expansion and infrastructure support.27 Soon
after the war, Southern California Gas pursued its most ambitious infrastructure project to date:
building the largest long‐distance gas pipeline (at the time) between 1947 and 1948. This pipeline
connected gas fields in Oklahoma and Texas all the way to Southern California, ensuring a consistent
supply for customers.28
Postwar, meter statistics in the Desert District showed patterns of more than doubling every decade.
In 1950, statistics reported 3,300 meters. A decade later in 1960, the district reported 18,900 meters.
By 1969, it boasted nearly 32,000 meters. These statistics alone show the exponential growth in
demand for gas and consequential infrastructure and development needed to match it.29 Palm Springs
was at the center, and served as the gas company headquarters for the Desert District.
Prior to the 1969 purpose‐built Sunrise Way location, and starting as early as 1959, the Palm Springs
District office occupied a leased facility at 560 Indian Avenue. It hosted face‐to‐face customer service
support in addition to company administration, but soon outgrew its Indian Avenue location due to a
rapidly expanding customer base.30 Staff at the Palm Springs headquarters office (development of
which is discussed below) doubled in the 1960s to support the growing service needs of the area, from
10 to 22.31 By 1970, the Desert District had five facilities: the Palm Springs District Headquarters office
(subject property), a branch office in Indio and operating bases in Cathedral City, Blythe and Hi‐
Desert.32 As of 2024, there is still a branch office located in Indio at 45123 Towne Street; it occupies a
non‐purpose built, one‐story vernacular storefront building.33 In the 1970s, Southern California Gas
Company continued to grow and consolidate its control over gas in Southern California and acquired
Southern Counties Gas Company.34 Today, Southern California Gas Company is the “nation’s largest
distributor of natural gas, serving a population of more than 12 million, over a 20,000‐square mile
area.”35 SoCal Gas is one of two companies providing gas service to all of California, its coverage
stretches from San Diego all the way to Fresno.
4.3 Development and Use of 211 N. Sunrise Way
Southern California Gas announced plans for a new Palm Springs district office in early 1968, in
anticipation of the growth and development of its Eastern Division.36 A conditional use permit was
issued in 1967 to construct the subject property on a residential zoned lot. 37 In accordance with
27 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 414.
28 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 414.
29 “SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980,” The Desert Sun, December 29, 1969, 39.
30 “New $215,000 Gas Company Office in Palm Springs is Approved,” The Desert Sun, March 28, 1969, 8.
31 “SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980,” 39.
32 “SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980,” 39.
33 Lynndee Kemmet, “Indio workers fight to keep gas company office open,” The Desert Sun, September 6, 1991, 5.
34 Chattel Architecture, Southern California Gas Co. Complex National Register Nomination, prepared for the National Parks
Service, 2004, 17.
35 Chattel Architecture, Southern California Gas Co. Complex National Register Nomination, 17.
36 “Gas Company Slates Desert Improvements,” The Desert Sun, January 31, 1968, 5.
37 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern
California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967.
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Section 9402.00‐A of the Zoning Ordinance in 1967, public utility structures could be constructed in
any zone district with approval from the Planning Commission and City Council through a conditional
use permit. At the time, the parcel directly to the north of the subject property was occupied by
another utility, the California Water and Telephone Company.38 The Southern California Gas Co.
approved the design of the subject property and announced the coming of its new district
headquarters on March 28, 1969. The architect would be Robert H. Ricciardi of Palm Desert and the
builder would be Coble & Wessman of Palm Springs.39 Ground was broken for the new facility in April
of 1969; the commemorative ceremony included a guestlist of local officials and upper management
including the SoCal Gas district manager and Eastern Division manager, Mayor of Palm Springs and
Chamber of Commerce president.40
“Groundbreaking” article, Desert Sun 10 April 1969.
The new facility was built to house public contact sales staff from the previous Indian Avenue office
and customer service staff previously located in Cathedral City.41 At the time, the district served nearly
31,500 customers.42 The new building at 211 N. Sunrise Way was completed and operating by
38 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern
California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967.
39 “New $215,000 Gas Company Office in Palm Springs is Approved,” 8.
40 “Groundbreaking,” The Desert Sun, April 10, 1969, 1.
41 “Growth Spurs Need: New Gas Company Office Due,” The Desert Sun, March 31, 1969, 4.
42 “Growth Spurs Need: New Gas Company Office Due,” 4.
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November 1969. Advertisements for its recent opening stated the “modern building keeps in step
with the forward progress of Palm Springs.”43 Beyond its commercial usage, the building also had
rooms available to community groups and organizations for meetings.44
“SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980” article, Desert Sun 29 December 1969.
The Brutalist building received two awards for its design in 1971: an AIA Special Citation from the
Inland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a citation as one of “eight outstanding
concrete projects in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties” from the Concrete Industry Awards.45 It
also was nominated for a Golden Palm Award by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce on merit of
its design in 1979.46 Development around the Gas Co building continued over the next decades.
Notably, East Andreas Road at the south edge of the property was not fully paved or a through street
until the early to mid‐1980s.47 The property’s southern curb cut and driveway are presumed to have
been constructed at this time. In 1991, the office was under threat of closure as the Gas Company had
downsized thirteen offices and was targeting 211 N. Sunrise Way alongside others in the Coachella
Valley due to a decrease in face‐to‐face foot traffic.48 In 2009, the subject property underwent a
comprehensive accessibility compliance remodel, designed by Gensler. Doors at the front and rear
façade were replaced with compliant replacements; exterior lighting was replaced with new; an
accessible ramp was constructed at the south façade connecting to the primary entrance; 24‐hour
depository boxes at the east (primary) façade were removed and replaced with compliant
43 “The Southern California Gas Company is now ready to serve you,” The Desert Sun, November 27, 1969, 33.
44 “Growth Spurs Need: New Gas Company Office Due,” 4.
45 “Outstanding project,” The Desert Sun, April 2, 1971, 4; “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” Palm Desert Post, September 11,
1980, 19.
46 “Golden Palm Award nominees are announced,” The Desert Sun, May 11, 1979, 37; “Institutional Nominees,” The Desert
Sun, May 18, 1979, 42.
47 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern
California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967;
comparison of historic aerial photographs on historicaerials.com.
48 Kemmet, “Indio workers fight to keep gas company office open,” 5.
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alternatives, slightly offset from their original location; and a new sidewalk and accessible curb ramp
was constructed at the west (rear façade). In 2012, handrail was installed intermittently along the
roofline for fall protection as a mechanical penthouse is accessible on the roof.49 The property was still
owned and occupied by the Southern California Gas Company in the 2010s and was sold to the current
owner, Mezrahi Trust, in 2019.50
4.4 Architecture
Brutalism
Brutalism is a subset of Late Modern architecture, an iteration of Modern architecture that came of
age between the mid‐1950s and the 1970s. Compared to their Mid‐Century Modern predecessors,
Late Modern buildings exhibited a more sculptural quality that included bold geometric forms,
uniform glass skins on concrete surfaces, and sometimes a heightened expression of structure and
system. Brutalism emerged in post‐World War II England through disenchanted young architects who
sought to break free from the picturesque vision of Late Modern and design in a matter that was
honest and ethical.51 Named after the French béton brut, or “raw concrete,” Brutalism features
exposed materials, primarily concrete, to show the human‐made construction of architecture;
concrete was also a popular material after World War II due to its affordability.
The Brutalist style employs rectilinear forms, angular shapes, and geometric massing clad in a singular
material, typically a heavy exposed concrete. These buildings come across as solid and monumental,
fitting right into post‐war Europe. As a result, the style is often applied to commercial and institutional
properties. While present in Southern California, the style is less prevalent than it is in the northeast
as it is associated with colder climates.52 In its California iterations, it is most commonly found in
institutional buildings during the urban renewal period from the 1950s through the 1970s.
While Brutalism is one of the less common subtypes of the Late Modern style in Palm Springs, there
are a handful of notable examples, most of which are institutional (civic, institutional and religious)
and date to the 1970s and early 1980s. They include the Seventh Day Adventist Church (Laszlo Sandor,
1972), the Palm Springs Library (William F. Cody, 1975), the Palm Springs Art Museum (E. Stewart
Williams, 1976), and the Bank of America (now Pacific Western Bank, Donald Wexler, 1982).53 While
not exactly fitting under the umbrella of Brutalism due to their stucco‐clad exteriors, many of Hugh
Kaptur’s buildings share the same distinct massing and bold forms of Brutalism, coming across as a
49 City of Plam Springs Building Permit No. 2012‐1905, 08/01/12.
50 City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report, prepared for the City of
Palm Springs, March 5, 2024.
51 Derived from SurveyLA, “Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Architecture and Engineering,
Subcontext: Los Angeles Modernism, Theme: Late‐Modern,” prepared by Daniel Paul, July 2020, 26.
52 “Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Architecture and Engineering, Subcontext: Los Angeles
Modernism, Theme: Late‐Modern,” 28.
53 “7th Day Adventist,” The Desert Sun, June 3, 1972, 20; Lawrence Karol, “Incredible Hulks: The Coachella Valley’s version of
Brutalism emerges from the shadow of midcentury modern,” Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2016, accessed April 22, 2024 at
https://www.palmspringslife.com/incredible‐hulks/; “Public party slated for Bank of PS opening,” The Desert Sun, March 19,
1982
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‘cousin’ of the style. Kaptur designs in this language include Tahquitz Plaza (1974) and Musicland Hotel
(1967).54 Robert Ricciardi’s Southern California Gas Co Building at 211 N. Sunrise Way was the only
pre‐1970 Brutalist building identified in the 2018 citywide historic resources inventory.55
Common character‐defining features of Brutalism include:
Exposed concrete structural systems
Monumental massing and ‘’heavy” appearance
Integration of bold, angular shapes and blockish, geometric forms
Unfinished, exposed concrete surfaces
Articulated bases that rise above integral plazas and landscapes
Minimal ornamentation aside from incorporation of heavily textured surfaces
Architect Robert Ricciardi
Robert H. Ricciardi was born in Los Angeles, California in 1935. Ricciardi earned his architectural
degree at the University of California at Berkeley in 1959. 56 He worked for Welton Becket and
Associates while residing in the Bay Area for his education.57 In 1959, Ricciardi relocated to Palm
Desert to work as an associate to architects William F. Cody and Donald Wexler.58 He gained his
architectural license in 1962 and established his own practice soon after.
Ricciardi partnered with architect Hugh Kaptur for a brief period in the mid‐1960s to design a number
of civic and institutional projects including the Palm Springs Golf Course Clubhouse (1967), the Palm
Springs Fire Station #3 (1964) and the Canyon Crest Country Club in Riverside (1966).59 Kaptur left the
partnership in 1965 and Ricciardi went back to his private practice, which was based in Palm Desert
for the entirety of his career while he designed for nearby desert communities in Riverside County. In
1980, Ricciardi went into partnership with Millard Archuleta of Los Angeles to form a Palm Desert
subsidiary office under the name of Millard Archuleta/Robert Ricciardi Associates, AIA.60 Archuleta
was a known figure in commercial and shopping center design, having also worked for Welton Becket
and Associates in the 1950s.61 The firm went on to design a number of Ricciardi’s most notable
commercial and institutional projects including Desert Horizons Country Club in Indian Wells (1980),
Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage (1982) and Palm Desert Town Center (1983).62 It appears the
partnership dissolved in the mid‐1980s.
54 Karol, “Incredible Hulks.”
55 The Citywide Historic Resources Inventory also identified the 1975 Palm Springs Library as a notable Brutalist property, but
did not evaluate it, likely due to its construction date after the survey’s 1969 cutoff.
56 Historic Resources Group, City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings Appendix A:
Biographies of Local Practitioners, prepared for the City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, December 2018,
APP‐A‐40‐41.
57 “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” Palm Desert Post, September 11, 1980, 19.
58 “Ricciardi Wins Post,” The Desert Sun, April 18, 1966, 1.
59 “Architect – Jaycee,” Palm Desert Post, August 18, 1966, 1.
60 “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” 19.
61 “Obituaries: Millard Archuleta,” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2010, accessed April 22, 2024 at
https://www.latimes.com/socal/la‐canada‐valley‐sun/news/lvs‐obitarchuleta052710‐story.html.
62 “Obituaries: Millard Archuleta.”
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Ricciardi worked primarily in commercial, civic, medical and institutional architecture throughout the
Coachella Valley during his long‐standing career. Perhaps reflecting his training under Welton Becket
and Associates at the beginning of his career, Ricciardi’s designs are predominantly commercial; they
include numerous commercial shopping centers in Palm Springs and Palm Desert with notable
projects like Palm Desert’s Palms‐to‐Pines Plaza (1972) and Prickly Pear Shopping Center (1973).63
Ricciardi’s designs were known to conform to the popular regional motifs of the time, consisting of
low‐scale and massing, earthen tones and materials with exaggerated overhangs.64 His Brutalist design
for 211 N. Sunrise appears to be the only stylistic outlier from the earlier half of his career. Ricciardi’s
work in the residential sphere is perhaps his least notable. It appears he only started taking
commissions on residential development starting in the mid‐1980s in the latter half of his career.65
In his 50+ year career, Ricciardi was well‐known and an awarded architect. He received AIA awards for
his designs of the Southern California Gas Company in Palm Springs (1969) and the Rancho Mirage fire
station (1976).66 Ricciardi was staunchly proud to be a long term figure in the Coachella Valley, the
community for which he designed. He has been quoted in local publications expressing disdain for the
post‐Modern style and out of town architects coming to the area and not adapting their designs to the
surrounding environment.67 Ricciardi’s identifying style reflects Palm Desert and its surrounding
environment, mellow and non‐overpowering.68 Buildings by the architect often feature low‐scale
massing, geometric volumes clad in stucco, wood and/or brick capped by flat tiled roofs and
overhangs. The Brutalist subject property is one of the only buildings of the architect’s portfolio that
steps away from this motif – though its low‐scale, geometric massing, flat roof, and rough concrete
exteriors reflect some of the same characteristics.
Outside of his practice, Ricciardi was active in the community, serving as president of the Palm Desert
Jaycees, board member of the Inland California Chapter of American Institute of Architects and
founder of the Palm Desert Junior Chamber of Commerce.69 He also taught architecture and urban
environment at the College of the Desert part‐time, starting in 1966.70 Ricciardi appears to have never
retired and is still alive. His large body of work is present and notable in the Coachella Valley to this
day.
63 “Palms‐to‐Pines Plaza Built in Palm Desert,” The Desert Sun, October 28, 1971, 55; “Prickly Pear Project,” Palm Desert Post,
July 26, 1973, 13.
64 John Hussar, “Desert’s eclectic lifestyle glistens in architecture,” The Desert Sun, April 8, 1989, 39 and 41.
65 Nardia T. Villagran, “Custom to cookie‐cutter: Architects flourish in desert,” The Desert Sun, February 2, 2001, 63; “Sales
open Saturday at newest PD resort,” The Desert Sun, June 9, 1984, 41.
66 “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” 19.
67 Hussar, “Desert’s eclectic lifestyle glistens in architecture,” 39 and 41.
68 “Council Oks complex plan,” The Desert Sun, August 1, 1978, 4.
69 “Ricciardi Runs for I.W. Seat,” The Desert Sun, February 12, 1970, 9.
70 “Ricciardi Runs for I.W. Seat,” 9.
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5. Regulations and Criteria for Evaluation
5.1 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources and Historic Districts
The City of Palm Springs administers a local designation program in which individual properties and
concentrations of properties can be designated as historic resources and historic districts. The
designation of significant properties is governed by Title 8, Chapter 8.05 (Historic Preservation) of the
Palm Springs Municipal Code (as amended in 2019 and 2020 ordinances) – referred to hereafter as
“the Ordinance.”
The Ordinance establishes and authorizes a seven‐member Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation
Board (HSPB) to issue decisions regarding applications to alter or demolish designated or potentially
eligible resources and for new construction in historic districts; make recommendations to City Council
regarding designation of historic resources; advise the City Council and/or Planning Commission in all
matters concerning historic preservation; and educate and inform the community on historic
preservation matters.71 To facilitate this process, the Ordinance establishes requirements that a
property or properties must meet in order to qualify for designation as a historic resource or historic
district.72
The City of Palm Springs classifies individual historic resources and potential historic resources into
four different categories, as defined in Article I of the Ordinance (General Provisions)73:
Landmark/Class 1 historic resource. Any site, structure, building or object not located on Tribal
Trust or Allotted Trust Land designated by resolution of the City Council as having historic,
architectural, archaeological, cultural or aesthetic significance that contributes to an
understanding and awareness of the community’s history. A Class 1 historic resource may
include a structure, building or object on the site, or may include all or a portion of the site
itself. Class 1 historic resources are eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property
preservation agreement, as determined by the City Council.
Historic Merit/Class 2 historic resource. A site, structure, building or object not located on
Tribal Trust or Allotted Trust Land that does not qualify for Class 1 historic resource
designation under this chapter, but is otherwise deserving of official recognition as having
historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural or aesthetic significance and is designated as a
Class 2 historic resource by resolution of the City Council. A Class 2 historic resource may lack
some aspects of historic integrity, or may include a site where the structure, building or object
of historic significance has been lost, damaged or removed. Class 2 sites on which the historic
resource still exists are eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property preservation
agreement, as determined by the City Council.
71 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.030.
72 The City of Palm Springs is also a designated Certified Local Government (CLG), which is a preservation partnership between
the National Park Service (NPS), the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) and local communities with a goal to create
local commitments to historic preservation.
73 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.020.
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Potentially Eligible/Class 3 building. Any building which is not a Class 1 or Class 2 historic
resource, but is identified in a City historic resources survey as eligible for designation as a
historic resource. A building may be a Class 3 building regardless of the construction date or
the improvements thereon. Class 3 sites are not eligible for the execution of a Mills Act
historic property preservation agreement.
Class 4 building. Any building which is not a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource or a Class 3
building, and on which the building or improvements thereon were constructed before
January 1, 1978, or whose age cannot be determined. The City Council shall review this date
and update it as it deems appropriate through amendment to this chapter.
Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resource Eligibility Criteria
Article III of the Ordinance (Procedures for Designation of Historic Resources and Historic Districts)
defines the following criteria for designating Historic Resources (Class 1 and Class 2 historic resources)
in the City74:
1. Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1
historic resource, provided one or more of the following criteria in subsections “a” and “b” are
met:
a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and
meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
i. The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful
contribution to the nation, state or community; or
ii. The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful
contribution to national, state or local history; or
iii. The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or
local history; or
iv. The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or
method of construction; or
v. The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or
architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age, or that possesses
high artistic value; or
vi. The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose
components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluated applications
for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity
exists; or
vii. The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to
national, state or local history or prehistory.
b. The site, structure, building or object shall be evaluated for integrity of location,
design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association according to the
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s National Register
74 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.070.
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Bulletin titled: “How to apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” as revised
from time to time.
2. Class 2 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 2
historic resource, provided the site, structure, building or object exhibits significance and
meets one or more of the criteria listed above. A Class 2 historic resource shall not be
required to meet the findings for integrity as described above.
As noted above, in order for a property to qualify as a City of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource, it
must not only be significant under one or more of the above evaluative criteria but also retain
integrity, which the National Park Service defines as “the ability of a property to convey its
significance.”75
The National Register has identified seven aspects of integrity as follows; to convey historic integrity, a
property will possess several, if not most, of these aspects.76 :
1. Location: the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the
historic event occurred.
2. Design: the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of
a property.
3. Setting: the physical environment of a historic property.
4. Materials: the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period
of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.
5. Workmanship: the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any
given period in history or prehistory.
6. Feeling: a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of
time.
7. Association: the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic
property.
Class 3 and Class 4 Buildings
As noted above, the City of Palm Springs defines Class 3 buildings as those previously identified as
eligible in a historic resources survey, and Class 4 buildings as those that are not Class 1 or Class 2
historic resources or a Class 3 building, but were constructed before January 1, 1978 or whose age
cannot be determined. The Ordinance does not provide separate eligibility criteria for Class 3 and
75 National Park Service, National Register Bulletin #15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria For Evaluation (Washington
D.C.: U.S. Department of Interior, 1990), 44.
76 National Park Service, National Register Bulletin #15, 44.
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Class 4 buildings, but notes any Class 3 or 4 building may be designated as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic
resource if they meet the Class 1 or Class 2 eligibility criteria as listed above.77
77 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.080.
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6. Evaluation of Significance
6.1 Previous Surveys and Designations
The Palm Springs citywide historic context statement and historic resources survey identified 211 N.
Sunrise Way as an eligible resource, assigning status code 5S3 (appears eligible for local listing or
designation through survey evaluation) in 2018. The Citywide Historic Resources Inventory states the
property is significant “as an example of post‐world War II institutional development, and as an
example of Brutalist architecture in Palm Springs.”78 It was the only pre‐1970 Brutalist building
identified (and one of only two Brutalist buildings listed in the inventory, the other being the 1975
Palm Springs Library, to which a status code was not assigned).
6.2 Contexts, Themes, and Registration Requirements
The subject property is evaluated using the following registration requirements for the two relevant
themes as defined in the 2018 Historic Context Statement: Post World War II Civic and Institutional
Development (1945‐1969) and Modern Styles of the Post‐World War II Era: Brutalism.
Context: Post‐World War II Palm Springs (1945‐1969)
Theme: Post World War II Civic and Institutional Development (1945‐1969)
Registration Requirements: To be eligible under this theme, a property must:
Date from the period of significance; and
Reflect important civic or institutional development from the period; or
Represent an excellent example of an architectural style or property type; and
Display most of the character‐defining features of the property type or style;
and
Retain the essential aspects of historic integrity.
Context: Architectural Styles & Local Practitioners
Theme: Modern styles of the post‐World War II era
Sub‐theme: Brutalism
Registration Requirements: To be eligible under this theme as an excellent example of its
architectural style, a property must:
Retain most – though not necessarily all – of the character‐defining features
of the style, and continue to exhibit its historic appearance
If important for illustrating a particular architectural style or construction
technique, must retain most of the physical features that constitute that style
or technique.79
78 City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, Citywide Historic Resource Inventory – Eligible, January 5, 2023,
accessed April 2024 at https://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/64260/638088476736030000.
79 Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement 2018, 300.
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6.3 City of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource
As outlined in the 2018 Historic Context Statement, a civic or institutional property from this period
may be eligible for historic designation under one or more of the following criteria:80
CRITERIA REASON
A/1/iii (Pattern of Development/Period) As an excellent example of civic or institutional
development from this period, representing the
significant growth in Palm Springs following
World War II.
C/3/iv, v (Architecture) As an excellent or rare example of an
architectural style from the period, or as the
work of a master builder, designer, artist, or
architect. Additional information about
architectural styles from each period and their
associated character‐defining features are
outlined in the Architectural Styles section.
The subject property is evaluated against City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility criteria, including an
assessment of integrity, as follows:
This property appears eligible for local designation under City of Palm Springs Class 1 Criteria iii and v,
exhibits exceptional historic significance, and retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance.81 Its
period of significance is 1969, corresponding with its construction date. Evaluation under each of the
City’s seven eligibility criteria and an integrity assessment follow.
Criterion i: It is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state
or community.
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is not associated with a singular event that has made a meaningful
contribution to the nation, state, or community. Research did not indicate that any significant events
occurred at the subject property, nor did it reveal that the property’s construction occurred as a result
of any one event; rather, the subject property reflects Post‐World War II civic and institutional
development patterns as utilities infrastructure expanded to meet the needs of the growing
population. ARG does not find the subject property eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of
Palm Springs Criterion i.
Criterion ii: It is associated with lives of persons who made meaningful contributions to national, state
or local history.
80 A discrepancy currently exists between the criteria applicability groupings as noted in the 2018 HCS and as used by the
City. Per email communication from the City Department of Planning Services June 17, 2024, the current City interpretation
for Criteria iii and iv is that an architectural style is considered a trend or pattern of development and is evaluated using
Criterion iii. Criterion iv is evaluated under the topic of architecture looking specifically at construction type, period and
methods.
81 ARG’s evaluation of the subject property under City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility criteria follows the current City
interpretation of Criteria iii and iv as above.
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The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way does not appear to be associated with persons who have made
meaningful contributions to national, state or local history. While the original and long‐time occupant
was the Southern California Gas Company, it does not appear that there were any persons associated
with the property that would rise to the level of significant within the context of national, state, or
local history. The property does not appear eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm
Springs Criterion ii.
Criterion iii: It reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history.
The 1969 building at 211 N. Sunrise Way is the first and only building purpose‐built by the Southern
California Gas Company to be its headquarters in Palm Springs. The 1950s‐1970s were a crucial period
in the development of Palm Springs, reflecting the postwar boom of growth and development and the
accompanying infrastructure built to support it. With the Gas Company seeing doubling in its
customer base by the decade immediately after the war, the need for a new established district
headquarters was obvious. This building served as a public face for the company in Palm Springs and
was used as a meeting space for various community groups.
The subject property is also an excellent example of small‐scale Brutalist commercial/institutional
architecture, a style present (though examples were never very numerous) in Palm Springs during its
postwar development, seen in civic and institutional buildings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It is
easily recognizable as a Brutalist building and retains a majority of its original design, materials, and
workmanship. The Gas Company building received an award in 1971 specifically commending its
concrete construction. It embodies the Brutalist style through features such as bold geometric
volumes; exposed, cast‐in‐place, roughly textured concrete surfaces; and a flat roof. The building has
experienced some visible alterations, including door replacements, signage changes (integral base
unaltered) and the addition of an accessibility ramp at the south facade. However, the original design
is still clearly legible. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Brutalist building, and
is a rare and early example in Palm Springs – it was the only pre‐1970 Brutalist building identified in
the citywide historic resources survey, and thus appears to be the only extant and significant example
from the 1960s.
As the property is associated with historic patterns of civic and institutional development in Palm
Springs in the postwar period and is an excellent example of the Brutalist architectural style popular in
the late 1960s‐early 1970s, it appears eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs
Criterion iii.
Criterion iv: It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction.
Although the property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is an excellent example of small‐scale Brutalist
commercial/institutional architecture dating to the postwar period as discussed above, it does not
embody a singularly significant type, period, or method of construction. Its cast‐in‐place concrete
walls are a characteristic of the Brutalist architectural style, but this construction method is not
restricted to Brutalist buildings, to a specific property type, or to a narrowly defined time period. As a
result, 211 N. Sunrise Way does not appear eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm
Springs Criterion iv.
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Criterion v: It represents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual
genius influenced his age; or it possesses high artistic value.
211 N. Sunrise Way was designed by notable and prolific Palm Desert architect Robert H. Ricciardi and
was one of his early commissions. Ricciardi is well known for his work in the Coachella Valley,
designing for the environment in which his buildings resided. His distinctive designs, using natural
material and tones with low‐lying massing, blended into the landscape to create a cohesive visual
language. Ricciardi’s design for 211 N. Sunrise Way stands out from the rest of his body of work due to
its Brutalist idiom, but reflects many of the same characteristics, including low scale, blocky geometric
massing, flat roofline, and masonry cladding. While Ricciardi’s work has not been recognized or
published to the extent of some of his ‘master architect’ contemporaries, many of his designs
(including the subject property) received awards on merits of their design. The lack of recognition for
Ricciardi’s body of work is likely due to the relatively late period in which it took place; the majority of
his designs date to the 1970s and 1980s, a period which has not yet received much attention for its
architectural innovations (especially compared to the 1950s‐60s Mid‐Century Modernism for which
Palm Springs is renowned). Based on research and analysis into the architect and his body of work, the
property at 211 N. Sunrise Way appears eligible under City of Palm Springs Criterion v.
Criterion vi: It represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack
individual distinction.
As 211 N. Sunrise Way is not a district or part of a district, it does not represent a significant and
distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. Therefore, it is not eligible as
a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criterion vi.
Criterion vii: It has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state, or local
history or prehistory.
As an archaeological assessment was not conducted as part of this study, 211 N. Sunrise Way is left
unevaluated under Criterion vii.
Integrity Assessment
As outlined in the 2018 Historic Context Statement, each type of property depends on certain aspects
of integrity to express its historic significance. Determining which of the aspects is most important to a
particular property type requires an understanding of the property’s significance and its essential
physical features. The rarity of the property type should also be considered when assessing its physical
integrity. In order to be eligible for listing at the federal ,state, or local levels, a property must retain
sufficient integrity to convey its historic significance under this theme.
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CRITERIA REQUIRED ASPECTS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY
A/1/iii (Pattern of Development/Period) A property that is significant for its historic
association is eligible if it retains the essential
physical features that made up its character or
appearance during the period of its association
with the important event, historic pattern, or
person(s). A civic or institutional property from
this period eligible under Criteria A/1/iii should
retain integrity of location, design, materials,
feeling, and association, at a minimum, in order
to reflect the important association with the
city’s civic and institutional development during
this period.
C/3/iv, v (Architecture) A property important for illustrating a particular
property type, architectural style or construction
technique; or that represents the work of a
master must retain most of the physical features
that constitute that type, style, or technique. A
civic or institutional property significant under
Criterion C/3/iv, v (Architecture) should retain
integrity of design, workmanship, materials, and
feeling at a minimum, in order to be eligible for
its architectural merit. A property that has lost
some historic materials or details can be eligible
if it retains the majority of the features that
illustrate its style in terms of the massing, spatial
relationships, proportion, pattern of windows
and doors, texture of materials, and
ornamentation. The property is not eligible,
however, if it retains some basic features
conveying massing but has lost the majority of
the features that once characterized its style.
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way retains sufficient integrity to convey its historical significance, as
detailed in the following evaluation under each of the seven aspects of integrity.
Location: The place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event
occurred.
The subject property remains at its original location and retains this element of integrity.
Design: The combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a
property.
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way has experienced some alterations, including replacement doors,
signage changes (base unaltered) and an accessibility ramp at the south facade. Despite these
alterations, the form, plan, space, structure, and style of the property is still clearly legible, largely
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because the alterations minimally impact the primary façade and reflect the use of in‐kind materials.
The property is easily recognizable as a Brutalist institutional building from the 1960s, with its original
layout and design intact. As a result, it retains integrity of design.
Setting: The physical environment of a historic property.
At the time of its construction in 1969, the commercial/institutional property at 211 N. Sunrise Way
was among a handful of buildings in a largely undeveloped area; one rare neighbor was the 1962
California Water and Telephone Company building occupying the parcel to the north, suggesting an
early and continuing occupation of the area by utilities companies. Today the subject property is
surrounded by commercial, residential, and institutional properties reflecting a wide range of
construction dates and development eras. A condominium complex infilling the rest of the city block
to the west was constructed approximately fifteen years after the subject property. Some
undeveloped parcels remain. Due to the gradual infill of most of the surrounding blocks over the past
fifty years, the subject property has lost integrity of setting.
Materials: The physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time
and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way was built primarily of cast‐in‐place textured concrete, a material
used heavily in the Brutalist idiom due to its economic value and direct nature; all textured concrete
elements remain, as does metal fenestration and the steel canopy over the primary entry. Although
the primary doors have been replaced, they were replaced in‐kind (fully glazed metal for fully glazed
metal). As a result, the property retains integrity of materials.
Workmanship: The physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given
period in history or prehistory… [expressed through] both technological practices and aesthetic
principles.
The original workmanship of 211 N. Sunrise Way is evident through its intact exterior features,
including exposed cast‐in‐place textured concrete walls, metal‐framed floor‐to ceiling windows and a
cantilevered steel canopy. It retains integrity of workmanship.
Feeling: A property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.
The property clearly expresses the aesthetic and historic sense of commercial‐institutional
development in Palm Springs during the 1960s and 1970s, a time during which the City was ramping
up infrastructure development to accommodate its growing population. The Brutalist idiom is also a
sign of the shifting architectural language of the Late Modern style at the time, which had a strong
footing in Palm Springs. The subject property retains integrity of feeling.
Association: The direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property type.
The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way was used as headquarters for the Southern California Gas
Company between 1969 and the 2010s, and is easily recognizable as a late 1960s‐early 1970s
commercial/institutional building. It continues to reflect its association with 1960s‐1970s institutional
development in Palm Springs. The building’s Brutalist style also reflects its association with this
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pattern and period of institutional development, and to a certain extent its association with its
architect. Richard Ricciardi’s design for 211 N. Sunrise Way is an unusual example of his work due to
its strict adherence to the Brutalist idiom, but reflects the general characteristics of his Coachella
Valley‐responsive design aesthetic: low scale, blocky geometric massing, natural materials, and
masonry cladding. As the property retains its original appearance, retains integrity of location and
design, and is clearly recognizable as a product of its time, place, and designer, its integrity of
association remains intact.
Summary of Eligibility
In summary, the subject property appears individually eligible for listing as a Class 1 historic resource
under City of Palm Springs Criteria iii and v, with a 1969 period of significance. As it retains integrity of
location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, the resource retains sufficient
integrity to convey its significance. The property continues to convey its historical significance,
association with patterns of development, and Brutalist design by architect Robert Ricciardi.
6.4 Character-Defining Features
ARG recommends the following as character‐defining features of 211 N. Sunrise Way:
Location at northwest corner of N. Sunrise Way and E. Andreas Road
Orientation of primary façade east toward N. Sunrise Way
Low (one‐story) scale
Irregular plan with courtyard space at the west façade
Blocky geometric massing, with asymmetrical primary façade
Flat roof with flat parapet
Cast‐in‐place concrete walls with textured broken edge detail along the vertical grooves
Primary entry fronted by wide, open concrete patio with broad concrete entry steps
Recessed primary entry with floor to ceiling glazed entry assembly with fully glazed metal
double doors
Cantilevered steel entry canopy with wood slat underside and open steel frame extension to
south
Recessed and narrow floor‐to‐ceiling metal windows with solar‐tinted glazing
Integrated concrete planters along the east and south facades
Integrated concrete box sign base at east façade
Five free‐standing original light fixtures located at one of the east façade planters
The following elements do not contribute to the property’s significance:
Walkway and accessible curb ramp at the west façade and accessibility ramp and railings on
the south facade
Fall protection hand railings along the roof
Mechanical equipment penthouse with corrugated metal screening on the roof
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7. Conclusion
Documentary and archival research, site analysis, the development of historic contexts, and
evaluations against local eligibility criteria indicate that the subject property at 211 N. Sunrise Way
meets City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility Criteria iii and v. As the property also retains sufficient
integrity to convey its significance, it appears eligible for listing as a Class 1 historic resource.
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8. Bibliography
City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services. “Citywide Historic Resource Inventory –
Eligible.” January 5, 2023. Accessed April 16, 2024 at
https://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/64260/63808847673603000
0
City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05– Historic Preservation.
Chattel Architecture. Southern California Gas Co. Complex National Register Nomination. Prepared
for the National Parks Service, 2004.
The Desert Sun, various dates.
The Desert Sentinel, various dates.
The Hi‐Desert Star, various dates.
Historic Resources Group. City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings.
Prepared for the City of Palm Springs: Department of Planning Services, December 2018.
Karol, Lawrence. “Incredible Hulks: The Coachella Valley’s version of Brutalism emerges from the
shadow of midcentury modern.” Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2016. Accessed April 22, 2024
at https://www.palmspringslife.com/incredible‐hulks/.
Kronzek, Lynn. Los Angeles, place of possibilities: the people and resources that created Los Angeles.
Carlsbad: Heritage Media, 1998.
The Los Angeles Times, various dates.
National Park Service. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for
Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service,
Interagency Resources Division, 1990, rev. 1991.
SurveyLA. Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Architecture and Engineering,
Subcontext: Los Angeles Modernism, Theme: Late‐Modern. Prepared by Daniel Paul, July
2020.
The Palm Desert Post, various dates.
Palm Springs Historical Society. Various collections.
The San Bernardino County Sun, various dates.
Appendix A. 2016 Property Data Form, 211 N. Sunrise Way
Appendix B. Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024