The application to create a Local Historic District around Mirror Lake encountered a slight delay last month when the Community Planning and Preservation Commission (CPPC) failed to reach a quorum and was unable to vote on the application.
CPPC approval is required before advancing to City Council, which has the final say in whether to approve the application.
The creation of a local historic district in St. Petersburg is a lengthy, arduous process, requiring several publicly noticed community information sessions, a mailed notice to surrounding property owners, and, after garnering the support of 50% plus one of parcel owners within the proposed district, public hearings at the CPPC and City Council. It’s a heavy lift to be sure, one that’s taken years to advance.
Mirror Lake is perhaps downtown’s most intact collection of historic homes and small apartment buildings, many of which are tucked away on small parcels along narrow courts or alleys.
As the city grapples with housing affordability and density, it’s worth noting that mirror lake is an incredibly dense neighborhood: every alleyway is packed with residential units, offices, hotels, and apartments.
Zoom out at the surrounding neighborhood, and you’ll find 11 designated local landmarks – including City Hall and the Colosseum - but the vast majority are unprotected, with no demolition review or mandates to maintain neighborhood character.
In 2019, over Preserve the ‘Burg’s objections, city council approved a 21-story high rise tower across from the Mirror Lake Library.
Council members concluded that their hands were tied: since there was no historic district, the project had to be approved.
Those apartments – a collection of walk-up units dating from the early 1900s, offering affordable, basic housing in downtown – were demolished earlier this year. The lot now sits empty, 5 years later.
On July 15, 2021, City Council held a public hearing to discuss initiating a Mirror Lake historic district.
Council received more than 400 emails in support of the district designation process but ultimately voted unanimously to continue the matter to October 14. The application was instead withdrawn in August 2021.
At the end of 2022, as the neighborhood continued to face development pressures around the lake, residents approached Preserve the ‘Burg about assisting with another application.
The result is a scaled down boundary that seeks to protect the viewshed along the lakefront, mirrored after a similar approach along Beach Drive, which keeps the frontage along the waterfront at a more pedestrian scale while setting higher towers back from the waterfront.
Last month, local developer Backstreets Capitol moved forward with a residential development that will save one of the historic homes along the lakefront while constructing a new seven story condo on an adjacent street. Will new development need to be more compatible with its surroundings? Sure. But that’s also true in Kenwood, Roser Park, Granada Terrace and parts of Old Northeast, all of which are highly desirable and have enjoyed robust development activity over the past decade.
Regionally, Tampa’s Ybor City is an urban Local Historic Landmark district. Developer Daryl Shaw has rehabbed dozens of historic buildings while building several new mixed use structures, adding much needed retail and residential within a historically designated neighborhood. Ybor City is height-limited to 55 feet and new construction requires robust design review.
The Recently published report "Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg" highlights the stabilizing effect historic designation has on neighborhoods, showing that the per-square-foot values of both residential and commercial structures within historically designated neighborhoods outperform non-designated areas.
St. Petersburg has a uniquely “Florida” feel. Every neighborhood in the Sunshine City, from The Deuces to Driftwood, Kenwood to Campbell Park, offers its own unique vibe, and it is time to recognize and protect the special, historic character of Mirror Lake.
The CPPC is scheduled to review the application at their October 8th Meeting. You can read the historic district application here.
