A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Final Landmark Designation Report for the EMF and Metropolitan Ice Co. buildings at 116 Brookline and 112 Pacific Streets

CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL COMMISSION 831 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Fl., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Telephone: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] E-mail: histcomm@cambridgema.gov URL: http://www.cambridgema.gov/Historic LIDGE HISTO Bruce A. Irving, Chair; Susannah Barton Tobin, Vice Chair; Charles M. Sullivan, Executive Director William G. Barry, Jr., Joseph V. Ferrara, Chandra Harrington, Jo M. Solet, Members Gavin W. Kleespies, Paula A. Paris, Kyle Sheffield, Alternates COMMISSIO® Date: December 2, 2019 To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager From: Charles M. Sullivan, Executive Director uS Re: The EMF Building (116 Brookline Street) and Metropolitan Ice Building (112 Pacific Street) landmark designation report and CHC recommendation Attached please find the Final Landmark Designation Report for the EMF and Metropolitan Ice Co. buildings at 116 Brookline and 112 Pacific streets. On November 7, the Cambridge Historical Commission voted unanimously to approve the designation report and recommendations, finding that the property meets the criteria in the ordinance for landmark designation and to forward the report to the City Council with a positive recommendation for designation. The owner's representative, John DiGiovanni, was present at the hearing and registered his opinion that landmark designation was not necessary given the fully built-out site and recently completed renovation. The Commission members, however, shared the opinion that several character-defining features including the painted EMF signs and factory windows would be vulnerable to future change without the protection that landmark designation affords. Additionally, the Commission indicated that designation would honor the history of the property, including its use by musical and graphic artists for many years, many of whom signed the petition requesting the landmark study. Please let me know if you have any questions.