Peck property given to Park Service

In October, when Historic City News reported that the St. Augustine City Commission approved the transfer of the former Mary Peck lot in the Colonial Spanish Quarter to the National Park Service, few thought the Park Service would say “no” … but they did.

The National Park Service delayed the transfer of the site to be used for an estimated $4 million Castillo Orientation Center until a new sightseeing vehicle drop-off for the Spanish Quarter on the bayfront was completed — which occurred earlier this month.

The commission approved the property transfer to the National Park Service for a Visitor Orientation Center in October, which included a binding deed of conveyance, with a “reverter clause”, and a separate non-binding agreement that identified certain information the City would like the Park Service to include in their presentations after the Orientation Center is opened.

The hope of commissioners and city staff is that the value of the to-be-built Orientation Center and a vendor agreement allowing the City to sell entrance passes to the Castillo along with tickets to the Colonial Spanish Quarter will be greater than the value of the property; which the city received through a donation.

Now that an agreement has been reached by the City with the Alexander family, for the use of an adjoining building for the Colonial Spanish Quarter, and with the State, granting the Park Service a deed for adjoining property that has already been conveyed, and, now, the completion of the passenger drop-off, Mayor Boles, Commissioners Freeman and Sikes-Kline met in “special session”, that was over in about 3-4 minutes yesterday, to officially turn over the former Mary Peck property to the National Park Service.

When Historic City News Editor Michael Gold first spoke to Ron Brown in October, the City Attorney explained, “The National Park Service will not accept property with strings attached.” Brown went on to say that the Park Service was willing to agree to the “reverter clause”, which required the Park Service to commence construction of the Orientation Center not later than December 31, 2015, or to return the property, however, they would not agree to conditions that address what types of displays would be included — “except in a non-binding way”.

The deed excludes the west-most 15 feet of the conveyed parcel, which the City plans to use for pedestrian and vehicular traffic between two Colonial Spanish Quarter parcels.

While the original Park Service plan was for a $4 million Castillo Orientation Center, the City and University of Florida, managers of 34 state-owned historic properties here, are hoping for a larger $10 million center to provide a holistic introduction to the city’s history.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer