The city plans to preserve this sign and make it part of a future addition at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park. The Coastal Star
By Connor Walter Brickel
A landmark Boynton Beach building, which dates to the 1920s and until recently was home to Hurricane Alley, is set to be demolished. But one piece of history from the downtown building won’t be headed to the landfill.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency has agreed to preserve the Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Real Estate Insurance sign — and even has a future home in mind for it.
The preservation effort is expected to cost about $132,000. Developers have committed $40,000, leaving the CRA to fund the remaining $92,000. The City Commission, in its role as the CRA’s governing body, approved the allocation of those funds on Oct. 6.
Demolition of the existing building paves the way for a new downtown development project, The Pierce. The mixed-use development project is slated to bring 300 residential apartments and 17,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space, along with 150 public parking spaces.
The historic sign is painted on the eastern facade of the former Hurricane Alley Raw Bar and Restaurant building on East Ocean Avenue. City staff says the sign will be preserved in a specialized case and eventually relocated to Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park and boat ramp on North Federal Highway.
Oyer, a former mayor and longtime local businessman, operated his insurance and real estate agency for nearly six decades in Boynton Beach.
The building is the last historical building on Federal Highway still standing.
“I want to thank you for finally being a City Commission that found the right balance between economic progress and preservation,” said Oyer’s son, Harvey Oyer III, at the Oct. 6 meeting.
The sign is about 75 years old, and has only four digits in its phone number. Relocating the sign ensures that a familiar piece of local history remains visible to residents who have been driving by the sign for years.
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