Old Convention Hall Facade Won’t Fade Away

CAPE MAY — The ghost of the 1917 Convention Hall facade continues to haunt City Council in the form of comments from a few residents who want a new facility to resemble a building constructed 91 years ago.
At a Sept. 2 City Council meeting, resident Jim Wyatt, the most vocal proponent of the old facade, complained architect Martin Kimmel had been requested to present the exterior design on Aug. 25 that had been selected by the city’s Convention Hall Committee one year ago. Wyatt said at an Aug. 15, 2007 meeting, Kimmel presented a facade that incorporated the basic elements of the 1917 building, specifically a design that “showed an exterior that would have looked at home here at the turn of the century.”
“It is a design that compliments the historical buildings in the city,” said Wyatt. “It was my understanding, as a member of the Convention Hall Committee, that this facade could incorporate any one of the five floor plans presented as options.”
He asked why that exterior design “did not make it to the table this year for this new round of public meetings.”
Wyatt quoted a survey conducted by Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May President Robert Steenrod, which indicated 71 percent of residents wanted the 1917 facade.
Wyatt said he knew the city needed a new Convention Hall and he did not want to hinder progress.
He said Historic Preservation Committee standards note that new construction in Cape May should reflect the design trends and concepts of contemporary architecture yet remain compatible with the historic character of the historic district.
“I am not asking for a replica of the 1917 Convention Hall,” he said.
“Mr. Kimmel didn’t want to present this. Why?” Wyatt continued. “I can’t get the answer.”
Wyatt said both designs should have been presented side-by-side so the public could make their choice. He claimed only a minority of City Council members were involved with the selection of a contemporary facade for a new Convention Hall.
“I do not believe for one minute that this form of government is as transparent as the citizens were promised in the recent election,” he said.
Mayor Edward J. Mahaney Jr. said he took issue with Wyatt’s accusation of a lack of transparency and claiming council did not including the public in the selection process for the design of a new hall.
Mahaney asked each council member (Niels Favre was absent) to confirm their support for the contemporary design for a new hall.
Councilwoman Terri Swain said out of 160 surveys received from a town meeting, only eight persons preferred the 1917 facade. She said a compromise would have to be reached.
Interim City Manager Bruce MacLeod said the current exterior design of the hall matches the proposed interior design. He said he did not know if the 1917 facade design could accommodate the proposed interior design.
Mahaney said the city would reach out to the architect to see if “something could be done” with the facade. He said the 1917 Convention Hall intruded much further onto the beach, which cannot be duplicated today.
The mayor invited Wyatt to meet with Kimmel later in the month. Mahaney said Kimmel would bring in final design for the hall by early October including operating costs and timelines.
Kimmel has probably produced 16 or 17 different layouts for a new hall, said Mahaney.
Resident Jerry France asked for a Victorian facade rather than a 1917 look. He said the new hall would be the largest building in Cape May and it should “reflect the character of the city.”
Innkeeper Jay Schatz said he supported the 1917 style facade and if that was not accommodated, “Nov. 4, this thing is in trouble.”
Mahaney said he talked with the “silent majority” of Cape May and was assured the binding referendum will pass.
“If it doesn’t pass you are going to be waiting at least four years before we can even initiate it again,” he said.
Resident Robert Boyd, a former Cape May Police Chief, said there was no longer other buildings in the city that “project 1917 architecture.” He said 1917 styled hall would look “freaky” in the middle of a non-Victorian neighborhood.
“If we were going through this in 1962 what we are going through today, we wouldn’t be arguing about rebuilding the Convention Hall, we probably still wouldn’t have one,” he said.
City Solicitor Tony Monzo suggested council formalize the final design by passing a resolution at its next meeting.