Title
Historic Home Stabilization Program Follow Up (B)
Explanation
The mission of the proposed Historic Home Stabilization Program is to preserve the original character-defining architectural elements of the neighborhoods and prevent the demolition of single-family homes. This program will be part of a suite of five housing programs the GCRA will implement with the goal of attainable housing by maintaining the population and culture of neighborhoods, as described in the GCRA 10 Year Reinvestment Plan.
The proposed guidelines of the forthcoming Historic Home Stabilization Program was presented to the GCRA Advisory Board on July 20, 2021 (Legistar #201144). During this meeting the Advisory Board made the following motion: “Staff bring the program back next month with a number of homes that have been identified as built before 1978 that would qualify for this program.” Other Advisory Board comments included a request that data and information be presented about the criteria required for a structure to be considered “contributing” to a historic district. The Board also requested that staff look into options for implementing the program district wide, instead of just in City designated historic districts.
Staff found that there 1,653 homes in the GCRA district that were built before the year 1978. Fifth Avenue and Pleasant Street saw the majority of housing development between the Post-Civil War-era through the 1940’s. Existing homes in Porters Quarters and Springhill neighborhoods were primarily built between the 1920’s through 1950’s. The Greater Duval area and North Lincoln Estates are defined by mid-century homes built from the 1940’s through 1970’s.
Since 2011 the City of Gainesville Office of Code Enforcement has declared 58 buildings within the GCRA District to be dangerous. As of July 2021, the district still contains 11 dangerous buildings. A building is declared to be dangerous when it is unsafe; attributes include leaning interior walls, floors...
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