Santa Clara at Capitol Park
Sacramento
BEST PROJECT, RENOVATION/RESTORATION
Sent by: Miyamoto International
Owner: Housing of Mercy
Main design company: Page and Turnbull
General contractor: Construction of the average state
Structural Engineer: Miyamoto International
MEP Engineer: Interface engineering
Since its initial construction in 1912, the historic Capitol Park Hotel has served a variety of roles, from a women’s college to a furniture store and, most recently, as temporary housing for the homeless before closing the 2020
Now called St. Clare in Capitol Park, this historic eight-story hotel reopened in early 2024 as permanent housing for those emerging from homelessness.
“The seismic retrofit of two dilapidated, historic hotel structures that were joined a century ago presented a rare challenge,” says Ben Honsvick, senior project estimator and project manager at Midstate Construction. “Even more unusual was the discovery that these seven- and nine-story buildings were originally constructed with a heavy timber frame and unreinforced masonry walls.”
Photo by Argast Photography
The floor elevations were also different where the two buildings are located. To solve this, the team used two separate elevators, one for each half of the building. Between floors, a staircase connects floors three and seven, along with ramps to the first and second floors.
Through this $76 million adaptive reuse effort, 180 hotel rooms were transformed into 134 studio apartments. Of those, 64 are reserved for residents experiencing homelessness and living with serious mental illness who also receive behavioral health services from Sacramento County. Five new commercial premises were also included on the ground floor of the building.
Because funding for the project was based on California Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Low Income Tax Credits, and Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits, the design had to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Office of the State (SHPO) and the National Parks Service. Early in the design, the team negotiated with SHPO on the width of the public hallways and keeping the historic doors on the upper floors because accessibility codes required wider hallways to accommodate wheelchairs. Working together with the agency, the team developed a solution that retained some of the original corridors and doors while extending others and also incorporating wider doors. The design qualified for the federal historic tax credit, which provides a 20 percent income tax credit on renovations of historic buildings that generate income.
Photo by Argast Photography
As the first step in this extensive $76 million restoration, the team conducted a thorough assessment of the structure’s historic significance, ensuring that all alterations and improvements would adhere to preservation standards while enhancing the functionality and aesthetics.
Crews meticulously restored the timber frame, employing traditional techniques that honored the building’s original craftsmanship while ensuring structural integrity and longevity. Attention to detail extended to the restoration of the brick facade, with the team seamlessly combining modern restoration materials with historic brick to achieve a uniform appearance that respects the structure’s heritage.
Due to the historic significance of the building, the structural design team had to ensure that it improved the seismic performance of the structure and preserved its historic features. As a result, the seismic retrofit design added concrete shear walls to the upper floors in discrete locations behind the historic exterior brick walls. This decision helped the team avoid any alterations to the exterior that could have obstructed the historic windows.
