Will nearly 100-year-old historic New Perry Hotel be demolished? Here’s what we know

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Against the backdrop of the city’s 200th birthday celebration and amid public outcry, a nearly 100-year-old historic building is facing demolition.

The three-story New Perry Hotel has been part of the fabric of downtown Perry since it was built in 1925. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but that does not protect the hotel from demolition. The steep cost of renovation has led current owners to recommend that the building be destroyed.

Community members have reached out to preservationists in an effort to save the hotel. More than 700 people had signed a petition to save it as of Monday.

Others believe the hotel’s time has come to end, and that its demolition will pave the way for economic revitalization. The one-story motel behind it, which was added to the property in 1955, also would come down under the plan.

In the hotel’s place, a three-floor development has been proposed to include ground-floor retail space, second-floor office suites and third-floor penthouse apartments. New retail buildings on the site also are proposed.

The proposed development is expected to go before Perry’s Main Street Advisory Board for approval before the demolition permit is issued. The property owners have received a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition, which clears the way for them to start asbestos abatement.

The New Perry Hotel signage on the hotel itself has been removed.

Why hotel may be headed for demolition

Danny Rosales, one of the new property owners, told the Main Street Advisory Board that he is working with an architect that would give the new development a historic look, according to draft June board minutes. He declined to respond to a request for an interview.

A month earlier, Rosales told the board that demolition was sought after looking at strategies to remodel, which he said proved to be financially unfeasible because the hotel was in “severe deterioration,” according to May board minutes.

In his May 6 application for a certificate of appropriateness to demolish, Rosales wrote:

“Unfortunately, its structural integrity has significantly deteriorated over time. Our engineering assessments reveal critical issues, including foundation cracks, water damage and compromised load bearing elements. These conditions pose safety risks to occupants and passerbys.”

City staff reviewed the request and agreed with Rosales, noting that at least two previous owners also found renovation was not financially viable.

Under Triple P Holdings, Rosales and a business partner purchased the New Perry Hotel and Motel for $620,000 in July of last year from the nonprofit HALO Group, according to Houston County tax records.

The nonprofit had dreams of renovating the hotel and restaurant where its disabled adult participants could learn hospitality skills while the motel would be converted to studio and one-bedroom apartments to generate income. But the venture proved to be too costly.

The HALO Group purchased the property in October 2018 for $275,000 from Ocmulgee Red, a group whose vision had been to return the hotel and restaurant to its former glory under the guidance of Southern author and designer James Farmer of Perry.

Allowed to stand, the buildings will continue to deteriorate and become a public nuisance, according to the city staff’s May 24 recommendation.

“Even with the benefit of state and federal tax credits, the structure of the buildings makes renovations meeting today’s hotel standards economically infeasible,” the recommendation reads.

The staff concluded, “Unfortunately, demolition appears to be the only reasonable resolution.”

At its June 6 meeting, the board approved the certificate of appropriateness subject to its approval of the post-demolition plan prior to issuance of a demolition permit.

The demolition of all structures on the property is expected to cost $160,000.

Local Perry outcry over plan

As word spread in the community about the planned demolition, an online petition was launched June 16 to save the historic structure.

“We as a community cannot lose this iconic Perry landmark,” the petition reads. “So many in the community have fond memories swimming at their pool, celebrating anniversaries, weddings, and special dinners in the restaurant.”

Because it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel would qualify for “40% historic tax credit on any qualified rehabilitation expense” as well as other grants and programs through the National Trust of Historic Places, according to the petition. The hotel and motel have been on the national register since April 1, 2004.

“This is a beautiful piece of history in Houston County that needs to be brought back to life not erased,” Wendy Ziliak posted in the comments of the petition. “So many of us want and need a place where we can step back in time!”

Preservationist Caitlin Mee said members of the Perry community reached out to her after learning of the planned demolition. She helped organize the online petition and is attempting to find a more preservationist-minded developer to purchase the property.

Mee said she plans to fight for the New Perry Hotel for as long as it’s still standing.

New Perry Hotel ‘integral’ to city

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation condemned the planned demolition of the hotel in a June 17 letter to Mayor Randall Walker.

“The New Perry Hotel is an integral part of the social and historic fabric of Perry and its loss would represent a setback for historic preservation in the state of Georgia,” wrote W. Wright Mitchell, president and CEO of the nonprofit advocacy group.

Mitchell noted the hotel has served as a focal point for social interaction and as a landmark for the tourist industry in Perry since it was built. He also lauded the structure’s Neoclassical Revival style of architecture and noted that the hotel was built by a woman.

“Unlike traditional jobs for women at the time, the hotel industry allowed women to work independently and develop entrepreneurial skills that permitted them to compete with the men in a business world that was dominated by male interests,” Mitchell wrote.

Ben Sutton, director of preservation for the Georgia Trust, said the nonprofit would welcome the opportunity to work with the property owners and the city to identify ways to save the hotel and motel.

Sutton suggested utilization of federal and state tax credits, which he said would include the potential for an 8 1/2 year property tax freeze.

The Georgia Trust, which advocates for historic preservation across the state, became aware of the planned demolition when three or four people filled out an online application to add the hotel to the nonprofit’s Places of Peril program, Sutton said.

The Places in Peril program “seeks to identify and preserve historic sites threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy,” according to the organization’s website.

“Between the 1920s and the 1950s, the New Perry Hotel was a regional tourist destination along Highway 41, becoming a popular stop for Florida vacationers along the busy route between Chattanooga, Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida,” according to the hotel’s registration form with the National Register of Historic Places. “Since its construction in 1925, the hotel served as a focal point for social interaction in the community and as a landmark for the tourist industry in Perry.”

Perry’s position

Mayor Walker could not be reached for comment, but the city released a statement on the issue.

“As we celebrate Perry’s 200th Birthday, we reflect on our rich heritage and cherished memories of Perry’s past,” the city said in its statement. “The New Perry Hotel serves as a nostalgic reminder of bygone eras while holding a special place in the hearts of Perry’s past and present residents.

“Regrettably, the New Perry Hotel has remained vacant for many years and is in a state of disrepair. We are confident the current property owners have a vision for redevelopment which respects Perry’s legacy and meets the quality standards expected by the Perry community.

“Just as we honor the visionaries who laid the foundation for Perry’s success, we must also embrace the responsibility of ensuring that Perry remains a dynamic and thriving community for future generations.”

Although city council technically could override the certificate of appropriateness, council members historically have not overridden actions by the Main Street Advisory Board or its Community Development Department, according Tabitha Clark, communications manager for the city.

She noted that the mayor and council members have been kept informed of the developments with the hotel, including its planned demolition and the proposed new development in its place.