While the site and setting of a historic building are important, sometimes relocating a building, 100 feet or 100 miles, is a suitable alternative to demolition.
Historic preservation review is required for the relocation of buildings that are older than 50 years old, either on-site or off-site.
For buildings that are designated as part of an individual landmark or historic district, review is required through a Landmark Alteration Certificate (LAC). Please refer to the Landmark Alteration Certificate webpage for information on the review process, application and criteria.
Review “What Are the Application Requirements?” to learn what materials you will need to provide.
Log in and apply through the Customer Self-Service Portal. Upload the required materials and submit the application. As soon as your application is submitted, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to access your plan.
Staff will review the materials and contact you to collect any missing or incomplete information.
Staff will invoice the application fee ($282 for off-site relocations of buildings constructed in 1939 or earlier; $51 for on-site relocation of buildings of any age or off-site relocation of buildings constructed in 1940 or later) after all required materials are submitted. Payments can be made through the Customer Self-Service Portal.
Visit the Customer Self-Service Portal to follow the status of your application.
Within five to seven days of application submittal, staff will check that all required materials for your application are complete. If additional materials are required, case contacts will receive an automated email from a “No Reply” address. Make sure to check your spam or junk folder. This email may include a list of materials needed to complete your application, which you will upload through the CSS Portal under the Attachments tab.
Once your application is complete and applicable fees are paid, the case will be routed to staff or the Landmarks Design Review Committee (LDRC) for review. Initial review will occur within three weeks of a complete application. Case contacts will receive an email to schedule review by the LDRC, if required. The outcome of the initial review is to either approve the application or refer it to the Landmarks Board for review.
Please visit the LDRC webpage for an overview of what to expect at an LDRC meeting.
The Landmarks Board reviews applications referred by staff or the Landmarks Design Review Committee. The Landmarks Board can either approve the relocation or place a stay of up to 180 days to provide time to explore alternatives to relocation. If at the end of the stay, the Landmarks Board does not initiate landmark designation (link to landmark designation page), the relocation is approved. The approval is valid for 1 year. If the board initiates designation, (link to landmark designation page), a separate process begins.
If the application is approved, submit the historic preservation approval letter with your Moving Permit Application. If a Moving Permit is not finalized within a year, a new Historic Preservation Relocation application is required.
The purpose of the review is to prevent the loss of historic buildings. In the initial review, the review criteria are to determine whether there is “probable cause to believe that the building may be eligible for designation as an individual landmark,” and whether the proposed relocation would have “no significant impact or potential detriment to the historic resources of the city.”
For applications reviewed by the Landmarks Board, the criteria expand to include:
The reasonable projected cost of restoration or repair.
When considering the condition of the building and the projected cost of restoration or repair as set forth in paragraphs (3) and (4) above, the board may not consider deterioration caused by unreasonable neglect.
