Stanislaus agency drew protest over moving into would-be steakhouse. Here’s the new plan
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The Stanislaus Council of Governments has a new option for office space, five months after the tempest over another downtown Modesto building.
The transportation planning agency would pay $2.7 million for the Mechanics Bank branch at 1407 I St. It is three blocks from the offices StanCOG has leased since 2009 at 11th and I streets.
The agency board will hold a public hearing on the proposal Wednesday, Sept. 18. It could vote on it Oct. 16.
StanCOG’s first choice was the former World Savings at 833 10th St., one of Modesto’s best-known examples of Modernist architecture. It now is the Dazz Event Center but had been eyed for a high-end steakhouse until COVID-19 hit.
Critics said in April that night life is the best use for 833 10th and also questioned the $6.6 million purchase and renovation cost. Part of the interior is a single story with high ceilings and windows. A curving staircase leads to a mezzanine that StanCOG planned to extend across the whole structure for staff offices.
Mechanics Bank has two other branches in Stanislaus
Mechanics Bank is based in the East Bay city of Walnut Creek. A spokesperson did not respond to an email request for comment on the branch’s future. Turlock and Newman are the only other Stanislaus County locations.
StanCOG is governed by a 16-member board that includes all five county supervisors and one to three council members from the cities. It oversees road and transit funding from local, state and federal sources.
StanCOG has a lease through June 2026 for its current space, said a memo to the board from Cindy Malekos, director of administrative services. It has 20 workspaces and a boardroom across the 6,100 square feet. StanCOG has annual costs of about $130,000 for rent and $40,000 for utilities and off-site employee parking.
The current office is on the third floor of a building that also houses the Fox Pub and a few other businesses. Stairs and an elevator provide access.
The Mechanics Bank building would provide 9,420 square feet for offices and board meetings, all on one story. The property also has a 25-space parking lot.
This site “seems like a better fit and location for the agency based on the current use of the building,” said an email from Harrison Power, chairman of the Modesto Landmarks Preservation Commission. That body would not have any authority over the proposed use.
Power said the building was erected in 1974 by Safeco Title Insurance Co. It replaced the Spanish-style structure that had housed First Presbyterian Church since 1910.
Safeco began in 1902 as Stanislaus Land and Abstract Co. A 1974 ad in The Modesto Bee urged customers to “come by and visit our beautiful brand-new offices.”
Nothing fancy about Modernism
Modernist architects eschewed the elaborate details of Victorian and other earlier styles but still aimed for a striking appearance.
Power said the 1974 Safeco building resembles the nearby Stanislaus County Library, another Modernist favorite. Both facades have precast aggregate concrete and a decorative strip known as a frieze.
The building that was StanCOG’s first choice was erected in 1965 for Modesto Savings and Loan. It later was called World Savings and then Wachovia Bank.
StanCOG will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 1111 I St., Modesto. The public also can take part over Zoom.
