MARIETTA - Reactions are mixed over Councilman Philip Goldstein's plan to bulldoze the two-story Cuthbertson building on North Park Square and replace it with a five-story, 22,000-square-foot office building.

Ray Worden, who was appointed to the Marietta Historic Preservation Commission by Councilman Van Pearlberg, opposes the plan.

"How apropos that this five-story building flanked by two-story buildings would appear to be giving the one-finger salute to the rest of the town," Worden said.

Goldstein could not be reached for comment.

Members of the Development Authority of Cobb County voted 5-0 Tuesday, awarding Goldstein a $4.25 million inducement, which allows Goldstein to borrow the money from BB&T at a lower interest rate.

The two-story, brick and wood building, which sits on the Square between Shillings Restaurant and the Strand Theatre, is named for the late Dr. Paul Cuthbertson, who had an optometry clinic there. Cuthbertson died in 2000. Goldstein bought the building the next year for about $575,000. Ever since, he has been floating his idea to raze and rebuild. Renovating would be more expensive, he has said.

In 2008, the city's Historic Board of Review, in a split vote of 6-5, renewed a demolition and construction permit for the project, which is good for three years.

Becky Paden, a member of the Marietta Historic Preservation Commission, appointed by Councilman Jim King, believes the building should be restored, not demolished.

"It would maintain the historic character of the buildings on the Square," Paden said. The new building "could turn out to be a five-story eye sore."

Mayor Steve Tumlin is firmly opposed to Goldstein's plan.

"There's so many other square miles in the state of Georgia where he could have built five-story buildings," Tumlin said. "It doesn't fit my personal definition of what the Square ought to look like. The basic height, other than the Strand, is two stories, and I think it gives the Southern charm to the Square that we ought to stick with. It is chiseling away further at our historic background."

Tumlin doesn't even think Goldstein has tenants lined up. Nonetheless, he also doesn't believe there is much the city can do to stop the councilman.

"If you're just looking at the north side of the Square, it's reasonably compatible with the Strand," Tumlin said. "If you look at the east side of the Square, then you got the tall county buildings, so he's got an argument that this five-story would be visually compatible with the others, plus we even got in (the city code that) it can go 85 feet. I doubt if Philip will give one inch."

Tumlin is also concerned with parking and believes the larger building would increase traffic on the already congested Square.

Parking requirements depend on what the building houses, whether its a restaurant, apartments or offices, and it's unclear what Goldstein ultimately intends to build. If it remains solely a 22,000-square-foot office building, Goldstein would need about 50 parking spaces, City Manager Bill Bruton said. Due to zoning requirements, if he were to build that same office building outside the Square, he would need about 62 spaces, Bruton said.

Tumlin said he reviewed the city code in frustration after hearing of Goldstein's plan. He's afraid the five-story building could set a precedent.

"I think logically others could follow it and I think we're reforming the Square, which I personally don't like. (The existing two-story buildings) represent the old time merchants and what our Square is ... If we put five stories all around the Square, I think somebody may have won the battle, but the city lost the war, and especially the Square."

Tumlin said the question is where to go now.

"If the community thinks two-story buildings are important, can we save the south side and the west side of the Square?" he said. "If you leave it like it is, he could jump over to the other intersections and I think that would be a shame if we had all five-story buildings around. Then we've made this a commercial place rather than what I think is the ambiance of Marietta Square. Growing up around here, I thought Buckhead was just as pretty when it had a Sears building and one stories there at the intersection of West Paces Ferry. Now they're all big buildings and Buckhead is a different thing. If we make this into Galleria III, to the landowners and certain business owners that might be good, but we've lost something we can't recapture, and so you say, 'that sure makes the Kennesaw House looks bad, do we tear down the Kennesaw House?' That's what I don't want to see happen."

As for the loan, for Goldstein to be able to borrow $4.25 million in the current economy speaks highly of his family's business, Tumlin said.

Dave Mendelson, owner of Hemingway's Bar & Grill, said he's ambivalent about Goldstein's plan.

"Looking from the positive side, in my opinion it's an improvement to the Square. That old building is really dilapidated. He's done nothing to improve the appearance of it. The way it is right now, I think it's an eyesore. It's just not attractive. Looking from a negative side, I think it's somewhat too large. If he could keep it to three stories it would be more in fitting with the Square."

Mendelson said since he opened his restaurant in 1991, Goldstein has harassed him about parking and the color of his awnings, all in an effort to acquire his building, which Mendelson refuses to sell to Goldstein.

As for the current state of the Cuthbertson building, Goldstein is known to keep most of his properties in less than attractive condition, Mendelson said.

Dave Reardon, owner of Shillings on the Square, favors Goldstein's proposal.

"Fifty years from now, some of these things are going to have to be changed. Some of these buildings are old, old. And 50 years from now they'll probably tear them down and put something up in its place," Reardon said.

Reardon calls the existing Cuthbertson building "atrocious."

"It's a wonder it doesn't fall down on itself," he said.

Johnny Fulmer, who owns a gift shop on the Square called the Keeping Room/Church Street Market, also favors the project.

"It's progress. It's an improvement over what we have, and I'm also a believer in the man who owns the dirt ought to be able to do with it - within reason - what he wants to do with it," Fulmer said.

Fulmer also does not see a parking problem, as he said there's "plenty of parking behind" the building.

Theatre in the Square co-founder Palmer Wells hasn't made up his mind about Goldstein's plan, but does see a precedent being set.

"It would be setting a precedent I think. If you change the character all around the Square, I think you're departing from the historic look that I think people want to preserve," Wells said.