Historical commission warns demolition of North Main Street block would change downtown character

Melanie Barr, chair of the Alachua County Historical Commission, urged preservation of a historically significant block on North Main Street during the April 8 meeting, saying several late-19th- and early-20th-century buildings are slated for demolition to create surface parking.

Barr said the property owner, the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Foundation, has pulled demolition permits and plans to clear the lot ‘‘to become a parking lot with a little park’’ and eventually raise funds to build a new structure. She said the block includes buildings in place on an 1884 map, a law office in use for more than 100 years, and other buildings with architectural and civic ties to local history.

"This will make a significant difference in the look of Downtown Gainesville when all the buildings are cleared off," Barr said, and invited commissioners and the public to a fuller presentation at the Matheson on April 16 at 7 p.m.

Commissioners asked whether local historic protections apply; Barr said the preservation board has limited authority when properties are not individually listed on the local register and that private owners generally have broad rights to alter or demolish privately owned property. She said buildings can be saved with funding and willing preservation partners but noted several of the structures have been vacant and in disrepair for years.

The Historical Commission's presentation served as a public notice of the planned demolition and as an invitation to a public lecture with additional historical documentation.