RESOLUTION NO._____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE RUBIN BUILDING,
LOCATED AT 457 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE, AS A CLASS 1
(LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #167, SUBJECT TO
CONDITIONS (APN 513-082-007).
THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:
A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, Rest Area LLC submitted an application seeking historic site designation of The Rubin Building located at 457 N. Palm Canyon Drive; and C. WHEREAS, on October 6, 2025, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and D. WHEREAS, on October 7, 2025, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #167 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
E. WHEREAS, at said hearing, the HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony and voted unanimously to recommend that the Council designate The Rubin Building a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and F. WHEREAS, on November 12, 2025, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #167 was held in accordance with applicable law; and G. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to the staff report and all written and oral testimony.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:
SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “A”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.
Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the City Council shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:
Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings (“a” and “b”) are met:
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
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457 N. Palm Canyon is a two-story mixed-use building set back from the property line with a prominent storefront viewable from the street. The exterior appearance of the building is largely unchanged from the original design. The following is an analysis of the criterion and integrity findings for historic designation.
(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community;
No meaningful event is associated with this site, thus does not qualify under Criterion i. (Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; The building was originally constructed for the Beverly Hills furrier, Isador Rubin. Although he was a successful and prominent businessman in the Southern California region, he does not meet the threshold for significance under this criterion. (Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
The postwar period in Palm Springs was a time of growth, transition, and expression.
Architectural experimentation became an identity, and mixed-use buildings became a solution for the diverse needs of a growing city. Mixed-use properties such as the La Plaza Center, the Kocher-Samson Building and the Pacific Building are some examples of this building typology that became increasingly important to the development of Palm Springs. The Rubin Building, also a mixed-use building, is designed in the Regency Revival style that utilizes a shopping arcade that survives with no major alterations. The design intent behind the arcade was to create the feeling of “a row of shops”. The building’s scale and delicate architectural detailing reflect the transition of architectural styles and uses specific to the period. This criterion is met. (Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction;
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method (of construction). The building was constructed with steel frames and concrete masonry units.
While not a commonly used method of construction for residential homes or small commercial buildings, this method of construction was not distinctive or uncommon. Criterion iv is not met. (Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
Albert R. Walker is a renowned architect attributed to designing numerous landmark structures in Los Angles, including the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, the United Artist Theater, and the Oviatt Building. Albert Walker and Percy Eisen also designed the original El Mirador Hotel in Palm Resolution No.____
November 12, 2025
Springs which opened in 1927.1 From 1941 to 1954, Walker formed a partnership with Kalionzes and Zerbe and designed the Rubin Building in 1946. The report findings conclude that 457 N.
Palm Canyon Drive is a rare and exceptional example of a Regency Revival design by this office with nearly 95% of the original design intact. Matching the scale of the surrounding area, this mixed-use building is a good representation of the firm’s work and accurately reflects the needs of the period. Criterion v for historic significance is met. (Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
The resource is not within a historic district and does not qualify under Criterion vi. (Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.
No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.
SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.
Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,b). The site, structure, building, or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.
The report provides an evaluation of the site relative to the seven aspects or qualities of historic integrity, as recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. The seven aspects or qualities include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The report concludes that the site retains a high degree of integrity and is further analyzed below:
1. Location:
The building is in its original location on the lot; therefore, the integrity of location is met.
2. Design:
The two-story mixed-use building evokes a sense of retail shopping seen in areas like Hollywood or Beverly Hills in the 1940s and 1950s. The front elevation is composed of two simple display windows that project outward, each set above a masonry planter and topped with a thin metal roof. The massing of the building feels solid with limited ornamentation but the ground floor entrance, projecting storefront windows, and the second-floor balcony create articulation to the front façade. The center arcade divides the commercial/retail spaces symmetrically, and the front two suites use Doric columns and decorative wood paneled doors to emphasize the Regency Revival style for the building. The open-air atrium provides natural light into the arcade space, 1 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement “Palm Springs Between the Wars (1919-1941)”, 49.
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and the stairs lead up to the residential units above. The railings and other decorative motifs found throughout the building help contribute to the architectural style of the building. The original drawings show little change to the design and layout of the building. City Council finds the existing condition exhibits a high level of design integrity.
3. Setting:
On an internalized lot, the building was situated in a retail and commercial corridor that was expanding in response to the economic boom experienced in Palm Springs after the wars. The integrity of setting remains unchanged.
4. Materials:
Based on the original drawings, the material and architectural detailing down to the wooden doors and iron railing remains extant. Minor changes like the green granite veneer and the security gate in front of the arcade were made but most of the original materials are still in place or replaced in kind. The overall integrity of material is met.
5. Workmanship:
The workmanship of the building is apparent in the architectural details that remain intact. The windows, storefronts, wooden doors and stone veneer are in good condition and demonstrate a high level of workmanship. City Council finds the integrity of workmanship is met.
6. Feeling:
The repeating storefronts and regency style continue to be the unifying aesthetic throughout the building. The integrity of feeling is met.
7. Association:
The property is associated with the Regency Revival style of architecture and exemplifies the economic vitality experienced in Palm Springs after the wars. The design of the building also remains consistent with the original design, therefore, maintains its association with the architect Walker and his firm. The integrity of association remains.
SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS
In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.
The following is a list of character-defining features identified by the City Council:
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Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:
Mixed-use commercial arcade typology
Commercial shopping arcade that extends the entire length of the building Symmetry of design with storefronts on either side of the arcade oRecessed and angled doors of the storefronts. (Reference original drawings for exact design dimensions.)
Octagonal lightwell feature
Open space between the residential units on the second floor Low pitch side-gabled rooflines over residential units Second floor chimneys (fireplace)
Wood siding on the second-floor exterior walls of the residential units Wide overhanging eaves, including the front façade display windows Vertically set wood paneling and cornice trim restored Concrete masonry brick construction
Flat front façade with upper balcony created by opening rectangular space in the front elevation
Painted, cast metal tracery used on staircases, upper balcony and wall cresting Flagstone veneer bulkhead window units and trim
Projecting front display windows with metal trim
Display windows in arcade with stainless steel and wood framing Large, fixed, single panels of glass used for each arcade unit and front display windows Front planters with butt-end flagstone veneer finish
Wood doors and their surrounds
Transom openings above the doors inside the arcade
Steel framed casement windows and bay windows inside the residential units Shutters on the windows for the second-floor apartments Fluorescent light fixtures in the arcade
Extruded canned light fixtures on the front elevation under the eaves Angled wooden doors for the commercial units
Small rectangular window opening on the north elevation of the residential unit visible from the street
Flowerpot holders/indentations built into the residential balcony Flagstone pavers inside the arcade and exterior stairs Non-contributing elements:
Green granite around the entrance to the ground floor arcade on the front façade Lettering “Galleria” on the front façade
Front entrance gate (replaced a shorter metal gate from 2014-2016) Security gates used at the ground level of the penthouse stairwells Rear gate (date unknown)
Rooftop mechanical equipment
Two free-standing lion sculptures at the front of the property Enclosed storefront door inside the arcade
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SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.
SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO HISTORIC SITES:
According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:
1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section
8.05.020.
2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.
3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.
4. The structure/site may not be modified, nor objects removed without following the procedures outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.110 “Demolition or Alteration of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources – Certificate of Appropriateness”.
5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.
6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.
7. The site shall not be further subdivided.
8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.
Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates The Rubin Building located at 457 North Palm Canyon Drive, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #167).
ADOPTED THIS TWELFTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2025.
SCOTT STILES
CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:
BRENDA PREE, MMC
CITY CLERK
Resolution No.____
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Resolution No.____
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CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )
I, BRENDA PREE, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. ____ is a full, true, and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on _______________________, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________.
BRENDA PREE, MMC
CITY CLERK