A plan to demolish a historic home in Downtown Binghamton faces continued opposition from a local preservation group.

The home, a two-story residence built in the late 19th century, is located at 188 Court St., across from the historic Phelps Mansion Museum. FGR Realty acquired the property last December and sought permission from the city to demolish the house to build seven additional parking spaces for a company-owned office building occupied by a Guthrie mental health services clinic. In June, the Binghamton Commission on Architecture and Urban Design voted to approve the demolition if both the city’s Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals agreed.

The realty’s principal, Philip Akel, declined to comment.

John Darrow, chairman of the commission, said he disagreed with the decision and that the 1885 house is historically significant as the last residential unit on the block, according to WNBF. Akel’s representatives claimed the house would require costly repairs to make it safe for use.

The Prevention Association of the Southern Tier, a group seeking to protect places of “historic, architectural and cultural significance” in Broome and Tioga counties, opposed demolition and claimed in a letter to the commission that the “distinctive materials, architectural features and examples of fine craftsmanship remain intact.”

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham did not explicitly opine on the demolition plan. He told WNBF that the matter has been referred to the Planning Commission, which will determine whether the plan is “something that could legally be done or responsibly be done.” He then claimed the state historical preservation office would usually not recommend cities tearing down buildings to construct “surface level parking lots.”

“When I say it’s not a City demolition, I mean it’s not one of the properties we’re demolishing for blight reduction,” Deputy Mayor Megan Heiman wrote to Pipe Dream. “A private resident has applied for demolition of 188 Court.”

The proposed demolition of the structure has been presented at several Commission of Architecture and Urban Design meetings over the past months. In a May meeting, Akel and Sarah Campbell, the attorney from Hinman, Howard & Kattell representing FGR Realty, argued that 188 Court St. did not have historical architectural significance.

“[188 Court] has been renovated numerous times over its life,” said Christopher Lynch, an architectural team leader with Delta Engineers, who has 20 years of experience working on residential, historic and commercial projects. “While its age is historic, there are no real remaining architectural elements that we have been able to determine on the exterior that would classify this in any certain era.”

They included the New York State Park’s Recreation Historic Preservation’s review that deemed the unit ineligible to register as a historical property because it no longer resembles architecture from one specific period.

At the June meeting, representatives shared the many renovations 188 Court St. needs, including window replacement and an updated roof. Renovations on the exterior build of the home exceed the purchase price by almost three times, costing an estimated $316,000. Campbell said that for these reasons, among others, the building meets all the criteria for demolition.