This letter was originally submitted for the April 23, 2025 meeting of the Salem Design Review Board (DRB) in consideration of the exterior cladding for the new Exchange Building at 252 Bridge Street.
___________________________
April 21, 2025
Attn: Mr. Paul Durand Chair
Design Review Board
City of Salem
98 Washington treet
Salem, MA 01970
Via Email: sowens@salem.com
Historic Salem, Inc. provides the following comments on the Board’s consideration of and decision on the paneling color options for The Exchange at 252 Bridge Street.
HSI is aware that the upcoming April 23rd DRB agenda includes further discussion of the exterior cladding mockup for The Exchange at 252 Bridge Street. We are not aware that there has been public notification requesting public inspection of and/or commentary on the new colors now incorporated into the mockup. Historic Salem, Inc. continues to believe that although progress has been made to mute the last iteration, the mockup continues to be different from the approved renderings and continues to deviate from the brick-like color originally proposed. We maintain that reddish, brownish, and grey tones are far preferable to the mustard hues from the last material iteration.
We believe that it is critically important that the appearance of the façade of The Exchange building fits with and complements the materials context of Salem’s historic downtown. The site is a highly visible downtown entrance setting for this new residential and commercial structure. Historically used materials in the downtown include the brick, granite, and concrete masonry of Salem’s historic courthouses and commercial buildings, as well as more recently for the facades of the new Ruane Courthouse building and even for the adjacent parking garage at the MBTA commuter rail station.
Further, the addition to the Probate Court, completed in 2017, was paneled with light gray Portuguese limestone, which was also a conservative and complementary material and color use contributing to the architectural flow of Salem’s historical Federal Street district.
We would urge the Board to explore paneling color options for The Exchange facade that are natural and wood-like in the above referenced tones so that the building does not visually represent as orange or, even more unfortunate, orange-striped. The multi-panel façade of this very large, multi-story building will be a significant visual presence as one arrives in Salem’s downtown, and we believe that it should be a visual partner with the existing historical architectural elements near it.
A foundational role of the Design Review Board and the Salem Redevelopment Authority is determining that:
The design criteria are sympathetic to and conducive of the preservation and enhancement of historic and architectural values and to the construction of new buildings and facilities compatible with the preservation and enhancement of such values.
Progress is being made in the consideration of the paneling colors for The Exchange, but Historic Salem, Inc. believes the orange tone colors in the mockup remain inappropriate for a large building at the entrance to Salem’s historic downtown. We believe that further consideration is required to bring this very important decision to a successful conclusion.
Sincerely,
Richard Lindeman
President
Historic Salem, Inc.
