The Fate of 1200 Prince Edward Street
Fredericksburg City Council met yet again on August 12, 2008 to discuss the fate of 1200 Prince Edward Street. The apartment house at 1200 Prince Edward Street burned down during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. The building has remained a burned out shell at the corner of Lewis Street and Prince Edward Street since the fire. City Council met in 2006 to discuss the structure and rejected a proposal for a four unit condominuim development presented by the land owner, Al Sharp. Since the last City Council meeting, where the counsel favored demolition of the building, Al Sharp has suffered a tramatic injury that has left him a quadriplegic and has put the 1200 Prince Edward Street project on the back burner in his life. The building/ land has also failed to sell at the current list price of roughly $600,000. (Current Listing information could not be found in MRIS). Last night’s meeting pitted neighbor against neighbor again with many voiceing their support for preserving the architectural significance of the building, while others had gathered 44 signatures on a petition to demolish the building. (I happen to live on Prince Edward Street – 2 blocks away, and was never asked to sign this petition).
So, what will City Council do next? In my heart, I would like to see the structure preserved, especially since it is located in the historic district and has deep roots in the community. However, I understand the immediate neighbors reservations about a multi-unit dwelling coming back to the neighborhood, although there are numerous multi-unit dwellings on this street. If City Council allows another preservation and rebuilding plan to be submitted for review, Al Sharp would have to be granted a special use permit in order to reconstruct the building. This is a pretty tall order considering the neighbors’ opposition. I really don’t see a single family home being built on this property unless it is a McMansion which is a whole other concern for downtown Fredericksburg. I hope that a decision can be reached quickly, and that what ever it is, this corner will be cleaned up soon!
