§ 16.52.550. The Pacific Tower.

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2.63 and with the recommendation of the Planning Commission, the City Council designates the following building as an historical landmark in the City: The Pacific Tower.

A.

Location, description and reasons for designation. Located at 205-19 Long Beach Boulevard in the City of Long Beach, The Pacific Tower was the first twelve-story office building in Long Beach when built in 1923, and was the first "Own-Your-Own" office building in the United States.

Attorney Joseph A. Ball's first private office was in the building as were the offices of Attorneys William H. Cree, Walter Desmond, Jonah Jones, Jr., Clark and Thomas Doyle, C.V. Hawkins, F.A. Knight and Phillip H. Goddard, Donald P. Lane and Lewis P. Lane, George F. Kapp, and Stephen G. Long, Jr.; the offices of doctors F.C. Hertzog, R.L. Buffum, and Izak Alcazar; the offices of architects Horace Austin and C.H. Gibbs. These prominent citizens are just a few of Long Beach's pioneers who are listed in City Directories with offices in this building.

Naomi Celeste Tompkins, Vice-President of City National Bank at the time the building was built, was thought to be the only female vice-president of a national bank at that time.

Government offices were located in the building and included the U.S. Coast Guard, State Board of Equalization, the U.S. Federal Housing Administration, State Board of Education, and U.S. Probation Offices.

It is significant that the Times Mirror Company of Los Angeles owned the building. And, that the Western Headquarters of the AARP in Long Beach moved to this building in 1967 and named the building after their founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus.

The Renaissance Revival style was the prestigious architectural style of the mid-twenties for major commercial buildings, hotels, and other significant structures. This building remains one of the most visually prominent and handsome buildings in downtown Long Beach. The architect, W. Horace Austin, was a prominent Long Beach architect who practiced from 1900 to 1942. His obituary called him the "Dean of Architects" in Long Beach. He designed the old City Hall (demolished) Horace Mann Elementary School, Wilson High School, the original Buffum's Department Store (demolished), the YMCA (demolished), the Long Beach Airport Terminal, the Press-Telegram Building, and many other buildings and residences. He was a resident architect on the Municipal Auditorium. In Santa Ana he designed City Hall, the Masonic Temple and the Bower Memorial Museum. The Seal Beach City Hall and Fire Station and the San Pedro Post Office and Customs House were also Austin designs. He worked in Bellflower, Perris, Riverside and Whittier as well.

This twelve-story building complements the Insurance Exchange Building and the Barker Brothers Building along Broadway and, together, they anchor the corners of Long Beach Boulevard and The Promenade.

B.

General guidelines and standards for any changes. The "Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings" prepared by the Secretary of the Interior (Revised, 1983) as amended, are incorporated by reference, and the following additional guidelines and standards as recommended by the Cultural Heritage Commission are adopted:

The building's exterior shall be regulated by the provisions of this Chapter. There shall be no restrictions on the building's interior.

Any alterations, modifications or repair of the building's exterior shall be consistent with its historic character. No exterior changes, including repainting, shall be permitted unless a Certificate of Appropriateness has been applied for and approved by the Cultural Heritage Commission.

(Ord. C-6682 § 4, 1990)