CRA leads city charge to preserve historic WPB houses of worship

Major focus on preserving West Palm Beach's heritage

There is a new focus to preserve some of the city's oldest historic buildings.

The city's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is considering a new program that will save several of the city's historic churches. The effort will provide funding to the churches for needed repairs, or in one case funding to ensure improvements won't ruin the buildings' historic character.

But the program is not a simple giveaway or grant program. Instead, the CRA will be buying something from the churches.

So what do the churches have that's so valuable? They have TDR's.

What are TDR's, you may ask?

They are Transfer Development Rights. In simplest terms, TDR's are "air rights."

If, for example, a three story church is sitting on a property that the building code allows for a five story building, then the church owns the "air rights" or TDR's for two additional stories.

Those unused TDR's can either be used by the church to add two floors, or they can be sold to another property which can use the credits to build two more floors than the code permits.

TDR's have value and are traded on the open market like stocks.

If a property has TDR's but no plans to build a taller structure, that owner can sell their TDR's to another property owner who can use them to construct a larger building on their property.

The CRA is considering buying the TDR's from three churches - Tabernacle Missionary Baptist, St. Patrick's Episcopal and Payne Chapel AME.

The money paid to the churches will be used to preserve their buildings. In one case the money would be used to repair and preserve historic stained glass windows. In another case it would be used to ensure the construction of an elevator will not destroy the historic exterior of the building.

The CRA can take the TDRs off the market, or it can decide to sell them to another property owner in the future.

The program, which is still in the planning stages, reflects a commitment by the city to preserve historic houses of worship is the city.