The Tioga, built in 1928 as the Hotel Tioga, was rehabilitated and reimagined as a 70-unit apartment building, reinvigorating downtown Merced.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Tioga is the tallest building in Merced and has hosted many luminaries, including Marilyn Monroe. The rehabilitation, completed in 2020, created market-rate residences for working professionals and UC Merced students. Page & Turnbull reimagined about 100 existing hotel rooms into studio, one-, and two-bedroom units with 20 units adaptable for persons with disabilities.
Project Highlights:
• Mix of studio, one- and two- bedroom units, with in-unit washer/dryers, operable windows, and self-regulated heat and air conditioning
• 20 units are adaptable for persons with disabilities
• Restoration of Grand Lobby into communal space
• Use of California State Historic Building Code
• Retention of character-defining features, including originally hallways and stairs, decorative elements, and details on the interior and exterior
• Inclusion of first floor retail
• Incorporation of resident amenities, such as a tenant lounge and fitness center
• Full replacement of MEP systems
• Re-creation of the original roof sign using eco-friendly LED lighting
The Tioga Hotel is significant not only for its architectural merit but for its social and cultural history. Dignitaries from all over the world would stop in Merced and stay at the Hotel Tioga before continuing their journey to Yosemite.
In its prime, the Hotel Tioga was the jewel of Downtown Merced. The Tioga has long been a symbol of Merced; a prominent feature in the city’s skyline and civic life. The Tioga has been intertwined with the history of Merced, and many residents offer fond memories of time spent in the lobby, dining hall, stores, and coffee shop.
However, at the onset of the project, the once-proud building had fallen into a state of disrepair.
A primary design consideration was restoring the ground floor and mezzanine level to their original understated elegance and openness. The Lobby had been subdivided into five spaces in the 1980s. Page & Turnbull’s design called for removing the inappropriate alterations and reintegrating the Lobby as a place where the residents and the community have opportunities to connect. Special attention was given to restoring unique elements, like the wallpaper on the ceiling beams.
THE LOBBY After the rehabilitation
Historic photo of the original lobby, late 1920s
Before the rehabilitation, view toward the mezzanine
Before the rehabilitation, view toward the main entry
THE GROUND FLOOR recaptures the feel and intent of the original lobby while incorporating two retail spaces on N Street, one of Merced’s historic retail corridors.
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN indicates a mix of unit types including 1 studio, 13 one-bedroom and 3 two-bedroom units. The public hallway is the same circulation path as the original, a requirement for the Tioga to obtain tax credits.
Home, Sweet Home
MAXIMIZING SPACE, UTILITY & VIEWS Studio apartments range from 260 SF to 375 SF, one-bedroom units from 405 SF to 580 SF and two-bedroom units from 465 SF to 725 SF. The outer ring of units provides views across Merced.
Built for the Future
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards were applied to the rehabilitation of the Tioga and were enforced at the State and Federal levels as part of the Rehabilitation Tax Credit review process.
EXTERIOR All facades were restored, including replacement of existing windows with energy-efficient windows of the same style. The signature neon sign at the top of the building had long been missing and was recreated using LED lighting. Building systems—some original to the building—were replaced
INTERIOR Restoration of the historic lobby; design of 70 contemporary apartments while maintaining the historic hallways; seismic upgrade to correct a soft story condition; new leasing office and workout room; and new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
SUSTAINABILITY All plumbing fixtures are low-flow to conserve water. The air conditioning system is designed to maximize efficiency by sending refrigerant only to units that need cooling. Originally, the Tioga had no insulation at the exterior. The project team specified R-19 batt insulation at the exterior walls to help conserve energy. Similarly, insulation was added at the roof where there had been none before. New windows are dual glazed for energy efficiency and are operable for fresh air.
The Good Life
The project reinforces the commitment of the City of Merced and the developer to imaginatively reuse historic resources to play a role once again in the life of Merced. This historic building now meets contemporary and future needs as UC Merced continues to grow. Projects like the Tioga are common in large urban areas, but this rehabilitation serves as a model for projects in California’s medium-sized cities. As housing becomes an increasingly critical issue throughout the state, creatively repurposing historic buildings helps to retain a location’s history while addressing future needs.
955 POST, SAN FRANCISCO An 8-story, 73,400 s.f. mixed-use residential and commercial building
VETERANS VILLAGE, COLMA
Firm Profile
imagines change in historic and contemporary environments to cultivate thriving, sustainable, and resilient communities. We understand the past, respect our clients and their stakeholders, and revitalize historic buildings and places to benefit current and future users.
For 50 years, Page & Turnbull has led architecture, preservation, and planning projects for civic, cultural, educational, and commercial clients. Our work has impacted some of California’s most significant buildings; and, more importantly, our projects have made a difference in people’s lives. Page & Turnbull’s staff of architects, architectural historians, cultural resource planners, and materials specialists believe that preservation and adaptive reuse are about valuing a community’s stories and envisioning a better future.
One Firm, Three Studios
ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN As prime architect, architect of record, and design architect, we collaborate with clients and specialty consultants to design buildings, places, and spaces that are simultaneously contemporary and contextual.
HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE Our historic architecture team is comprised of architects, designers, and materials specialists who are experts at investigating and analyzing materials, securing entitlements, and designing for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings and places for the way we live today...and into the future.
CULTURAL RESOURCE PLANNING Architectural historians and cultural resources planners evaluate and analyze historic resources to assess their historic integrity. The studio authors a wide range of award-winning reports, develops and implements mitigation measures, and completes National Register and California Register documentation.
LEGAL NAME OF FIRM Page & Turnbull, Inc.
OFFICES
Los Angeles San Jose San Francisco Washington, DC Sacramento
HEADQUARTERS
170 Maiden Lane, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108
SIZE
50 full-time employees
ESTABLISHED / INCORPORATED
1973 / 1975
PRIMARY EXPERTISE
Architecture
Historic Preservation
Existing Buildings
Tax Credit Certification
Cultural Resources Planning & Research
Historic Documentation
Preservation Technology
Materials Conservation
Urban Planning
M/W/SBE CERTIFICATIONS
State of California Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
State of California Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
Self-Certified Federal Small Business
SAN FRANCISCO 415-362-5154
LOS ANGELES 213-221-1200
SACRAMENTO 916-662-8532
SAN JOSE 415-593-3226
WASHINGTON, DC 703-459-9528
www page-turnbull.com @pageturnbull pageturnbull
The Ferry Building
Select Awards
FIRM AWARDS
Fast Company Most Innovative Architecture Firm
Page & Turnbull was recognized as one of the most innovative architecture firms in recognition of performing equitable historic preservation.
William G. Ralston Award
In 2012, Page & Turnbull was awarded the William G. Ralston Award from the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society in recognition of decades of committed and talented architectural work towards preservation of the San Francisco Bay Area’s historical and architectural fabric
SELECT PROJECT AWARDS
St. Clare at Capitol Park, Sacramento AIA/CA Residential Design Award
Sacramento Housing Alliance Affordable Housing Development of the Year
Sacramento Business Journal Best Real Estate Project (Supportive Housing)
Engineering News Record Best Renovation/Restoration
Tioga, Merced
California Preservation Foundation Design Award
Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award
Society of American Registered Architects National Design Award
The Cheech Center for Chicano Art & Culture, Riverside
Urban Land Institute Top Ten Public Private Partnerships
Docomomo US Citation of Merit
Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Hero Award
The Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Awards Honorable Mention
Washington View Apartments, Los Angeles
California Preservation Foundation Design Award
UCLA Pritzker Hall
AIA National Architecture Award
AIA LA Merit Award
LA Business Council Architecture Award
Santa Barbara African American and Black Historic Context Statement
California Preservation Foundation Cultural Resources Award
APA Central Coast Paul Davidoff Award for Advancing Diversity and Social Change
Old Orange County Courthouse, Santa Ana
California Preservation Foundation Design Award
Governor of California Historic Preservation Award
Neptune Pool, Hearst Castle, San Simeon State Park
Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, Julia Morgan Award
Annennberg Community Beach
House & Pool, Santa Monica
California Preservation Foundation Design Award
Sacramento Historic District Plans
California Preservation Foundation Design Awards
Livermore Railroad Depot, Livermore
California Preservation Foundation Design Awards
Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks
The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
California Preservation Foundation Design Awards
Los Angeles Business Council
Architectural Awards, Renovation Category
St. Joseph’s Church, San Francisco
California Preservation Foundation Design Awards
Sacramento Valley Station
Engineering News-Record California Best Renovation/Restoration Project
AIA Central Valley Merit Award
Governor’s Historic Preservation Award
California Preservation Foundation Design Award
Carson Block, Eureka California Preservation Foundation Design Award
Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks
888 Brannan, San Francisco
San Francisco Business Times Bay Area
Real Estate Deals of the Year Award
140 New Montgomery, San Francisco
AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation
Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks
California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation
Engineering News-Record California Best Renovation/Restoration Project
San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Best Rehabilitation/Renovation
Antelope Valley Indian Museum, Lancaster
American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) Leadership in History Award for Structural and Environmental Controls Improvement
California Preservation Foundation Preservation Design Award Preservation Award, Los Angeles Conservancy
Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley
San Francisco Business Times Bay Area Real Estate Deals of the Year Award
Downtown Napa Historic Context Statement & Survey, Napa Napa County Landmarks Award of Merit in Cultural Resource Studies
Exploratorium at Pier 15, San Francisco
AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Project Award
AIA San Francisco, Sustainability Commendation
AIA San Francisco, Honor Award for Energy & Sustainability
Building Design+Construction Reconstruction Awards, Gold Award
California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation
San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Best Rehabilitation/Renovation
Engineering News-Record California Best Green Project
Federal Building at 50 United Nations Plaza, San Francisco
AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation
California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation
GSA Federal Building Challenge Award
Hallidie Building, San Francisco
Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks
California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award for Restoration
AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation
Engineering News-Record California Best Renovation/Restoration Project
Building Design+Construction Reconstruction Awards, Platinum Award
Glendale Masonic Temple, Los Angeles
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) Excellence in Structural Engineering Award
Los Angeles Business Journal
Commercial Real Estate Bronze Award
Heritage Napa Surveys and Historic Context Statements Award of Merit, Napa County Landmark
Hoover Pavilion, Stanford University
SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture for Rehabilitation, Restoration or Preservation, Honorable Mention
San Jose Business Journal, Silicon Valley Real Estate, Structures Award for Best Reuse/Rehabilitation
Palo Alto Stanford Heritage (PAST) Preservation Award
Market Square, San Francisco
San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Best Rehabilitation/Renovation
Martial Cottle Park, San Jose California Park & Recreation Society Award of Excellence
Placer County Contractors Association Public Works Project of Year
Monadnock Building, San Francisco
San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Top Office Sale
Palega Recreation Center, San Francisco
AIA San Francisco, Honor Award
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco
AIA San Francisco, Merit Award for Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation
Sather Gate and Tower
Rehabilitation, University of California, Berkeley
California Preservation Foundation, Preservation Design Award
State of California Governor’s Historic Preservation Award
Multi-family Residential
St. Clare at Capitol Park, Sacramento, CA
55 Laguna Avenue, San Francisco, CA
The Landmark at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA (formerly Public Health Services Hospital)
1645 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA
955 Post, San Francisco, CA
The Tioga, Merced, CA
Veterans Village, Colma, CA
Washington View Apartments, Los Angeles, CA
The Webb Schools Dormatories, Claremont, CA
Wysteria Residences, San Francisco, CA
Wyman Avenue Residences, San Francisco, CA
Financial Incentives
20% REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT
Carson Block Building, Eureka, CA
The Exploratorium at Pier 15, San Francisco, CA
The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA
The Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
Hotel Montgomery, San Jose, CA
418-424 Jessie Street, San Francisco, CA
One Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA
The Landmark at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA (formerly Public Health Services Hospital)
Mainzer Theater, Merced, CA
Pacific Gas & Electric Headquarters, San Francisco, CA
Pier One, San Francisco, CA
Pier 1 ½, 3 and 5, San Francisco, CA
The Tioga, Merced, CA
St. Joseph’s Church, San Francisco, CA
1000 Van Ness Avenue (Don Lee Cadillac), San Francisco, CA
MILLS ACT
Chronicle Building (690 Market Street), San Francisco, CA
