WHY HISTORIC PRESERVATION MATTERS
Historic preservation is good for communities, including the benefits of environmental responsibility, embracing the diversity of cultures, tourism, and economic impact.
Our efforts help to provide solutions for climate change, affordable housing, and telling a more complete story of who we were, who we are today, and who we want to be in the future.
Together, our work contributes to the unique and special character of Sarasota County beyond the beaches, making it a destination like no other, and a desirable location to visit, live, work and play.
Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation
Hotel Venice
200 Nassau St. Venice, FL
Built in 1926 for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), Hotel Venice was designed by New York architects Walker & Gillette and completed by the George Fuller Construction Company. It was the first building built in Venice by the BLE. Made using many materials produced locally in Venice, this Italian Renaissance style structure was built of wood-frame and masonry, coated in stucco, and boasts exposed cypress beams throughout. For 60 years the building served as dorms and cafeteria for the Kentucky Military Institute. The three-story, 92-room hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, which helped save it from demolition unlike its sister building, the Park View Hotel. Since then the building has served as an assisted living facility under a long-running list of owners. Turnover has beget neglect of the maintenance of this fine structure. Damage from Hurricane Ian has sped up issues of demolition by neglect that are slowly deteriorating the former hotel. Community members would like to see the building restored and possibly even returned to its initial role as a hotel.
Contact Venice Unites to learn more about getting involved:
Hotel Venice Update & Advocacy Alert
VOTERS INITIATE REFERENDUM
TO REPEAL FLAWED VENICE LAND RULES
A group of concerned citizens filed a referendum to halt the approval of the Land Development Regulation (LDR) rewrite that would destroy Historic Venice. If they succeed in securing 10 percent of the registered voters' signatures on the petition, the LDRs will be frozen until the referendum is held.
“The Save Downtown Venice petition that I launched during the LDR process was signed by more than 1,400 people this year who were alarmed to learn that historic downtown was at risk,” said Lisa Jarvio, another of the referendum initiators. “I am confident that voters concerned about protecting historic Venice will overwhelmingly support this referendum.”
During the LDR process, hundreds of residents submitted public comments and regularly attended public hearings before both City Council and the Planning Commission. Commenters were almost unanimously opposed to increased building heights downtown as well as the creation of a new Downtown Edge District, which allows up to 75-foot buildings in a neighborhood with one of the most intact blocks of Nolen-era 1920s homes.
Yet City Council voted 5-0 to approve the LDRs (with Mayor Ron Feinsod, an opponent of the LDRs as written, absent).
“If the five Council members had represented the will of the voters, we would have a strong new set of regulations in place to guide Venice’s future development. Venice residents were unified that they wanted downtown protected and the John Nolen Plan honored,” said Betty Intagliata, another of the affidavit signers. “Instead, we have a flawed, rushed document that the public opposes and that even City Council acknowledges will need to be fixed soon.”
Among the concerns the petitioners’ committee has with the LDRs:
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After initially acquiescing to the strong public outcry to keep allowable building heights downtown to 35 feet with exceptions only allowed by City Council, the Planning Commission put forward rules that change how building heights are measured. These changes would allow buildings in the historic downtown district over 50 feet tall.
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Height limits in many Venice neighborhoods are now 75 feet. This includes a new Downtown Edge District that covers areas surrounding historic downtown. This district includes the 200 blocks of Pensacola, Milan and Ponce de Leon between Nokomis and Nassau streets, where some of the last Nolen-era 1920s homes exist. In this district, developers could seek approval for 6-story buildings in a residential neighborhood of one-and two-story homes across from Venice Cultural Campus and Jervey Library.
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Under the new LDRs, residential PUDs are facing the real possibility of outsized commercial development of a scale that is clearly not envisioned by the City’s 2017 Master Plan, and should only be permitted in areas zoned for commercial use.
The integrity of the preservation program in the City of Venice is threatened by proposed structural changes to both the city boards overseeing the programs and to the city code.
In mid 2021, the Planning Commission and City Council proposed combining the Architectural Review and Historic Preservation Boards. Concurrent changes to the city code would effectively preclude creation of new historic districts and weaken the protection of historic structures as well.
The SAHP has been working together with our Venice partners to challenge the proposed changes and offer alternatives that are less onerous to historic preservation efforts.
The Honorable Ron Feinsod, Mayor of the City of Venice, recently wrote a guest column for the December 29th, 2021 issue of The Gondolier which emphasizes the critical need for citizens of Venice and Sarasota County to speak up and let the Council know how important the architecture of historic Venice is to our community.
He, and we, urge our readers to write to each Venice City Council member to voice your concerns and disapproval of these changes to the City code.
Please click on the link to the email addresses of the City Council and let your voice be heard!
HOW TO HELP
Your voice is one of our strongest defenders! Click here for Venice City Council Members' email addresses and let them know you disapprove of these changes.
Colson Hotel for Negroes
During the early and mid-20th Century, Jim Crow laws made it illegal for African Americans to stay at white hotels. To address the issue, in 1926 Owen Burns erected the Colson Hotel in the Overtown neighborhood in the Mediterranean Revival style. The building contained 26 guest rooms and a comfortable lobby which featured a fireplace. It provided an important service for the Overtown and Newtown neighborhoods and has become important to African American history in Sarasota and isa contributing resource to the Overtown National Register Historic District.
Over time, the Colson Hotel was converted to an apartment building. In recent years, the building has suffered from deferred maintenance and neglect. In 2023, the Colson Hotel was purchased by JDMAX Development with the stated intent to demolish the building. Though a conversation has commenced with the developer, there has yet to be any headway inpotentially preserving the building.
HOW TO HELP
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Colson Hotel
1425 8th Street, Sarasota
Waldman Building
5333-539 S Washington Blvd. Sarasota
Waldman Building
In 1957, Victor Lundy designed a two-story commercial building for Harry and Esther Waldman. Construction of the building was completed in early 1958. The building included retail space, offices, and a large dance studio/ballroom, originally occupied by Arthur Murray Dance Studios.
The two-story main elevation faces east and is broken into three bays with solid floor to ceiling glass which wraps around to half of the side elevations. The two second floor outside bays protrude outward from the first floor. The northerly bay is square while the bay to the south, housing the dance studio is in the form of a half circle. The walls on the rear half of the building are stacked Ocala block.
The building has suffered from long term deferred maintenance and is currently vacant. The property was purchased this year by CPP OPA-LOCKA LLC as a part of a consolidation of all parcels on the block with the intention of demolishing and redeveloping the property.
UPDATE
Sadly, Victor Lundy‘s Waldman Building has been demolished by the developers who plan to build Payne Park Townhomes, a mixed residential and retail complex that will not include affordable housing.
13 Main
A two-story wooden vernacular, built in (or before) 1925, this home remains a bit of a mystery. It is clad in wood novelty siding with a gable roof and appears to retain some of its original sash windows. Clearly a prominent part of the early development in Osprey, located on the Tamiami Trail, it is quite possible that this home was built to fulfill both a residential and commercial need. From the early 1980s, the property was home to the Tunningly Glass Studio, and it has changed hands several times since, but earlier occupants have been difficult to identify.
The address of the property in Osprey has been listed as 13 Main Street and 13 N. Tamiami Trail. One of the few historic touchpoints along the Trail, this property has the potential to contribute to the story of how Osprey began. Deferred maintenance and storm damage have taken a heavy toll on the home, and without significant repairs it could easily fall victim to demolition.
HOW TO HELP
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13 Main
13 Main ST./45 Tamiami Trl., Osprey
McAlpin House
1530 Cross St., Sarasota
McAlpin House
The McAlpin House, located at 1530 Cross Street in the City of Sarasota was built in 1912 by George McAlpin. Constructed from McAlpin’s own unique hollow, rusticated, pre-cast block, the building served as his own residence while he helped to construct the City of Sarasota. George McAlpin rana concrete and construction business with his partner Owen Burns, and is responsible for much of the City’s sidewalks and curbs. One of the last remaining examples of this type of rusticated block construction, and recognizing the important role McAlpin himself played in the original development of the City, the home was added to the City of Sarasota’s Local Register of Historic Places in 1984.
In early 2023, the parcel was part of a group purchased by developer Orange Pineapple LLC for the purpose of demolition. The demolition application was unanimously denied by the City’s Historic Preservation Board. The City Commission heard the developer’s appeal and requested a continuance for 6 months to allow the developer to determine whether the building could be moved off site or incorporated into the larger project. The Commission will hear the case again in March of 2024.
HOW TO HELP
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I.M. Pei Dorms at New College
Commonly referred to as the ‘Pei Dormitory Student Complex,’ the Bates, Rothenberg & Johnson Residence Halls at New College were built in 1965 by I.M. Pei with Bert Brosmith. It is the only I.M. Pei design in the state of Florida and a rare example of brutalism from this era. An internationally renowned architect, Pei designed the dorms as three courts, or pavilions designed for student living, each centered around a lightly landscaped ‘Palm Court’. In stark contrast to the lighter forms of the Sarasota School architects, Pei’s work featured a heavy concrete frame with interior fountains and ponds (later converted to gardens). The courts featured balconies with sliding doors to bring in light and air.
The buildings were renovated in 2014, however they still suffer from deferred maintenance and heavy student use. New College has expressed that the dorms no longer meet the standards for modern student housing, and there is tremendous concern throughout the community about their potential demolition. Architecture Sarasota has partnered with New College in the hopes of identifying adaptive reuse and preservation strategies for the buildings.
HOW TO HELP
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I.M. Pei Dorms
New College - 5845 General Dougher Pl., Sarasota
The State of Florida Historic Preservation Special Categories Grant Program supports the preservation of the historic resources in a community contribute to the unique and special
character of the place making them desirable as locations to live, visit, work and play.
CONSTRUCTION
The Special Categories Grant program provides funding for the rehabilitation
of historic resources that are owned by public or non-profit organizations.
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Rehabilitation of existing buildings is more labor intensive than new construction which is more material intensive.
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This program supports high paying jobs in the construction industry.
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In the State publication, Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Florida, between 1996 and 2008, the Special Categories Grant program created 12,459 jobs valued at $499 Million in income.
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Being local jobs, this income stays in our communities supporting other local businesses.
TOURISM
Tourism is a major driver of Florida’s economy. Preserving our important historic resources contributes to a special sense of place in our communities. This special and unique character is a natural draw for tourism.
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Heritage tourism is a significant segment of tourism, both nationally and in Florida
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Heritage tourists tend to stay in a place longer and spend more per day than other tourists according to a recent national document, Twenty-Four Reasons Historic Preservation is Good for your Community, prepared by PlaceEconomics.
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A large segment of tourists chooses a destination based on heritage opportunities
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Many tourists interested in a different form of tourism engage in some heritage activities to understand the place that they are visiting
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In the State of Florida publication, Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Florida, in 2007, heritage tourism in Florida generated 75,528 jobs representing $1.57 Billion in income.
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In 2008, VISIT FLORIDA reported that 46.7% U.S. residents who vacationed in Florida took part in history-based activities.
PROPERTY VALUES
According to PlaceEconomics, there is no area of preservation economic analysis that has been done more often than measuring the impact of local historic districts on property values. In nearly every instance properties in local historic districts have greater rates of appreciation than elsewhere in the same city.
Many have claimed that historic districts mean more regulation. Study after study has show the opposite to be true; the values of properties have significantly benefited from local district designation.
In recent years, historical districts have attracted younger home buyers and renters - a priority for economic growth and sustainability.
Read the full PlaceEconomics article, "Twenty-Four Reasons Historic Preservation is Good for the Community"
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Over time, in large cities and small towns, the most common and ultimately successful strategy in revitalizing downtown Main Street was to identify, protect, reuse, and enhance the historic buildings that differentiated downtown from the mall.
Economic revitalization based on utilizing historic buildings is the most cost-effective program of economic development of any kind in the United States today.
For those places that reinvested and redeveloped their historic structures rather than raze them, the payoff is clear.
REAL ESTATE MARKET STRENGTH
As a general pattern, homes in historic districts do better
when the market is moving up, fall later and less steeply
when markets decline, and begin their value recovery
sooner than other neighborhoods.
Many cities today are developing “resiliency plans.” But
resiliency isn’t limited to recovery after natural disasters.
It is also necessary after financial crises. In city after city,
it has been the local historic districts that have been the
most resilient after a real estate crash.
SMALL BUSINESSES
Small businesses are the core of the American economy and tend to be located in historic districts, providing vitality and variety. Start-up businesses and entrepreneurial hubs tend to gravitate to historic districts as well.
Environmental Benefits of Historic Preservation
“The greenest building is the one already built.”
Carl Elefante, past president of the American Institute of Architects
This connection between the historic built environment and environmental sustainability went unrecognized by most of the environmental movement for decades, culminating in the LEED certification program which awarded more points for a single bike rack than for reusing an entire building.
In their first major study, the Preservation Green Lab compared the environmental responsibility
between appropriately retrofitting a historic building or building a new green structure. They found among other things that it takes 10 to 80 years of operating savings of a green building to recoup the negative climate change impacts of the construction. Almost every building typology in every region of the country demonstrated a better environmental outcome through adaptive reuse than with demolition and new construction.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, in fact the least energy use per square foot was found in buildings constructed more than 70 years ago. For multi-family properties, a structure built since 1980 used nearly 13% more energy per square foot than did an apartment built prior to 1920. While the energy efficiency has improved for buildings constructed over the last 30 years, still an office tower built since 1980 uses 33% more energy per square foot than one built nearly a century ago.
Apart from energy usage, the amount of waste that goes into landfills when eliminating older and historic buildings is also an important factor when evaluating environmental responsibility.
The bottom line is that to be environmentally responsible it’s necessary to reduce, reuse, recycle. The use of historic buildings does all of those things.
DIVERSITY & HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Traditionally, historic districts are seen as the domain of the rich and white. While throughout the country there are, indeed, some historic districts that are very wealthy, that is far from the norm.
In January 2022, the national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) released their Equity Action Plan to enhance and sustain the diversity of historic preservation across the United States. The ACHP sets standards for historic preservation and provides technical assistance to state and municipal governments, making this plan a significant step toward empowering local government to similarly advance equity in their own policies and practices.
SAHP understands the value of diversity, supporting historic properties in all of Sarasota County.