Dub Delray’s Atlantic Avenue a historic area
Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue, desolate in the 1980s but rejuvenated into a thriving cultural, retail and dining destination thanks to a historic designation boost, deserves to become the city’s first new historic district in a quarter century.
The proposed Atlantic Avenue Historic District would preserve the core of the city’s “Village by the Sea” downtown scale, vibe and ambiance for generations to come.
It would stretch along both sides of Atlantic Avenue from Swinton Avenue to just east of the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge.
The new district would include some of the city’s oldest and most important buildings, including the Cornell Museum (1913 Delray Schoolhouse), the Colony Hotel (1926, listed on the register of Historic Hotels of America) and the Boyd Building (1939 the current home of Deck 84 and designed by renowned architect Gustav Maass).
In the middle of the proposed district would be the former Arcade Tap Room, which was the hangout of some of the most famous cartoonists of the ’20s and ’30s, including Fontaine Fox (“The Toonerville Trolley”), Pat Enright (whose work was published in the New York American and The Miami Herald) and Jim Raymond (“Blondie”), to name a few.
The bar where they’d sometimes share a drink at the end of the day still exists.
Atlantic Avenue Historic District would include some properties already in the Old School Square Historic Arts District on the west and the Marina Historic District along the Intracoastal to the east and serve as bridge between the two, which are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
There are broader benefits to preserving the downtown culture and ambiance. Look what the restoration of the historic Old School Square campus in the late 1980s did for Delray Beach.
The exhibits, concerts and shows drew residents and visitors who looked for places to eat, explore and shop afterwards.
There are also financial incentives for property owners in the proposed district.
Property tax abatements for the costs of renovating properties could save tens of thousands of dollars on annual tax bills and those savings would last 10 years.
State matching grants ($50,000 for planning, $500,000 for rehab) are available as well.
Improvements or waivers that otherwise would require the owner to provide additional parking would be waived.
Finally, the city is considering “fast tracking” building permits for work on contributing structures in the district.
Studies have shown that properties in historic districts are better maintained and during economic downturns keep their property values well above non-historic areas.
As suburban sprawl makes more and more South Florida communities look interchangeable — cities that care struggle to keep their identities intact.
The Atlantic Avenue Historic District would preserve the architectural and aesthetic character and heritage of the city and provide an important sense of place and continuity.
Naysayers who say, “Delray’s not historic like Philadelphia or Charleston” miss the point.
Delray Beach is uniquely Delray Beach. It has a distinct architectural heritage, rich culture and diverse history.
It is worth preserving.
The Cornell Museum marks its 110th anniversary this year. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute than to designate a new historic district that encompasses the museum and the many architectural gems along what locals call The Ave.
What: Two-day symposium on the proposed Atlantic Avenue Historic District.
When: Day 1: 3-6 pm Oct. 26. Panel discussion with nationally-recognized experts on historic properties. Day 2: 10 am-12 pm Oct. 27. Community discussion.
Where: The Field House at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave.
Price Patton, former Palm Beach Post south county editor, is president of the Delray Beach Preservation Trust and a longtime advocate for preserving the architectural roots of Delray Beach.