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Board finds 2305 West Cervantes historically significant but declines 60‑day demolition delay
Summary
The board determined the motor‑court style buildings at 2305 West Cervantes meet criteria for historical significance but voted not to impose a 60‑day demolition delay, citing extensive disrepair and financial impracticality of full rehabilitation. The developer proposes a workforce/affordable housing redevelopment.
The Pensacola Architectural Review Board on April 16 found the 2305 West Cervantes motor‑court building historically significant under local demolition‑review standards but declined to place a 60‑day delay on demolition, concluding the buildings are in poor condition and not economically feasible to rehabilitate.
Anne Teston, Incentives and Land Development Program Manager in the City’s Economic Development and CRA office, told the board that the CRA solicited redevelopment proposals and entered negotiations with PACE Preservation Partners for a workforce/affordable housing project. Steve Behan of Soho Housing Partners described a proposed mid‑rise multifamily development in the three‑to‑five‑story range and estimated a feasible density of roughly 85 to 100 units, with parking as a limiting factor.
Board members reviewed condition reports incorporated into the solicitation materials and discussed whether portions of the existing motor‑court could be salvaged. Several members said that, while the motor‑court form has local architectural interest and other examples across the city once existed, the site’s structural deterioration limits feasible reuse.
One member moved to find the property historically significant but to decline imposing the 60‑day delay on demolition, explicitly citing the property’s poor condition and the city ownership history that allowed the site to deteriorate. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
Following the vote, staff and the developer discussed the CRA’s redevelopment expectations and the developer reiterated plans to pursue an affordable/workforce housing project that would move forward pending usual entitlements. The board noted its limited remedies under the ordinance but said it would continue to look for opportunities to preserve meaningful character where practicable.
