Boulderspace

Lolita’s has been in the news lately, following an Demolition Application that would include tearing down the structure (including the space adjacent to and behind the space that currently houses Lolita’s Market). The Daily Camera ran three articles ( I, II, III) leading up to a public hearing before the Preservation Board last Wednesday. The result of the meeting, a 180-day stay on demolition, will allow the City to further consider the future of the property, and allows the potential for a Landmark Designation, which could significantly alter the developers plans for the site. A fourth article summarizing the meeting has drawn feedback from those on both sides of the issue (see the comments at the bottom of the article). Neighbors and concerned citizens are worried that much of the charm that makes West Pearl so unique is going the way of mixed-use development, while those in favor of demolition continue to argue that the building has very little, if any, architectural and historical significance. The owners of Lolita’s, who also own the property, have stated that they need to grow the footprint of the store in order to stay competitive, however, as the current owners of the entire building, there are opportunities for the store to grow to the south without any redevelopment of the property. Current plans also include developing the parking lot to the east of the existing building and adding high end residential units above the ground level.

Below is the full text of the developer’s statement, which was briefly posted below the Application Review sign:

The owners of 800 Pearl are beginning to explore a redevelopment concept for the property. This requires us to submit a demolition permit for the property to engage in a discussion with the City. The goal is to bring the property current with the needs of the neighborhood and develop an expanded Lolita’s to serve our customers.

Eight Hundred Pearl has served as a market since the 1940’s. Since 1960, it has been home to Lolita’s, a neighborhood landmark. Our goal for this property is to redevelop the site in order to upgrade and modernize Lolita’s, adding to the diversity in this thriving neighborhood. While the existing structure is very old, the building has limited architectural merit and has been substantially altered over the years. This structure is not considered a candidate for “national register” designation.

However, we would like to use the redevelopment of 800 Pearl to tell the story of West Pearl neighborhood and the uses that occurred historically on the site. Few people know that this area was incorporated as the Town of West Boulder in 1874 and became a thriving business area when the city’s second rail spur arrived and Ninth and Canyon in the 1890’s. We have proposed a series of interpretive exhibits as part of the building itself and the public spaces adjacent to the structure to tell this story.

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