By Eric Curl
March 31, 2022 update – The applicant seeking to demolish 1001 Whitaker St. requested a deferral to the April 27 meeting. Also, the city manager withdrew the text amendment to add the 10 buildings as contributing resources in the Victorian District. The project may come back late this year, but for a proposal that covers buildings of ‘exceptional importance’ for the whole district instead of just phase 1.
March 19, 2022 – The owner of one of 10 buildings under consideration for the historic designation has submitted an application to demolish the mid-century structure. The demolition application is set to go before the Historic Preservation Commission during their March 23 meeting, when staff will also petition the commission to add the building and nine others as contributing historic resources within the Victorian District.
Metropolitan Planning Commission staff is recommending that the HPC deny the owner’s petition to demolish the building at 1001 Whitaker St., arguing that the building has historic significance worth preserving.
The staff report notes that in 2011 the State Historic Preservation Office determined the building met the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. That determination was based on an application submitted by the building’s current owner, Seacrest Seven LLC, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm.
The building, originally known as the IBM Corporations Sales and Service building, was constructed in 1961 by Aeck and Associates. In the area of architecture, the IBM Eastern Region Office is significant at the local level as a good example of an early 1960s commercial office building and as an excellent example of the New Formalist style of modern architecture, according to the MPC staff report. Also significant for its characteristic use of modern materials, the building is among the relatively few iconic examples of New Formalism in Savannah, the staff report states.
MPC staff is petitioning to amend the Victorian Contributing Resources Map to include the Seacrest building, along with nine others, on the basis of exceptional importance with regard to historic and architectural significance.
In a letter dated Feb. 18, David Paddison, with Seacrest, stated the firm’s opposition to the building being designated historic.
“Our building was constructed along the very public Forsyth Park corridor at a time when there were no review processes in place,” Paddison said. “If one were to present our building’s design to the MPC/HPC today, for new construction, it would quickly be denied based on the Visual Compatibility standards set forth in the Ordinance.”
Paddison said in the letter that the firm has outgrown the building and the designation would present an undue economic hardship on the firm.
“It would freeze in time an urban planning mistake,” he said.
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The contributing resources map was originally adopted in 1981 by the Savannah City Council. In 2018, the map was updated to include an additional 60 buildings built within the current period of significance that were discovered during a 2016 re-survey grant project. MPC staff is now in the process of surveying resources outside of the period of significance but also older than 40 years; which was not done during the previous survey. Staff began the survey with the buildings surrounding Forsyth Park and along the Bull Street corridor, which staff has deemed the most vulnerable resources.
Prior to the adoption of the new zoning ordinance (NewZO) on Sept. 1, 2019, it was not possible for resources outside the period of significance to be listed as contributing; however, with NewZO’s adoption came the ability to add resources outside of the period if they are of “exceptional importance”. Staff cited 1001 Whitaker Street as an example of a building they did not have the authority to add to the contributing resources map at the time.
The former Sears building at 2 East Henry St. is another building that has spurred opposition to the proposal after being included among the properties recommended for historic designation, according to the public comments received ahead of the March 23 meeting.
The building’s owner, Michael Sharkey, is among those who are opposed to the historic designation, according to an email he sent to the MPC on March 1.
“We bought and held the property with out the historic designation and are opposed to this action after the fact,” Sharkey said.
The Victorian Neighborhoods Association is also opposed to the proposal to add the 10 properties to the contributing resources map, according to a Feb. 7 letter submitted by association President Ryan Madson. The association is aware of an opinion that the properties should be protected for reasons quite apart from their merits, namely to prevent undesirable future development, Madson said.
“Preservation should not be used cynically as a fig leaf for NIMBY (“Not-in-my-backyard”) attitudes and real estate estate protectionism,” he said. “The preservation of valid contributing structures, on the other hand – while informed residents can have reasonable debate on their merits – should always have a place in good urban planning policy.”
Meanwhile, the association’s past president, Andrée Patterson, has voiced support for the proposal.
“Under the NewZO, those buildings could be refurbished and upgraded while keeping in mind the quality of life of the residents and still complement the environment they are located in,” Patterson said in a March 3 email.
If you find value in this website, please consider contributing via Paypal below to help cover the costs ($2 suggested contribution per story). You can also send contributions via Venmo @Eric-Curl and via CashApp at $Ecurl77. Your support, no matter how much you give, is appreciated and will help ensure the future viability of this community resource.
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