By Eric Curl
June 14, 2023 update – The Historic District Board of Review approved a petition to demolish the 1950s-era downtown structure at 301 Alice St. However, the board continued to the July 12 meeting the consideration of height and mass approval for a single-family residence at the site due to design concerns. That design must be approved before the demolition can take place, as required by the board.
June 11, 2023 – Once “historic” and recently declared not to be so, the importance of a 1950s-era downtown structure is again up for debate.
A plan to demolish the building at 301 Alice Street will go before the Historic District Board of Review on Wednesday, after the Savannah City Council recently approved the owner’s request to remove the structure’s protected historic designation. Metropolitan Planning Commission staffers, who had opposed the removal of this building’s historic status, are recommending that the review board deny the demolition request.
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The owner is also petitioning for height and mass design approval of a single-family residence to be built in place of the demolished building. The 2-story building will include four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a courtyard, and 4-car garage with a single bedroom carriage house above it, according to the plans by Rose Architects.
Staff is recommending that the petition be continued until the HDBR decides whether to approve the demolition and that the petitioner makes some design changes.
As part of the consideration of the review board’s criteria for demolition, historic and non-contributing buildings must be evaluated and considered for contributing status prior to issuance of a demolition permit, according to the staff report.
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MPC staff found that the building was constructed in 1952, within the period of significance, and that the structure retains its general design, setting, some materials and workmanship, feeling, and association. In addition, staff found that the building, once used for auto repair, is associated with the automobile era, which has made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of Savannah’s history.
If the HDBR approves the demolition, staff is recommending that the building be deconstructed to preserve historic materials for reuse. In addition, staff is recommending that a certificate of appropriateness should first be issued for the new construction.
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The owner contends, along with supportive neighbors, that the building does not fit within the historic residential landscape. The owner’s petition says that the structure was constructed from common, mass-produced materials and does not meet the criteria to be a contributing historic structure. In addition, the structure has not maintained much of its original materials, including the original wood carriage-style double doors, which have been replaced with modern rolling service doors, according to the petition.
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