There is concern in Fairhope that some of the city’s historic buildings are facing demolition.

In some cases, it may be necessary, but some historic preservationists want to make sure the character of replacement buildings is up to Fairhope standards.

The Old Fairhope Chocolate Shop is one of the historic buildings up for demolition. Its sits on Fairhope Avenue. It is now boarded up.

It’s just one of many historic buildings in disrepair. Some have already been or are in the process of being torn down by their owners.

Mayor Sherry Sullivan is a lifelong Fairhope resident. She knows what makes Fairhope tick. She spent almost two decades as the city’s community affairs director so she’s good at reading the room.

Now, she watches and monitors how historic buildings are being dismantled.

Gary Gover, a member of the city's historical preservation committee, is watching too.

"They are definitely part of the makeup of the town. The town draws a lot of people. People have fun they come here. Those old buildings make great restaurants and people have a good time walking around Fairhope," said Gover.

In a city that prides itself on tradition, people who live here don’t always live by the adage “out with the oldin with the new”. They’re protective of the charm that built this city.

However, Fairhope does not have an ordinance in place regulating what property owners can do to the city’s 200 historic buildings.

"Currently because we do not have an ordinance, we cannot do anything about somebody who wants to come in and delish a building. Our building department does a good job of educating them about tax credits and different things they can do to protect them and for them not to demolish them but at the end of the day if a property owner wants to demolish a historic building they’re allowed to." said Mayor Sullivan.

That could change...

Sullivan is open to hearing ideas about the city taking more control about what can and cannot be done by property owners.

The state historic preservation committee is scheduled to be in Fairhope in March for a council work session to talk about the benefits of enacting a city ordinance.

Mayor Sullivan says she recognizes many of the historic buildings *do* need to be rehabbed. Termite damage has taken its toll on some buildings and in some cases code upgrades on these century old buildings make it cost prohibitive to simply renovate.