The City Council on Tuesday recognized the cultural and architectural significance of St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral, the Bishop Tuttle Memorial House, the Grand Army of the Republic Hall and the St. Michael's-Carnegie building in Downtown Boise by recommending they're designated local landmarks.
The council must pass a separate ordinance for each building in order to finalize the landmark designation process.
The council was also scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday on declaring Christ Chapel a landmark. The chapel, located on Broadway Avenue just south of the Boise River, originally served as St. Michael's Church.
Boise State University, which owns the land on which Christ Chapel sits, asked the city to withdraw the property from landmark consideration late Tuesday afternoon, Boise historic preservation manager Sarah Schafer said. The university's motives for the request weren't clear. Schafer said she expects the city and school to work out any concerns.
Local landmark status makes the process of altering or demolishing the buildings more difficult. An attempt to do so would activate a 180-day waiting period during which the city, landowner and possibly other interested groups attempt to negotiate an alternative action.
All five buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which recognizes a building is worthy of preservation but has no authority to protect it.
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