Augusta’s Historic Preservation Commission agreed Thursday to postpone action on an application to demolish two historic buildings on Broad Street, but members raised several questions about the proposal.
Amar S. Patel with Naman Augusta LLC wants to tear down two commercial buildings from the 1890s, as well as the adjacent former Sky City building, to construct a hotel in the 1100 block.
Patel filed the same application in 2021 but the hotel did not materialize. Now, however, he’s asking to use the demolition site as overflow parking during the ongoing reconstruction of Broad.
The applicant wants to delay the application until the commission’s Oct. 23 meeting. In the meantime, any plans are on hold pending Augusta Fire Department’s criminal investigation of a recent fire, according to Todd Kennedy, senior planner with Augusta Planning and Development.
Preservation Commissioner Bob Young asked what the city was doing to prevent further “demolition by neglect” at the site. He said it appeared the buildings have not been secured against intrusions since the 2021 application.
“What are the intentions of the city to deal with stabilizing these properties while this request is being sat on?” Young asked. “Are we going to have a fire in another building next month?”
Interim Planning Director Chyvattee Vassar said the owner tried “multiple times” to secure the property but was unsuccessful.
Attorney Jim Trotter, representing Patel, said the building had been secured with plywood “over and over and over” again but people continue to break in.
Kennedy said the “absentee owner” actually had failed to live up to his responsibility for securing the building.
“No serious effort was made to mothball that building,” Kennedy said. “The owner did not live up to his responsibility of maintaining that building as it should have been.”
Questioned about the parking plan, Trotter said it was a part of the latest application, while the owner “fully intends to build a hotel.”
The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to postpone action on the application until its next meeting Oct. 23.
