Making the New Spreckels Old Again

At the turn of the last century, the Spreckels mansion was a gathering spot for the rich and famous of the Edwardian age. In 1982, it was featured in a designer showcase.

But the years have taken their toll. Some original windows and doors have been damaged beyond repair and inlaid tiles sit coated with years of grime. A kitchen that was stylish 30 years ago looks old and drab in 2012. 

Though its skin may be sagging with age and neglect, its bones are strong. Its reputation, however, needs as much rehabilitation as the mansion itself, . 

The new owners hope to “change the conversation about the house,” said real estate agent Scott Aurich, by restoring it to reflect architect Harrison Albright's original design for developer and railroad magnate John D. Spreckels. 

But replacing the red tile roof that has topped the house for more than a century may prove as controversial , had sought.

The new plans would leave the original windows that Shacknai fought to replace, but with the changes to the roof the historic home would look more like another of Spreckels' homes in Coronado, now the Glorietta Bay Inn. 

The goal, Aurich said, is to place focus back on the oceanfront mansion’s “history and what it means to Coronado.”

Doug St. Denis, a member of the Historic Resources Commission, who has closely followed plans to alter the Spreckels mansion, couldn’t agree more.

“That house needs a fresh start,” she said.

But there are complications. Though Albright is a heralded architect and preservationists often labor to restore classic designs, the house has received Mills Act protection, which gives property owners tax breaks in exchange for protecting the character of a structure.

Mayor Casey Tanaka said that under the Mills Act, the community should expect a designated property to be “maintained in its current state and condition.”

“Changes that radically alter the appearance of the front facade of a designated historic property (under) the Mills Act are to be discouraged,” he said in an email.

Bruce Coons of San Diego's Save Our Heritage Organisation also suggested that removing the tiled roof could anger some observers as much as Shacknai's proposal to install French doors did. Albright's original 1907 design was altered within a couple of years, after Spreckels presented the home to his son.

“Any addition applied early acquires historical significance over time,” Coons said. 

Aurich is pressing ahead with the new plans and will make a formal pitch to the Historic Resources Commission on March 7. 

Like the new owners, Shacknai had plans to restore the mansion's luster. But he clashed with local preservationists, who fought him for years over changes he wanted to make to the facade. Under the Mills Act, he had to get permission from the city to alter the exterior.

“At first he wanted to change everything,” St. Denis said. Eventually he settled for a more modest approach – replacing the front windows with French doors, adding awnings and a sloped roof. . 

Before work could begin the tragedies struck. Shacknai’s son fell from the top of the mansion's staircase on July 11 and two days later, his girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, was found dead, nude and bound in a rear courtyard. The boy succumbed to his injuries three days after Zahau's death.

Investigators later determined that Zahau had hung herself, .

Last fall, . The investment group that took ownership plans to sell it again after the remodeling project.

To press the case for restoring the Albright design, Aurich has talked to some members of the Historic Resources Commission, as well as Coons and SOHO's board. The idea has garnered some interest.   

St. Denis offered tentative support. She said she'd “like to see it happen if it is done with careful oversight.”