Last December, City Council members voted 5-2 to officially designate Mirror Lake as a historic district. The area has a collection of prominent architectural structures, including two Cade Allen homes, the St. Petersburg Shuffle Board Club, the Chess Club, the Coliseum, and a Carnegie library.
“A historic landmark is the way a city tells its own story,” says Executive Director of Preserve the Burg, Emanuel Leto, who supported the designation. “It allows different members of the community to reflect itself within that city.”
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The historical designation received overwhelming support from the Mirror Lake community, with approximately 89% voting in favor. The now historic neighborhood starkly contrasts the large development projects being erected outside Mirror Lake’s boundaries, which may partially explain the mass community support.
Altering historic zones require additional approval
Detractors, however, caution that the designation will hamper the development processes needed to fulfill housing demands. In addition, residents in the Mirror Lake neighborhood will now need to acquire a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) before renovating, demolishing, or building structures.
Concerned by the additional oversight and approval process, City Council member Copley Gerdes adds, “I struggle to think – if I were a property owner – that someone else gets to dictate the process I go through in order to redevelop my property.”
Executive Director of Preserve the Burg, Emanuel Leto, responded to concerns about oversight in a piece published by St. Pete Catalyst. “While a Certificate of Appropriateness will be required for new development proposals,” says Leto, “it’s notable that the overwhelming majority of COAs are approved at the staff level, meaning very few require a public hearing.”
Historic zones may economically benefit St. Pete
Leto emphasizes that historic designations are more in the city’s best interests than new developments. “Historic districts and neighborhoods attract tourists and visitors…There is an economic benefit in small business incubation.” Leto further argues that existing housing addresses the housing crisis better than new developments. New developments, he says, reduce the housing stock for too long.
According to a study funded by Preserve the Burg, only about .5% of St. Petersburg’s land lies within a historical boundary, less than Miami, Nashville, Raleigh, and New York City. The recent Mirror Lake ruling may set a new precedent for historical designation, expanding that boundary.
If more neighborhoods follow suit, St. Petersburg will soon test the viability of Preserve the Burg’s claim that historic zones benefit city economics.
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