ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Some Vilano Beach residents are breathing a sigh of relief since the St. Johns County Cultural Resources Review Board is putting a pause on the fate of the Magic Beach Motel.
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The demolition permit applicant and prospective developer, Rick Johnston, says he acknowledges the motel’s charm and its cultural significance in the Vilano Beach community, but with the motel being in a flood plain and increasing costs to get the building up to regulation code, Johnston called the structure not salvageable.
Magic Beach Motel owner, Tejal Patel, says Johnston has plans to transform the property into a commercial/residential use space with Johnston’s vow to retain some elements of the property.
Not everyone was satisfied with that idea, though. And it was conveyed during the meeting’s public comment portion.
“You can go into other places, and everything is brand new. They almost all look the same. But Magic Beach is special,” Keith Willard shared.
But not every speaker at Monday’s meeting shared the same sentiment.
“It doesn’t make any money, and it’s in disrepair. It needs to have an upgrade,” Linda Lacerva remarks.
In the end, board members made a unanimous vote to defer the decision for the demolition permit. Board member Blair Knighting says county leaders wanted more evidence than ‘we’re just going to tear it down and save some elements’ before the board moves forward.
County officials tell Action News Jax that the Cultural Resources Review Board continued the application. The item will come before the board again whenever the applicant is ready.
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