A bill for an ordinance designating 4150 East Shangri La Drive, Cableland, as a structure for preservation. Approves the designation of Cableland as a Landmark Historic structure for preservation, located at 4150 East Shangri La Drive in Council District 5. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 4-9-19.
1313. Eyes Council Bill 240 has passed. Councilman Cashman, will you please put Council Bill 344 on the floor? Yes, I move the council bill 344 be placed upon final consideration and do pass. Has been moved. Can I get a second to it has been moved and seconded the required public hearing for accountable 344 is open. May we have the staff report? Good evening. I'm Karen with Landmark Preservation in Community Planning and Development. And we are here to talk about the designation for Cablevision, which is at 4150 East Shangri-La Drive. This is a designation that came forward from the property owners, which is the city and county of Denver. The property is managed by the Cable and Foundation. It is in the general location of the Hilltop neighborhood near the Burns Park, and it is in Council District five in the new blueprint, Denver. It is in a low intensity residential and is currently zoned ESU d. This designation aligns with the new city plans that were just recently adopted both the Comprehensive Plan and Blueprint. Denver recommending that designation to preserve the character of significant structures and districts. As you are aware, in order for a property to be a landmark, it must meet at least two criterion in history, architecture and geography maintain its historic and physical integrity, and LPC must consider how a historic context relates to a historic context or theme in Denver's history. The Landmark Preservation Commission found that this property met under history for having a direct and substantial association with a person or groups of persons who had influence on society and under architecture for embodying distinguishing architectural characteristics of a style or type. We received two letters of support for this property from historic Denver and from the Cranmer Park Hilltop. R.A. This property is associated with Bill Daniels. His early life influenced his later career and eventually his design preferences. Daniels grew up in the Great Depression without much money and learned the importance of hard work, which led to some of his philanthropic endeavors. Later in life, he was sent to military school, where he excelled in sports, which became a passion throughout his life. After military school, he joined the Navy as a fighter pilot. Upon leaving upon leaving the military, he followed in his family's businesses as an insurance salesman in the oil and gas industry, which took him to Casper, Wyoming. And at that point, he acquired connections with large oil and gas companies for some financial endeavors that would help him . Later, as he started to establish cable television networks during his travels, he stopped at a bar in Wyoming and stopped at a bar in Denver and saw a television for the first time. It was a boxing match in Madison Square Garden, and he was just entranced, entranced by the fact that he could see a live sporting event that was happening across the continent. Unfortunately, when he went back to Casper, Wyoming, they didn't have television or they couldn't read. They couldn't get the television signal. So he worked to help develop a solution that incorporated microwave technology, that connected a transmission to a very large antenna in Casper. And then multiple cables were connected to the antenna and established the first cable television system in Casper, Wyoming, in 1952, because this was a new and Denver endeavor and used new technology, he had to use his connections with the oil and gas company to actually finance these systems. Daniels continued on forming these systems in rural areas in Casper, Rawlins, Wyoming and Farmington, New Mexico. And he became a leader in cable television. He eventually became the president of the National Community of Television Association and then used his financial acumen to help establish cable television systems throughout the country in rural areas that didn't have access to the television signals, Daniels also became a leader in cable programing. He started sports networks, and then he was a very early supporter of CNN. Daniels used this his leadership in television and cable television to establish Denver as a headquarters of cable television and the Center for the Industry in the country. He established the Daniels Association Associates, and they were headquartered here in Denver, and he was later introduced into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame and received an Emmy for his work in cable television. The cable land itself is a culmination of his interest in cable television, as well as his film Philanthropy. He built cable land to be a large venue for entertaining and specifically to host fundraisers for various philanthropic endeavors. And so the cable land is directly associated with Bill Daniels in the culmination of his technological achievements in the cable industry and to his support of philanthropic endeavors throughout Denver. Cable land is also significant as an exceptional example of residential postmodern architecture. Postmodern architecture arose in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity of the modern architecture. Postmodern architecture evolved into identifiable architectural styles in the 1970s and gained popularity in the 1980s. Postmodern architects critiqued modernism as anonymous, too universal, overly simplistic and meaningless. Well, modernist had to eliminate the traditional decorative elements. Postmodern architects reintroduced traditional elements such as columns, but used them in new ways. They included playing with scale and proportions, exaggerating and manipulating traditional forms. And they frequently used oversize geometric shapes. There are few examples of postmodern residential architecture in Denver. The style was more widely used for public and commercial buildings with Michael Graves, Central Branch of the Denver Public Library and Philip Johnson's Cash Register Building. The best known examples of postmodern in Denver, commonly referred to as the Moth Mansion Cable Land, reflects 1980s design trends excess theatricality, luxury and exuberance. When completed in 1987, table land featured four bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, three fireplaces, four kitchens, a sunken bar, a swimming pool, a combined cabana and guest house and staff quarters. And it showcased technology throughout the media room, featured walls of 64 televisions, one for each of Daniels Mile High, Cablevision. There were also an additional 24 televisions throughout the house, including a closed circuit system. Other amenities included ten telephone lines, 97 telephones and a surround sound with tactile systems. Sorry. This is. Frozen. Well, keys key post-modern elements seen in cable land include oversize stylized versions of traditional building elements arches windows surrounds columns, a strong geometric composition with repeated motifs, the use of textured surfaces and highly varied wall planes with projections and recesses and a play of light and shadows. Here we go. Cable land also incorporates elements of brutalist style, including textured concrete, have a heavy feel and deeply punched openings and varied wall which create a play of light and shadow. Significant interior features include recessed lighting, warm colors, irregularly shaped rooms, multiple clever labels and geometric shapes. Inside the House is divided into public rooms designed for entertaining and private quarters on the South. The tall ceilings can give a feeling of spaciousness, and the recessed lighting was intentionally installed to flatter the visitors because people from fundraisers the architects felt, were primarily women, and they needed to be flattered with flattering lighting. In the 1990s, postmodern architecture fell out of favor. Critics declared it as kitsch, garish and cartoonish, overly commercial, a reflection of the excess of the 1980s. However, postmodern architecture has recently seen a revival in interest. Contemporary architects are beginning to look to postmodern designs of the past for inspirations, and efforts have been made to preserve significant works of postmodern architecture. Here are a few examples of properties that have been designated throughout the country. So far, only a few a handful of them have been designated. Denver would be on the forefront of the movement to designate postmodern buildings. Overall cabling retains a high degree of integrity. The House passed directly from Daniels to the city and county of Denver and is under the management of the Cable in foundation. When Daniels donated the property in 1998, he stipulated that neither the exterior or the interior could be substantially changed without approval from the foundation. And finally, OPEC considered how a structure relates to a historic context and theme. They associate it with the development of cable television and Denver's central role in the industry, and specifically then with Daniel's role in philanthropy in the foundation's strong role in Denver. The LPC found that it met the criteria under history of having a direct and substantial association with Bill Daniels and under architecture for embodying the distinguishing characteristics of the architectural style of postmodernism. They felt it maintained historic and physical integrity, and they considered how it related to historic contexts and themes in Denver's history. The LPC voted 611 to recommend approval and two forward to City Council for your review and I am happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. We have four individuals signed up to speak on this item this evening. First up, we have Tim. David. Hi. My name is Tim David. I'm chairman of the board of the Cambodian Home Foundation. That's the foundation that manages cable. And I'm here to answer questions people might have. Thank you very much. We'll go to questions after we get through all the speakers. All right. Next up, Tom Hurt. Again. My name is Tom Hart. I am the chairman, zoning committee chairman for the Kremlin Park Hotel Association and an architect. And I'm also on the board of trustees of historic Denver. When this came to our neighborhoods attention and we looked at each other and said, really, why this? But then you realize the connection to Bill Daniels and the architecture. Some might say this is in its awkward adolescence. There's not a lot of appreciation for this style, but there there is that out there. We talk to the neighbors and we have not had anybody object to this. So we support this designation. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Chairman Sekou. Yes. Germans, so-called black socks and movement to self-defense, advocate for poor, working, poor, homeless senior citizens and students. We do do that. So please support this. Designation for historical reasons for. Let us not forget. And The Tale of Two Cities represents the history and legacy of this town of the haves and have nots. And it just so happens that I was born in 1952. And the legacy of this town in 1952 was that we was not even allowed to be on that side of town. Segregation was the law. And with the advent of cable television, what you see there is an accumulation of the masses of the people contributing to the success of Bill Daniels. So that that facility was designed. And also through his efforts, he opened the doors of that for those who couldn't necessarily live like that. And so we have a proliferation of nonprofit groups from my neighborhood that I grew up in, five points in Park Hill and all the way through the Eastside, who they would give that facility to those nonprofit groups in order for them to do fundraising to support the programs. And so we can see that sometimes out of what may seem to be strange, we can find folks who back then were willing to reach out and help folks that weren't as fortunate. And today it seems as if the pendulum has swung back toward an idea of when it comes to poor folks. Oh, NIMBY, not in my neighborhood. And so we're going back to a resegregation of this town. And it's in hopes that this legacy will continue to inspire those who selflessly and greedily think that this city is just for the rich and the privilege and to open up the doors once again for the folks who are not so fortunate. Thank you. Next up, Jesse Pierce. Jesse Pierce represented for Black Starks and more for self defense positive actually commitment for social change. And I'm on top of the ballot for at large. Make sure you vote me. We actually approved this. We need to know the historical significance of the city, as was previously stated. The city has always been segregated. This is why we have a race street. If you ever wonder why we have a race street, that's the reason why. Because prior to 1970, blacks and others were not allowed to live past that line. So, yeah, we have to acknowledge that with all of these preservations, that blueprint Denver and historic Denver is passing. There's nothing I'm going to tell you that's going to make you not approve this because it matches all the criteria. But I would like to let you know that we know the history, we know what's going on. And, yes, we see that it is re gentrification. Gentrification is a fancy way of saying ethnic cleansing. We see that segregation never ended and it's making a resurgence. So we need to sweep the council, like to sweep the homeless every night. We need to get people in the office actually know what's going on. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there any questions from members of council on this? Councilman Flynn. Thanks, Mr. President. Kara, could I ask? You said that the vote at the Landmark Commission was six to 1 to 1. Did I hear that correctly? So could you tell us if you know why? Why the person who voted no, voted no, and why did the one person abstain? Well, as I said, postmodern architecture is just recently been designated a recognized as historic in some of the LPC. Members felt that they wanted a little more context. We as a staff strongly believe that there aren't any residential buildings of postmodern up to this scale. But the LPC members wanted a little more context and some just didn't feel postmodern was necessarily something that should be recognized. Okay. And does Brutalism itself qualify as an architectural style? Yes, it would. There are none designated in Denver that I believe for the brutalist style, but yes, it would. Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Flynn, Councilman Espinosa. To that sort of the prior question answer, do you foresee I mean, you've sort of noted that this is an exceptional example of postmodern. So we're not going to see a run of postmodern applications. Right. And no. I don't think so. I don't actually think that we have many residential postmodern buildings that we as very much staff are aware of. Um, there are a few of postmodern institutional buildings, but not many residential that I'm aware of. Good. Because I believe we appropriately reconstituted them as something else. Thanks. Thank you. Comment. Thank you. Councilman Espinosa. Councilman Castro. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. President. Is there any memoriam for Mr. Daniels on the site? That building there is on the interior there. There's something there are some things that are dedicated to the mayor and there's some other things that talk about Bill Daniels. But someone from the Daniels Foundation may be able to answer that better than I can. That's fine. Thank you. That's all for questions. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. See no other questions. The public hearing for counsel 344 is closed. Comments by members of Council Councilwoman Sussman. Thank you, Mr. President. Yes, I was going to jump in there. Councilman Cashman, there's a. Lot of. Memorabilia of his inside the inside the house. In fact, it's pretty fascinating to watch, to walk through and see. One of the things that. I didn't mention was that much that she mentioned in committee is that Mr. Daniels served in the Navy and he really liked the dark places inside the ship that he lived in. And so the actual living quarters for this home have hardly any windows at all. It's very cave like and and rather interesting to go and see how he how he wanted his private quarters designed. I do think, though, though we don't have much neo modern we have some brutalist. Is Arapahoe Community College. A brutalist. Design I suppose I'd ask. Yeah, that's right. If you want to see what I think is a really good example of neo brutalist and you can see in this particular home some sort of. Addressing some of the brutalist design and some. Some of the neo modern design. Very happy to support this historic designation. Of course, not only the home. But the man was pretty historic for establishing cable television. Practically inventing it and helping make Denver one of the capitals for cable television in the in the United. States. So an urge my fellow. Council people to support it. Along with me thank you for the neighborhood to for checking it out to appreciate your work, Tom. Again. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilwoman Sussman. Councilman Cashman. Know. Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to say a couple of things. I had an opportunity to get to know Mr. Daniels a wee bit. He was a friend of my former wife's family. And the one thing, you know, people focus on the luxury and the opulence of this place. He was an extremely generous man with the people that he worked with. The people who built his fortune for him were extremely well taken care of. And as he did grow up in poverty, his concern that that children learn early in life about finances led him to found the Young Americans Bank in Cherry Creek Young Americans Foundation . I think the Young Americans Bank is still the only bank in the world specifically for people 21 and under, and they continue year after year to take kids on tours and teach them the basics of how to earn a living and how to make the most of of the assets that they're given. So. Yeah. I just wouldn't want the wrong impression to be taken of who this person was. I think it was the last time I spoke to him. It was at the opening of the Young Young Americans Bank. I think I had talked to him five or seven years before, and I walked up the steps to the bank where he was greeting people. And I extended my hand and I said, My name is Paul Cashman. He says, I know who you are. How's Amanda and Peter? Who are my very young children at that age? So this was a definitely a people centered man, and I just wanted that to go on the record. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. Councilman Flynn. Thank you, Mr. President. I will. Just briefly then add to what Councilman Cashman had to say. Bill Daniels was one of Denver's larger than life people and totally deserves to have the the edifice that he built be recognized. And I fact, I would say, no matter where Bill Daniels lived, we would have sought out that place and designated it as a landmark simply because it was Bill Daniels House for many of the reasons that I would echo Councilman Cashman. Many people know of his philanthropy and how he and how he dealt with his fortune. And so this is a although having been in cable land, it is it's a little bit excessive, let's say more bathrooms than we have things to do in bathrooms. But it's it's but it's an incredible site and meets the criteria. And I will be supporting it. Mr. President. And I just to put you on notice that I'll be in honor of this being a center of the cable industry. I'll be casting my vote at any point between six and 10 p.m.. Thank you, Councilman Flynn. Councilman Espinosa. Don't make us wait till 11:00 to get your vote. Yeah, I just my colleagues already spoke to the the association with a significant figure criteria and you sort of already digested if you follow ludi and what I just said my feelings about this sort of the style of architecture that said it'll be important for Denver in the future to be able to look at this in the past and sort of scratch their heads and go, Oh, what was this all about? Because it is a it is a prime example of that sort of that that thing that will will, will, will will generate some sort of thinking along those lines. That said, the only reason I really chimed in to comment is so that people understand that I am and I'm actually struggling with this more of a visceral level. And it was mostly because while I'm getting that presentation, I was reading this document on the Beloved Community Village, which is the next item. Right. And the controversy, I mean, the juxtaposition of these two very these two items. And so, you know, it's not lost on me that the gap between this level of wealth exists in this country and the level of of of of poverty that we're going to be dealing with next. And so I just want to acknowledge that many of you are in the audience for that thing. And it's in I'm sure my colleagues are also cognizant that there is this discrepancy. So we'll memorialize this, but we still have to tackle the other issues on a daily basis. But with that, I'll be supporting it because it does meet the criteria and I do think it's important for future generations. Take care of it. Thank you. Thank you. Comes from Desmond knows it helps me to. Make you spread the good. Daniel's incredible philanthropist the Daniels fund which manages his wealth is in my district and and it just does an incredible job. So I enjoy my wife and I enjoy every year we go to the celebration because the Daniels Fund goes away and funds thousands of college scholarships for students in four states. And these are all lower income, middle income families that are have they're having a struggle with financing their own college education. And it's just unbelievable what a ceremony it is to see those kids have their college education funded and and living up to the standards of what Bill Daniels has said. Paul mentioned the Young American Bank is just such fun. If you have ever been over there, please go over there to see it over there on First Avenue. The kids in there actually depositing a have savings accounts. And it's really sort of a really unique situation. Our neighborhoods had fundraisers there at the Yale sign and and had a great time. And the ones that feature this not mentioned is the fireman's pole that was in his bedroom that slid down from one floor to the other. It was quite a talking point of that of that of that facility. Beautiful facility is just wonderful. And I, I just want to thank the Daniels fund board and and the president, Tim David, for taking such good care of not only the facility as a beautiful facility, but also the history and the legacy of Bill Daniels. So I encourage all my colleagues to support this designation tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman, you are seeing no other comments, Madam Secretary. Roll call. It. Susman. I'm black. Brooks. Espinosa. Flynn. Gilmore. Herndon. Cashman. All right. Can each. Lopez. I knew Ortega. Mr. President. I am secretary. Please close the voting. Announce the results. 13 813. Council Bill 344 has passed. Councilman Cashman, will you please put Council Resolution 367 on the floor?