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As our city expands and the demand for commercial real estate increases, it's incredibly important to protect historic properties throughout our community. Historic buildings, especially those which have been neglected, are commonly threatened with demolition— leaving no trace of St. Pete’s history. Preserve the ‘Burg works with developers to advocate for historic spaces and protect their original architectural features as adaptive reuse and renovation projects come to life throughout the community. Learn how our preservation experts can help guide your next development.
How to identify a historic property
It may not be possible to identify a historic building just by looking at it. Generally, a historic building is one that is at least 50 years old. However, a home or building may be considered historic if it has contributed to specific events, reveals unique information about a time period, or falls within a local historic district. A full register of landmarks, historic districts, and more can be viewed on St. Pete’s Historic Preservation Map.
In addition to maintaining St. Pete’s unique sense of place, there are a number of incentives to restore, repair, and reuse properties rather than demolish them. These include Historic Property Grant, Rehabilitation Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions, various other tax credits, and assistance from the city in design and maintenance of your historic property.
Adaptive reuse is a process by which a historic building can be adapted into a new use. For example, a former warehouse or storage facility might be turned into retail shops or coworking space. While many preservationists advocate for the rehabilitation of old buildings, adaptive reuse offers avenues to save buildings that might otherwise be destroyed.
Historic properties, neighborhoods, and local landmarks, may be entitled to tax incentives put in place by the federal and state governments. Once your property has received its Historic designation, you may begin applying for the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, also known as Historic Tax Credit. This incentive provides historic property owners the opportunity to receive a 20% tax credit for qualified rehabilitation expenses. In Florida, only income producing properties are eligible for this incentive.
What does a property require to receive historic designation?
While you’ve probably heard of landmark designation, it’s important to understand that the process of receiving a designation is far from simple, and can happen at a number of different levels: federal, state, and local.
Federal historic landmark designation falls to one of two designation organizations:
The National Historic Landmarks Program (NHL Program) which is reserved for public places tied to historic figures, events or periods of time
The National Register of Historic Places (also known as the NR or National Register), which sets the gold standard for designation processes and qualifications at the state and local level.
The National Register sets the following criteria for landmark designation: “The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:
that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
that are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
that have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.”
These criteria are the basis for St. Pete’s Local Register criteria. The process for local designation begins with an application through The City of St. Pete. This application includes criteria for review, a survey of any modifications that have been made to the property over the years, and a rigorous approval process.
You can learn more about landmark designation on our blog.
