Historic Commission wants stained glass windows reused. That's a problem.
By
Jeramey Jannene - Mar 8th, 2021 09:53 am
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Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center. Building photo by Jeramey Jannene, window photos by Ramlow/Stein
Twenty stained glass windows continue to complicate the redevelopment of the former Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center.
No one seems to believe they are of high quality or essential to the building’s historic integrity, but the city’s historic preservation ordinance calls for their preservation in some form. Unfortunately, few seem to want to take them.
A 2017 plan to turn the historically-protected, three-story building into a hotel, with a 14-story addition, was approved with the caveat that three of the stained glass windows remain in place and the other 17 be displayed in the hotel’s common areas. That plan never advanced to construction, but Ascendant Holdings acquired the property, 790 N. Van Buren St., for $3.5 million.