The Historic Architectural Review Board on Jan. 16 approved a partial demolition at 156 Avenida Menendez that removes later 20th-century additions so the circa-1839 territorial-period portion of the building can be revealed and rehabilitated.

Staff said the through lot fronts both Avenida Menendez and Marine Street and includes structures recorded in the Florida Master Site File and contributing to the St. Augustine National Register Historic District. Staff noted prior discussion and an earlier opinion of appropriateness in 2023 that introduced the possibility of removing later additions to save the older core. The staff report recommended approval of demolition if the board found the applicant had provided sufficient information and included a condition that the applicant salvage usable materials in accordance with city code section 28-895.

Applicant representatives John Valdez and Les (designer) described limited exploratory demolition already completed to identify the survival of an 1839 territorial building "lurking inside" later work and outlined a careful, staged approach to peel back later additions while stabilizing the portion to be preserved. Valdez told the board the work would be complex, require interior shoring and structural sequencing, and would involve on-site decisions as the building "tells us what we need to do." A member of the public and neighborhood residents spoke in support of rehabilitation; another commenter urged denial on the ground of demolition by neglect and questioned whether economic hardship had been proven.

The board approved the partial demolition by roll call and recorded conditions requiring salvage of usable materials consistent with the city code. Staff and the applicant indicated rehabilitation plans for 59 Marine Street and a new building on the Avenida Menendez frontage will return to the board for subsequent certificate-of-appropriateness review.

Why it matters: board members described the 1839 portion as a historically significant resource; approving removal of later, incongruent additions is intended to allow restoration of the older structure, while the salvage condition aims to retain historic fabric for reuse.

Vote: Paul Weaver — yes; Linda Potter — yes; Catherine Duncan — yes; Brad Beach — yes; Erin McDonald — yes.