ARLINGTON -- The Arlington City Council once again postponed issuance of a demolition permit for the Eastern Star Home to give supporters more time to find a way to preserve the historic property.
The council voted 7-1 to extend the stay on the demolition permit requested by Providence Bank of Columbia, Mo., until Dec. 22, the maximum time allowed. Councilman Jimmy Bennett voted against extending the stay.Councilman Michael Glaspie was absent."It's a beautiful, historic structure and it needs to be saved," said Jessica Lunce, an Arlington Historical Society board member. "The stay is important. It gives us more time to reach out to investors and get more support for the building."Bank representative Larry McCorkle told the council Tuesday that potential investors will not buy the 28.5-acre property at 1111 E. Division Street without assurances from the city that they have the ability to tear down the dilapidated, 88-year-old structure."For any investor to pour capital into that area, they want to remove that structure. It's dangerous. The code compliance is incredibly difficult," McCorkle said.The Eastern Star Home, built in 1924, was named to Preservation Texas' most endangered properties list in 2006. The Landmark Preservation Commission and the Arlington Historical Society are pushing for whoever buys the property to preserve the two-story structure.The bank's request for a demolition permit this year was automatically delayed 30 days because of the building's age, city officials said.In other business, the council voted 5-3 to approve giving $2.15 million in incentives to Lev Investment for its planned 5-story, 335-unit Sapphire apartment complex near the University of Texas at Arlington.The Sapphire project, a $41 million high-density apartment complex and parking garage, is expected to replace more than 100 aging apartment units in the area between Center and Mesquite streets and Mitchell and Hosack streets near downtown.Lev Investments will receive a $1,165,514 grant, which is the equivalent of 90 percent of the property taxes it would pay to the city for the first five years. Arlington will also pay for up to $650,000 of the developer’s demolition and site-preparation costs and waive up to $342,000 worth of construction-related fees.Robert Shepard, Sheri Capehart and Kathryn Wilemon voted against the proposed deal. Michael Glaspie was not at the meeting.The council also approved a $4.2 million contract to reconstruct Park Row Drive from Watson Road to the eastern city limits. The project includes storm draining improvements, water and sewer line renewals, sidewalks and street lights.According to a staff report, Arlington plans to once again participate in the state’s Events Trust Fund to recover public safety costs associated with hosting the 2013 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and related events leading up to the Jan. 4 game at Cowboys Stadium. The Legislature created the fund to draw events to Texas that are normally held in other states. The comptroller sets aside millions of dollars in sales, liquor, rental car and hotel occupancy tax revenue projected to be generated from out-of-town visitors and uses that money to help cities, counties or committees defray expenses needed to host an event.The Cotton Bowl Classic is expected to draw more than 80,000 visitors on game day and is projected to have a $33 million economic impact on the region, according to the staff report. CB Events, which is hosting the game, will make the city’s required $124,165 match to the state fund and will have access to about $900,000 to recover its expenses, which are largely public safety related, Deputy City Manager Theron Bowman said. Arlington has accessed the state fund previously to recover expenses for hosting the 2010 NBA All Star Game, Super Bowl XLV in 2011 and this year’s Offense Defense Bowl.Susan Schrock, 817-709-7578Twitter: @susanschrockHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
