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Colonial City Gets Help In Preserving History

Posted by: Nate Berg

30 July 2007 - 5:00am

Hosting a collection of dozens of historic colonial buildings originally built more than 200 years ago, the city of St. Augustine, Florida, is having trouble taking care of all of them. The University of Florida has volunteered preservation services.

"31 historic buildings have become too costly for the local government to maintain and repair, so the University of Florida has taken over their management in the oldest continuously occupied city in the U.S."

"Some structures date to the 18th century, but about two-thirds are restorations built as late as the 1970s, mainly on the original foundations."

"For the past decade, the city has been leasing the buildings for $1 a year from the state, but the $1.5 million in rent from the shops and restaurants that occupy them is not enough to provide for upkeep. The city has been providing about $200,000 a year for maintenance."

"And crumbling history is a problem for a city whose main tourism draw is its colonial allure."

Full Story: University of Florida Takes Over Caretaking of Old City Sites
Source: The Ledger, July 23, 2007
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Rarely does eminent domain get credit for the positive things that have been accomplished through its use. Without it, our urban areas would be places without the great virtues of conformity and sensible land use.
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