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Spain House
And some members say they’re ready for another fight.
The commission set a Feb. 25 hearing to approve or deny Calvary Baptist Church’s application for a demolition permit.
The church owns the century-old Spain House, located at Main and Madison streets downtown, and wants the structure removed so it can develop the site for other uses.
It applied for the permit Jan. 27.
“I can’t imagine not denying the permit after having fought so hard for it,” said commission member Tish Wright. “I still think we should back up our word and deny it. Let them go to court.”
An earlier attempt by Calvary to demolish the house triggered the commission’s fight to save it. The commission nominated the house as a local historic landmark, thus protecting it for six months until the City Council could consider the request.
The council, on Oct. 6, voted to designate the house a local landmark. The move permanently protects the house against demolition or significant alteration.
But there are ways around it, and Calvary is trying one. In its application to the commission, the church says keeping the house would cause “unreasonable economic hardship.”
It cites the roughly $600,000 cost to renovate the structure as being cost-prohibitive, and states that the church has no beneficial use for the house.
“The church will suffer unreasonable economic hardship if a certificate of appropriateness for demolition of the structure is not approved,” the application states.
While commission members are sympathetic to the church’s situation, many say they’re not likely to budge.
“We made it a landmark to prevent it being demolished,” said vice chair Karen Keeney, “so it goes against all our efforts to grant a permit.”
If the commission denies the permit, the church can appeal to the city’s Planning Committee and ultimately to the City Council, said senior city planner Renee Autumn Ray.
Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.
THE OWNERS DO NOT WANT TO KEEP THE HOUSE.
AND there is no law to FORCE someone to spend $600,000 to fix the house.
The Council nor any "society" can FORCE a land owner to spend money and fix it.
so it "anyone" wants the house saved, then raise the !@#$%^& money to fix it or shut up.
THE OWNERS DO NOT WANT THE HOUSE.
why can't this get through people's heads?
Or do you want a las that FORCES someone who owns something on their own land that they must sped $$$$$$ - whatever amount of money YOU think they must spend to make something look the way YOU Want it to?
stupid. absolutely stupid.
Calvary owns it. John Doe owns it. Jane Doe owns it. Doesn't matter if it's owned by Jack Reed or Obama, IT IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND THE OWNER CAN DO AS THEY WISH.
drop it.
If I am not mistaken, several prominent lawyers attend that church. You know that lawyers can always bend the rules to get what they want.
I have nothing against the church, but I am really bothered by the idea that a different standard should apply because a church is involved. If a private citizen was trying to tear down that beautiful house, the citizens of Tupelo and the City would never allow it to happen. Somehow, because a church is involved, everything is O.K. with a historic structure being torn down. The double standard here stinks.
So, if all you preservationists really want to save it, raise the moving costs and move it to my land!!
why dont ya'll buy it then???
if not, quit your griping people. this is clearly an issue you can do something about, yet you dont. They are giving it away for free....FREE. so take it tree huggers....