City officials say the old Francisco’s building at 619 Main Ave. should no longer scream “cantina,” which could mean the most significant facade change to a Main Avenue storefront in nearly 20 years.
As builders plan to remodel the single building into three suites, and to keep consistent with downtown Durango’s historic design, the Design Review Committee recommends the prominent Spanish colonial-style veranda over the former Francisco’s Restaurante y Cantina be removed.
Plans are in place to divide the 10,180-square-foot building into two 2,500-square-foot suites and one 5,000-square-foot suite for future tenants, including a retail clothing store and restaurant.
The structure remains under the ownership of Francis Garcia, who opened the building as a tavern in 1968 with his wife, Claudine. While retaining property ownership, they sold the restaurant in 2013, but the new owners closed it in 2014, ending an esteemed 46-year mainstay. The Garcias listed the building at $3.2 million, but it never sold.
City planning and design review representatives agreed on the interior layout but insisted since the building is no longer a Mexican restaurant and the canopy has no historic significance, the veranda should be removed and the storefront redesigned.
Applicants wanted to retain the 75-foot-long veranda over the sidewalk, but community development staff balked at the conspicuous overhang and referred the project to the design board. City entities agreed the veranda is neither a historic nor compatible facade.
“Our design guidelines are clear,” City Planner Scott Shine said. “Canopies shouldn’t be allowed in new buildings. Downtown Durango is a designated historic district, and we look for projects and designs that fit in with our history.”
Applicants presented different exterior options that included mixing modern and Spanish designs, and another with a more analogous appearance, but both alternatives kept the veranda.
City officials instead suggested pursuing a conversion similar to the former Woolworth’s remodel in the late 1990s, which was the most recent major facade makeover in the Central Business District on Main Avenue.
After the national retail store closed in 1997, the Woolworth’s building was split two years later into multiple suites in the 900 block where Durangler’s, Tippy Canoe and Eolus are today.
The historic Spanish architectural style isn’t native to Durango, and canopies aren’t ubiquitous in the downtown area; there are four other verandas – near The Palace restaurant, the General Palmer Hotel, Durango Bagel and the office suites at 11th and Main.
Rob Sachs of Sachs Construction, who represents the owners, said no designs are finalized, but the owners are attached to the building and would like to leave its design as it has been for nearly 50 years.
“It’s part of our heritage and culture to Durango – that architecture,” Sachs said. “And being in business 45 years and developing a landmark in our community, they want to have it remain as is with simple modifications.”
The city and applicants will convene again at an undetermined date.
“The main thing we communicated to the Garcia family is that it’s not personal,” Shine said. “We just want to maintain consistency with the downtown district.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
