The question: Are they history or will they be history?
Before any vertical construction can take place for a planned 106-room Bridge Street Resort in Bradenton Beach, existing structures must be demolished, a process that began in mid-December with the teardown of the former Joe’s Eats and Sweets building at 219 Gulf Drive S.
City commissioners Dec. 7 voted to approve a planned development allowing for the resort project, a decision that sparked concern among preservationists who said some buildings in the design plans are registered on the Florida Master Site File.
The site file contains an inventory of historical and archaeological resources and properties considered vital to the past and possible focal points for preservation efforts.
Christine Johnson, part of the opposition to the proposed resort — a venture spearheaded by developer Shawn Kaleta and Bradenton Beach businessman-Commissioner Jake Spooner — cited the irreversible loss of the city’s cultural heritage as a point of dispute.
Buildings in the development plans include eight properties on Bridge Street, Gulf Drive and Third Street South.
Johnson said her interest was piqued when a friend visited the Anna Maria Island Historical Society museum, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, and sent her an old photograph of buildings along Bridge Street, some of them on property intended for redevelopment in the resort.
Johnson contacted the Florida Division of Historical Resources in Tallahassee for records on buildings in the development plans.
On Dec. 11, Johnson received a letter from Eman Vovsi, a database analyst for the Florida Master Site File, that read: “The Florida Master Site File lists three historic structures recorded at the following addresses: 101, 105 & 117 Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach, Florida.”
Vosvi also sent photographs and paperwork filed in 2009 by Sissy Quinn listing dates for when the structures were built.
Quinn, founder of the Anna Maria Island Preservation Trust, worked with the Bradenton Beach ScenicWAVES committee to conduct an audit of historic properties in Bradenton Beach, according to The Islander archives in 2009.
- 101 Bridge St., owned by Kaleta, housed the Freckled Fin restaurant and, according to the master site report, was built in 1925, originally serving as a gas station.
- 105 Bridge St., owned by Kaleta, housed the Island Time Inn and, according to the Florida Master Site File, the original structure was built in 1935.
- 117 Bridge St., which houses The Fudge Factory, is registered to Bridge Street Bazaar Inc., owned by Spooner. According to the site file, the building once served as the Bradenton Beach Hardware store, founded in 1955.
The Islander reached out Dec. 12 by email to city building official Steve Gilbert about whether any of the potentially historic buildings would be protected.
“The city has no historical preservation committee,” Gilbert wrote in a Dec. 12 email response. “There is nothing anywhere in the Code of Ordinances, or the Land Development Code, to provide a path for any ‘historical’ designations. There are no properties on Bridge Street, or Gulf Drive, or Third St. South, that have a valid historical protection status.”
Information on the Florida Division of Historical Resources website would seem to support Gilbert’s response.
The website states: “The Florida Master Site File has no active role in local governmental matters like zoning or permitting decisions” and recommends local ordinances be consulted for developmental purposes.
Johnson told The Islander Dec. 15 that she submitted her findings from the site file to Bradenton Beach City Hall with a letter stating a request from residents to present the findings to the city commission and city attorney.
“My dad loved this island and he and my family have grown up to love it with each generation that has been here,” Johnson told The Islander. “I feel like a lot of people feel that way, but they are afraid their voices are not being heard on the island by city officials. Progress is going to happen, but let’s do it the right way.”