As the anniversary of the fire that closed the historic Alki Homestead approaches on January 16 the architects charged with charting the building's future, Alloy Design Group have been busy working to scale back previous plans for the restoration.

The project had been split between the pure restoration of the Homestead (also called the Fir Lodge) and the development of an accessory structure at the rear of the building intended to provide space for an elevator, staircases, a commercial kitchen and storage with a partial view deck on the roof. That structure would have comprised 2400 square feet but now, for reasons of both economy and to focus more intently on historic restoration Alloy's Greg Squires and Mark Haizlip have worked to fit that full 'program' into the existing building's space.

Since the building is a landmark structure it means they must first pass muster with the Architectural Review Committee of the Landmarks Preservation Board. They had been approaching the project with the idea of being more collaborative with the committee members, showing them four options.

Those included a "Log by Log" approach, in which the building is literally disassembled piece by piece, this after each log, and in fact each unique component of the building is analyzed for integrity.

Another approach considered was Support, Strap, Lift and Lower meaning shoring up sections of the building while others are being worked on and building a steel support structure over which logs in a more decorative than structural role would be placed. A third option was the Shore up and Span Over method in which the existing walls would be shored up, while the roof and foundation were replaced. This option also called for a steel support structure. A fourth hybrid approach was also offered to the committee.

"We presented at the end of July," said Squires, " and it was at that point we we're exploring these options. The resolution we reached from the feedback we were getting was that the idea of having an open ended approach with the Board was not what they were looking for. They wanted a more definitive plan."

The West Seattle Herald covered that meeting and those plans in detail here.

The plan that Alloy settled on was the Log by Log version which calls for, quoting their plan, "each log removed will be cataloged, tagged and documented. The logs will most likely be stored and protected on site while the new Foundation is poured. Once the new Foundation is completed, the restoration of the Core will begin with the replacement of all perimeter logs. Working from the bottom up, the Core will be restored log by log. If any of the original legwork is determined to be compromised beyond reasonable use, it will be replaced with a new log that matches in size and character. Once the Core is completed the Roof will be reconstructed." This approach means that both the roof and foundation would be replaced but the existing stone chimneys would likely remain intact, possibly requiring some shoring and restoration work. Many of the existing windows were damaged in the fire and while it is "not entirely clear on what can stay and what must go, a lot of things like single pane windows can be grandfathered in," said Squires. The windows in the dormer above are the most historic in nature. They also plan to restore the original skylight that can be seen in historic photos.

As usual, it comes down to money but it's a genuine balancing act to restore the historic nature of the building and make it a sustainable business. That's a primary reason for not pursuing the accessory structure.

"As we dived into the economic feasibility of it, it doesn't seem to make sense," said Haizlip, "In an ideal world an accessory structure would relieve the program quite a bit, so fitting it all into the existing footprint is not easy."

"It seems like the only way to make this project economically feasible from a construction standpoint is to fit the entire program into the existing shell of the Homestead," said Squires, "That's a really tricky process." The entire Homestead, combining the first and second floors is 4600 square feet.

There are non historic structures as well, added on over the years, that comprise approximately 1000 square feet, that will be removed, making the design even more compact.

The new plan incorporates an elevator in the center rear of the building to provide ADA access to the second floor.

The southwest corner would contain the ADA bathrooms and possibly a secondary kitchen and the southern dormer could become the commercial kitchen and add vertical circulation, kitchen and cold storage and office space.

The banquet space on the second floor would still be built out since it's a key component of the restaurant's potential success.

It's a challenge in any case to restore an historic building but, "We don't want to end up with the approval of a building by the Landmarks Preservation Board that doesn't make construction sense," said Squires.

In the interim between that last meeting and when they hope to present a revised and more definitive plan Alloy has been busy.

"What we've been doing since our last presentation is preparing a plan that works from a financial standpoint but also from a restoration standpoint. We want to move the process quickly," said Squires.

The issue of just how fast they can move is something of a sticking point for Lin who has noted that the process is not structured to accommodate bigger projects. Applicants must first apply to be heard by the committee which meets somewhat irregularly but more importantly accords only 30 minutes to every project regardless of size or complexity. Since committee members are sometimes different, the process of explaining a complex project is made that much more difficult. "Since you have 30 minutes each time," said Lin,"and how many times can you meet in a year? Six or seven times? That's only three and a half hours per year."

Also during the time they've been reworking the plans they were encouraged to apply for a grant through 4 Culture, a Landmarks Challenge Grant that would have, "been a real boost," providing matching funds said Squires but they learned at the end of September they would not get the money.

In the July presentation, committee members expressed concern about the log evaluation process and requested that the expert Lin and Alloy have previously consulted with, Todd Perbix, attend the next meeting. Perbix has been part of the consulting process throughout the project and will be in attendance for the next presentation which could happen as early at March 2 or March 16.

They've been assembling the documentation for the project, creating a digital document that can be accessed by the Board. "There's a mountain to climb and we've been chipping away at this," said Squires.

"It's critical that we make the right proposal, not only for the restoration but for the plan of the building to create a profitable restaurant so it stays around for years to come and serves the community the way it did. It's going to be a very tightly designed space," Squires said.