Should Bishop Hotel be a Historic Landmark?

Thursday the St. Petersburg City Council will consider designating the former Binnie-Bishop Hotel, 256 1st Ave. N., as a local historic landmark.

July 9, the St. Pete Community Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommended approval of the landmark designation. 

While the preservation commission recommended approval, some people are unhappy with the decision ... the owners of the Bishop Hotel property. 

In a letter sent to the city Jannus Bishop Group member Anthony Amico said the group did not know the property would be designated a historic landmark when the property was purchased. 

"My objection are based on two reasons: First the financial loss this will cause the Jannus Bishop Group. The Bishop Hotel property was purchased based on the understanding that this property and this block were designated by the City of St. Petersburg for redevelopment and because of the zoning that this block enjoys which allow for the building to be up to 300ft tall," he wrote.  "Second by not allowing the Jannus Bishop Group, LLC, its agents, or designees the right to build a mixed use building, up to 30 stories tall, you are costing the city and its taxpayers a loss of future tax revenues from property taxes that would have been collected over time."

According to the city's report: "The Bishop Hotel is a prime example of early 20th century commercial development representing the importance of tourism, commercial space and industry to the city ... The Bishop Hotel is a representative example of pioneer commercial architecture in the original block of downtown development in St. Petersburg." 

In staff's report, it says the former blacksmith shop in the southeast corner of the property, in the alley, should not be a part of the historic designation. 

Since the Bishop Jannus group said it would use "historic elements" from the blacksmith shop, Saint Petersburg Preservation modified its application to exclude that portion of the property as historic. 

The application to designate the property as historic was submitted by Saint Petersburg Preservation. 

Wednesday, the group wrote on Facebook it was hopeful council will approve its application. 

"City Council has a chance Thursday to show they can support historic preservation. In addition to deciding whether to start a historic district designation for First (Detroit) Block, council will be taking final action to decide whether to designate the Bishop Hotel within First Block as a individual local landmark,"  the group wrote. 

Because the owner of the property opposes the designation, it will take a super majority vote by council to approve staff's recommendation. 

Thursday council will also vote on designating the entire Jannus Landing block, known as block 25, as historic.