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Delray DDA votes to support submission to city to seek historic designation for Veterans Park
Summary
The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously to support a preservation trust’s application asking the City Commission to allow staff to pursue historic designation for Veterans Park, citing the park’s century-long role in downtown recreation.
The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously Jan. 13 to support a preservation group’s request that the City Commission allow submission of an application to consider Veterans Park for local and national historic designation.
The Delray Beach Preservation Trust told the DDA the park dates to 1924 and is one of the city’s oldest public open spaces. Preservation Trust president Price Patton said the park’s recreation courts, midcentury recreation center and several memorials together document the city’s social and cultural history.
Supporters said designation would help protect the park as open, recreational space and make it eligible for state and federal preservation grants. “Open spaces are as important in telling a city story as historic buildings are,” Patton told the DDA. Assistant City Manager Jeff Horace told the board that any formal designation request would require the commission’s permission because the city owns the park; he said the city’s professional staff would review the report if the commission authorizes it.
Board members discussed tradeoffs between seeking designation now and first soliciting private funding for repairs and programming. Several members said historic designation could make private investment more complex because proposed repairs or alterations would require review. Others said a formal historic listing would better guarantee long-term protection of recreation space.
After discussion the board voted to support the Preservation Trust’s submission to the City Commission for staff review. The motion passed on a recorded roll call with all present members voting yes.
The DDA motion asks the City Commission to permit staff to review the Preservation Trust report and make a recommendation; the commission retains final authority to designate the park.
Board members said they hope DDA attention will help attract maintenance and capital funding for the park.
Veterans Park and its memorials are already noted in prior city studies as a contributing historic site; the Preservation Trust said state grants up to $500,000 may be available to help rehabilitate courts and other features if designation proceeds.
