Inset image: The façade of 427 Granby Street was covered in plaster at the project’s outset.
Main photo: When the plaster was removed, some historic elements remained on the façade.
Formerly a partially roofless commercial space with an incompatible façade design, 427 Granby Street in Norfolk, Virginia, has been rehabilitated using the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit in the Downtown Norfolk Historic District. The building, constructed in 1917, is now home to an award-wining interactive advertising agency. At the project’s outset, the façade was covered in plaster applied in the 1950s. When the covering was removed by a previous owner, some decorative elements remained on the building’s upper floors.
The new owners rebuilt the cornice, restored the masonry details, and replaced the storefront.
When the covering was removed by a previous owner, some decorative elements remained on the building’s upper floors. These were retained and repaired, and a replica of the cornice was installed along with a compatible storefront system. The building had evidence that it once had a mezzanine, so the owners constructed a new mezzanine with office space and staff meetings. The firm installed a green roof on an existing rear addition, and kept many historic features, such as the tin ceilings, restored windows and doors, and original wood floors.
