A Place to Call Home: Hotel Tioga, a case study

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

The Tioga, built in 1928 as the Hotel Tioga, was rehabilitated and reimagined as a 70unit apartment building, reinvigorating downtown Merced.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Tioga is the tallest building in Merced and has hosted many luminaries, including Marilyn Monroe. The rehabilitation, completed in 2020, created market-rate residences for working professionals and UC Merced students. Page & Turnbull reimagined about 100 existing hotel rooms into studio, one-, and two-bedroom units with 20 units adaptable for persons with disabilities.

Project Highlights:

• Mix of studio, one- and two- bedroom units, with in-unit washer/dryers, operable windows, and self-regulated heat and air conditioning

• 20 units are adaptable for persons with disabilities

• Restoration of Grand Lobby into communal space

• Use of California State Historic Building Code

• Retention of character-defining features, including originally hallways and stairs, decorative elements, and details on the interior and exterior

• Inclusion of first floor retail

• Incorporation of resident amenities, such as a tenant lounge and fitness center

• Full replacement of MEP systems

• Re-creation of the original roof sign using

The Tioga Hotel is significant not only for its architectural merit but for its social and cultural history. Dignitaries from all over the world would stop in Merced and stay at the Hotel Tioga before continuing their journey to Yosemite.

In its prime, the Hotel Tioga was the jewel of Downtown Merced. The Tioga has long been a symbol of Merced; a prominent feature in the city’s skyline and civic life. The Tioga has been intertwined with the history of Merced, and many residents offer fond memories of time spent in the lobby, dining hall, stores, and coffee shop.

However, at the onset of the project, the once-proud building had fallen into a state of disrepair.

A primary design consideration was restoring the ground floor and mezzanine level to their original understated elegance and openness. The Lobby had been subdivided into five spaces in the 1980s. Page & Turnbull’s design called for removing the inappropriate alterations and reintegrating the Lobby as a place where the residents and the community have opportunities to connect. Special attention was given to restoring unique elements, like the wallpaper on the ceiling beams.

THE LOBBY After the rehabilitation

Historic photo of the original lobby, late 1920s

Before the rehabilitation, view toward the mezzanine

Before the rehabilitation, view toward the main entry

THE GROUND FLOOR recaptures the feel and intent of the original lobby while incorporating two retail spaces on N Street, one of Merced’s historic retail corridors.

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN indicates a mix of unit types including 1 studio, 13 one-bedroom and 3 two-bedroom units. The public hallway is the same circulation path as the original, a requirement for the Tioga to obtain tax credits.

Home, Sweet Home

MAXIMIZING SPACE, UTILITY & VIEWS

Studio apartments range from 260 SF to 375 SF, one-bedroom units from 405 SF to 580 SF and two-bedroom units from 465 SF to 725 SF. The outer ring of units provides views across Merced.

Built for the Future

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards were applied to the rehabilitation of the Tioga and were enforced at the State and Federal levels as part of the Rehabilitation Tax Credit review process.

EXTERIOR All facades were restored, including replacement of existing windows with energy-efficient windows of the same style. The signature neon sign at the top of the building had long been missing and was recreated using LED lighting. Building systems—some original to the building—were replaced

INTERIOR Restoration of the historic lobby; design of 70 contemporary apartments while maintaining the historic hallways; seismic upgrade to correct a soft story condition; new leasing office and workout room; and new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

SUSTAINABILITY All plumbing fixtures are low-flow to conserve water. The air conditioning system is designed to maximize efficiency by sending refrigerant only to units that need cooling. Originally, the Tioga had no insulation at the exterior. The project team specified R-19 batt insulation at the exterior walls to help conserve energy. Similarly, insulation was added at the roof where there had been none before. New windows are dual glazed for energy efficiency and are operable for fresh air.

The Good Life

The project reinforces the commitment of the City of Merced and the developer to imaginatively reuse historic resources to play a role once again in the life of Merced. This historic building now meets contemporary and future needs as UC Merced continues to grow. Projects like the Tioga are common in large urban areas, but this rehabilitation serves as a model for projects in California’s medium-sized cities. As housing becomes an increasingly critical issue throughout the state, creatively repurposing historic buildings helps to retain a location’s history while addressing future needs.

SAN FRANCISCO Rehabilitation of and addition to wine storage warehouse for use as offices

VETERANS VILLAGE, COLMA 1913 Pump House rehabilitated for reuse as a community center for veterans housing

955 POST, SAN FRANCISCO An 8-story, 73,400 s.f. mixed-use residential and commercial building

Firm Profile

imagines change in historic and contemporary environments to cultivate thriving, sustainable, and resilient communities. Our mission is to understand the past and apply the lessons learned to revitalize historic buildings and places to benefit current and future users.

For 50 years, Page & Turnbull has led architecture, preservation, and planning projects for civic, cultural, educational, and commercial clients. Our work has impacted some of California’s most significant buildings and, more importantly, our projects have made a difference in people’s lives. For the staff of architects, architectural historians, cultural resource planners, and materials specialists who work at Page & Turnbull, preservation is more than just saving old buildings. Preservation and adaptive reuse are about valuing a community’s stories and envisioning a better future.

One Firm, Three Studios

ARCHITECTURE & HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE We work as architect of record, design architect, preservation architect, and preservation consultant collaborating with specialty disciplines to re-envision existing and historic buildings, integrate modern systems, and design contemporary interventions.

CULTURAL RESOURCE PLANNING

Architectural historians and cultural resources planners evaluate historic resources including individual buildings, landscapes and entire communities, to assess their historic integrity. The studio is proficient in authoring a wide range of reports, developing and implementing mitigation measures, and completing National Register and California Register documentation.

PRESERVATION AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY Materials specialists conduct conditions surveys, materials analyses and testing, sequential dating, and other investigative processes to understand historic building methods and materials and to uncover the work of early craftspeople.and to uncover the work of early craftspeople.

LEGAL NAME OF FIRM

Page & Turnbull, Inc.

OFFICES

Los Angeles Sacramento San Francisco San Jose

HEADQUARTERS

170 Maiden Lane, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA 94108

SIZE

50 full-time employees

ESTABLISHED / INCORPORATED

1973 / 1975

PRIMARY EXPERTISE

Architecture

Historic Preservation

Existing Buildings

Tax Credit Certification

Cultural Resources Planning & Research

Historic Documentation

Preservation Technology

Materials Conservation

Urban Planning

M/W/SBE CERTIFICATIONS

State of California Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

State of California Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

Self-Certified Federal Small Business

SAN FRANCISCO

415.362.5154

LOS ANGELES

213.221.1200

SACRAMENTO 916.930.9903

SAN JOSE 408.320.7911

www.page-turnbull.com

@pageturnbull

pageturnbull

The Ferry Building

Select Awards

FIRM AWARDS

William G. Ralston Award

In 2012, Page & Turnbull was awarded the William G. Ralston Award from the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society in recognition of decades of committed and talented architectural work towards preservation of the San Francisco Bay Area’s historical and architectural fabric

SELECT PROJECT AWARDS

Sacramento Historic District Plans California Preservation Foundation Design Awards

Livermore Railroad Depot, Livermore California Preservation Foundation Design Awards

Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks

The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles California Preservation Foundation Design Awards

Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Awards, Renovation Category

St. Joseph’s Church, San Francisco California Preservation Foundation Design Awards

Sacramento Valley Station

Engineering News-Record California Best Renovation/Restoration Project

AIA Central Valley Merit Award

Governor’s Historic Preservation Award

California Preservation Foundation Design Award

Carson Block, Eureka

California Preservation Foundation Design Award

Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks

888 Brannan, San Francisco

San Francisco Business Times Bay Area Real Estate Deals of the Year Award

140 New Montgomery, San Francisco

AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation

Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation

Engineering News-Record California

Best Renovation/Restoration Project

San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Best Rehabilitation/Renovation

Antelope Valley Indian Museum, Lancaster

American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) Leadership in History Award for Structural and Environmental Controls Improvement

California Preservation Foundation

Preservation Design Award

Preservation Award, Los Angeles Conservancy

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley

San Francisco Business Times Bay Area

Real Estate Deals of the Year Award

Downtown Napa Historic Context Statement & Survey, Napa

Napa County Landmarks Award of Merit in Cultural Resource Studies

Exploratorium at Pier 15, San Francisco

AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Project Award

AIA San Francisco, Sustainability Commendation

AIA San Francisco, Honor Award for Energy & Sustainability

Building Design+Construction Reconstruction Awards, Gold Award

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation

San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Best Rehabilitation/Renovation

Engineering News-Record California

Best Green Project

Federal Building at 50 United Nations Plaza, San Francisco

AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation

GSA Federal Building Challenge Award

Hallidie Building, San Francisco

Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Restoration

AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation Engineering News-Record California Best Renovation/Restoration Project Building Design+Construction Reconstruction Awards, Platinum Award

Glendale Masonic Temple, Los Angeles Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) Excellence in Structural Engineering Award

Los Angeles Business Journal Commercial Real Estate Bronze Award

Heritage Napa Surveys and Historic Context Statements

Award of Merit, Napa County Landmark

Hoover Pavilion, Stanford University

SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture for Rehabilitation, Restoration or Preservation, Honorable Mention

San Jose Business Journal, Silicon Valley Real Estate, Structures Award for Best Reuse/Rehabilitation

Palo Alto Stanford Heritage (PAST) Preservation Award

Market Square, San Francisco San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Best Rehabilitation/Renovation

Martial Cottle Park, San Jose California Park & Recreation Society Award of Excellence

Placer County Contractors Association Public Works Project of Year

Monadnock Building, San Francisco

San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Top Office Sale

Palega Recreation Center, San Francisco

AIA San Francisco, Honor Award

San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco

AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation

Sather Gate and Tower Rehabilitation, University of California, Berkeley

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award

State of California Governor’s Historic Preservation Award

The Strand, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), San Francisco

AIA National Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture

AIA San Francisco, Interior Architecture Citation Award with Social Responsibility

AIA San Francisco, Community Alliance Revitalization Award

American Concrete Institute Northern California and Western Nevada Chapter Award for Architecture

Walt Disney Family Museum, Presidio of San Francisco

AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award

West Hollywood West Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone and Design Guidelines, West Hollywood

American Planning Association Los Angeles Award of Merit for Planning Best Practices

Raised Streets, Hollow Sidewalks Survey, Sacramento

California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award, Archaeological & Interpretive Exhibits Category

Project of Year Award for Historic Restoration/Preservation, American Public Works Association

Richmond PRISM Historic Context Statement and Survey, Richmond California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award

San Ysidro Historic Resource Survey & Context Statement, San Ysidro

San Diego Historical Resources Board Excellence in Historic Preservation Award

City of Benicia Historic Context Statement, Benicia California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award, Cultural Resource Studies / Reports Category

Berkeley City Corporation Yard, Berkeley

Architectural Heritage Association Preservation Award

Piers 1½, 3 and 5, San Francisco

AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation

Multi-family Residential

Saint Clare at Capitol Park, Sacramento, CA

55 Laguna Avenue, San Francisco, CA

The Landmark at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA

(formerly Public Health Services Hospital)

1645 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA

955 Post, San Francisco, CA

The Tioga, Merced, CA

Veterans Village, Colma, CA

Washington View Apartments, Los Angeles, CA

The Webb Schools Dormatories, Claremont, CA

Wysteria Residences, San Francisco, CA

Wyman Avenue Residences, San Francisco, CA

Financial Incentives

20% REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT

Carson Block Building, Eureka, CA

The Exploratorium at Pier 15, San Francisco, CA

The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA

The Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Hotel Montgomery, San Jose, CA

418-424 Jessie Street, San Francisco, CA

One Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA

The Landmark at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA (formerly Public Health Services Hospital)

Mainzer Theater, Merced, CA

Pacific Gas & Electric Headquarters, San Francisco, CA

Pier One, San Francisco, CA

Pier 1 ½, 3 and 5, San Francisco, CA

The Tioga, Merced, CA

St. Joseph’s Church, San Francisco, CA

1000 Van Ness Avenue (Don Lee Cadillac), San Francisco, CA

MILLS ACT

Chronicle Building (690 Market Street), San Francisco, CA

The Fleet House, South Pasadena, CA

Glendale Masonic Temple, Glendale, CA

Harney Residence Mills Act, Diablo, CA

1019 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

87 & 95 North Raymond, Pasadena, CA

The Strand Theater, San Francisco, CA