 "Photo: Courtesy of the University of Delaware")
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Many community members turned out to the Newark Planning Commission meeting March 2 to voice opposition to the proposed new university bookstore on Main Street.
While there was little disagreement at the meeting over whether a bookstore would be good for Main Street commerce, a string of community members criticized the architectural style of the building proposed by the university, speaking at length and passionatly about how it does not fit in with the surrounding historic buildings.
Bill Manning, a representative of the university, defended the proposed size of the new building on Main Street that will house the university bookstore in 2011.
Manning argued that the height of the proposed tower and surrounding building was shorter than the neighboring steeple of the Newark Methodist Church.
“The tower at the Church is 85 feet tall, and this tower is 79. The things that mark the height of this building, the tower and the third floor, are just under the height of taller structures that are just a block or two away,” Manning said. “We have tried not to make this the tallest building in town, the tallest tower in town.”
“It’s also the ugliest tower in town,” interjected a voice from the audience.
The proposed building, which will its front on Main Street and Academy Street and include a café, straddles the Grassroots building with what Manning called a “pocket park,” and incorporates the historic Christina School District building constructed in 1884.
Mark Sanderson, leader of the design team, explained the layout of the site.
“The main entry into the bookstore would be somewhere in the area of 175 feet back from Main Street,” Sanderson said.
“The tower element here would be the entry to university academic space, which would be on the third floor of the building.”
He said what was important was not to try and mimic history, but just to relate the building to it.
“I think one of the things that will become important elements is not trying to match, in terms of materials and exact detailing, the adjacent buildings,” Sanderson said. “The two primary materials of the building would be a brick that would be a slate-tone and a metal siding, which would pick up the tones of the slate of the adjacent buildings.”
Roy Lopata, the director of planning and development for the city, said he recognized the design might cause a stir but felt the idea had merits, both for its architecture and for the business it would generate.
“The design was — let’s put it this way — different,” Lopata said. “It’s going to be a fantastic retail business for our community.”
In the planning and development department report, he noted that in choosing a modern design, the university is breaking tradition.
“We believe that the university here is not continuing its longstanding and proud tradition of building new facilities that complement and harmonize with existing buildings on and off campus,” Lopata said.
Will Hurd, a Newark resident present at the March 2 planning meeting and an architect with an unaffiliated design firm, spoke about what he thought were the building’s shortcomings.
“The building reads as a set of large blocks with expanses of flat walls and oversized windows that are out of character to the area. It’s a good example of a decorated shed,” Hurd said.
He also said he thinks the building will look massive compared to the other buildings on Main Street. Hurd said he did not think the pocket park would be popular because the building shades it from the sun.
“I’ve made a quick shadow study of the proposed building, which shows the extent of the shadow cast by the building at 1:30 p.m. over the course of the year,” he said.
Hurd drew comparisons to the recently-built Washington House.
“Even though the Washington House is bigger, it’s making an effort to not be a big box,” he said.
David Ames, director of the historic architecture and design at the university, said he approves of the design.
“I really think it’s a brilliant plan,” Ames said. “In terms of the site design, what you’ve done is created development on the interior of the block.”
Another speaker, Newark resident David Roberson, said he does not think the building will fit with the university’s normal neo-Georgian architecture.
“I would suggest that no university administrator or Board of Trustee person would allow this building on The Green, and I think our historic center is just as important,” Roberson said.
Aside from aesthetic concerns, there are a number of practical safety concerns as well.
Gene Diamond, director of Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder, said he wanted to clarify where potential fire lanes and access points would be located.
“When I look at this structure here, I still don’t have it in my head how we get fire equipment into critical positions,” Diamond said.
He also said the loading dock plans, which now call for backing a truck up on Delaware Avenue and into the parking lot, would not work.
“Absolutely, positively, backing up a semi-truck on Delaware Avenue is not the thing to do. We’ll have people piling into each other,” Diamond said.
Despite these concerns, many agreed a bookstore on Main Street would be a good thing for business.
Bill Dill, store manager at the Delaware Book Exchange, said he is not worried about a new bookstore opening on Main Street.
“My prices speak for themselves, but I’m not sure what it will do to the rest of the retail on Main Street,” Dill said.
Brian Handloff, a manager for the National 5 and 10, said he did not know how it would affect his business, but a Barnes and Nobel on Main Street would be a good thing.
“I honestly don’t know that it’s going to affect us in a negative way — the more people attracted to Main Street the better,” Handloff said. “Newark is what Newark is because of the university.”
Carnell Green, a university graduate student, said he is glad the store will be moving because he is rarely near Perkins.
“It’s way more convenient; I’m never over there [Perkins],” Green said. “It’s also the smallest bookstore for a mid-size college I’ve ever seen.”
Sophomore Ashley Martinez said she likes the idea and hopes with the extra space the bookstore will have more literature.
“It would be great if it had regular novels,” Martinez said. “If there are books and a café, I’ll be there.”
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