ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- An eyesore. That's how people have described the old Santa Maria restaurant, an iconic spot in St. Augustine.
Even the owners say it looks bad.
In its current state, the old Santa Maria Restaurant is for the birds... literally. Birds are the only things eating there. Birds are on the roof, the dock, the deck and the awnings.
However, the restaurant -- dating to the 50s -- used to be the place to go for tourists.
Andrew Neville, visiting from Jacksonville, said, "I came when I was a real little kid. I haven't eaten here in years. Every time I come by, it looks shut down."
It has been closed for three years since the White family of St. Augustine bought it.
They planned to tear it down and rebuild it, but co-owner Jennifer White Conner says her family has hit all kinds of obstacles from the city. So far they have a demolition permit, but according to city documents, the owners have not received a complete building permit for the new restaurant. The sticking point: the family wants docks.
"Three finger docks we have asked for. Not a lot, just enough for some local residents who want to arrive by boat," White said.
Tired of the delays with city staff, the White's want to take the issue straight to the city commission, "to help us resolve that issue because we believe it will be a different dining experience for locals to arrive by boat," White said.
The City Manager told First Coast News, the proposed docks would interfere with the traffic at the municipal marina, right next door. He said it would especially impact the large ships and yachts which bring in a lot of money to the city-owned marina.
White said, "We've been quiet for the last few years about things going on and why we've been limited in moving forward. And at this point, we need the citizens of St. Augustine and local residents to reach out to the city commissioners about what they'd like to see."
And most people would like this eyesore -- or birdhouse -- replaced with something new.
Neville nodded, "It'd be cool. It's really a great spot."
In the meantime, the city and the owners are still pecking at the details of the plan.