Aberdeen’s Historic Preservation Commission wants to see the city preserve the old Selmer’s Annex Building, also referred to as the Tamblyn Building, “in its entirety,” according to a letter sent to Mayor Erik Larson and the City Council.

The city has been working with an architect who is designing the proposed Gateway Center at the northeast corner of Wishkah and F streets to serve as a visitor center and house Greater Grays Harbor Inc. economic development agency, among other uses. The recent designs would require demolition of the old building and construction of a new stand alone center.

About a month ago, historic preservation advocates called for incorporating two sides of the old facade into the new structure and new plans are in the works for consideration. The letter from the commission ups the ante and calls for retaining the old building as part of the project.

“We believe that saving the facade to use in the design of the new building is not an option,” states the letter signed by Alan Gozart, chairman of the commission that advises city officials on such matters. “The commission requests that the city have another design option drawn up that utilizes the existing building.”

Both of these concepts are being introduced at 5:30 tonight, Jan. 19, during a public meeting about the project at the Rotary Log Pavilion. People are asked to voice their opinions about the ideas and help determine what the visitors and enterprise center should look like.

The letter also recommends consultation with the commission to create a suitable addition to the old building if the center requires additional square footage.

“What if strict insistence on saving the building would result in jeopardizing the progress, or possibly in the future, of the Gateway Center?” the letter asks, after noting that it’s a valid point that arose during their meeting about the matter last week.

While commission members acknowledged in their correspondence “the difficult hurdles of preservation – commitment, cost and condition” they also hope the city will “make every attempt to incorporate this piece of history into the Gateway Center.”

The commission meeting was held on Jan. 10, a day after the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation informed the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation in writing that the building is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.