An eight-story, Moderne-style building in Palm Beach's South End will be evaluated for landmark designation following a request from its board to the town.

At its meeting Jan. 22, the Landmarks Preservation Commission agreed to place the Ambassador II co-op building under consideration for landmark status, which would officially recognize the structure as historically, architecturally, or culturally significant.

The co-op's board asked the landmarks commission to review the building for designation because residents are "fiercely proud" of the building's unique architecture and history, said Amanda Skidmore, community association manager for the Ambassador II Corporation.

The building, at 2780 South Ocean Boulevard, is located about a half mile north of the Lake Worth Pier.

"(Residents) wanted to ensure that the striking original characteristics of the building that they love so much were safeguarded for future generations to enjoy," Skidmore said.

The Ambassador II, originally called The Ambassador South Cooperative Apartment II, was designed by well-known Palm Beach architect Eugene Lawrence in what town planners call a serpentine, or "S" shape. It was completed in 1969. The building features 95 apartment units, all of which have a direct view of the ocean from their terraces, Skidmore said.

During a brief presentation to the landmarks board, Janet Murphy, a landmark consultant with the town, said the building appears to have retained its historic architectural integrity and would be worth considering for landmarking. "Although there are other condominiums in Palm Beach with the signature serpentine shape, this would be the first to be studied for landmarking," Murphy told board members.

Landmarks commissioners agreed on a 6-1 vote to move forward with putting the property under consideration for landmarking, with Commissioner Anne Fairfax voting in opposition.

Fairfax, a partner with Fairfax & Sammons Architects, said she was hesitant about the town allocating resources toward studying the building for landmarking since she didn't view it as being "threatened," or at risk for demolition or significant alteration. She noted that projects approved by the board earlier in its meeting were more vulnerable than the Ambassador II.

"Some of the projects that we approved today could be threatened very easily," she said. "Nobody's going to come in here and offer all these people $3 or $4 million per one-bedroom apartment in order to leave so they can rebuild another. I just feel like it's a trend. And I think we have resources that we need to designate. This is not a good place for our resources."

With the board's approval to proceed with the landmarking process for the Ambassador II, Murphy and her colleague, Emily Stillings, next will research and write a Landmark Designation Report for the property.

The report most likely would be presented to the landmarks board during its next designation season, which runs from November 2025 to April 2026. If the property is approved by the landmarks board, it would move to the Town Council for final consideration.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission , chaired by Sue Patterson, reviews exterior changes to the more than 350 landmarked buildings in town, and recommends additional buildings for landmark protection to the council each year.

It also considers development applications for historically significant buildings, which were created in an effort to discourage owners from tearing down older houses that aren’t landmarked, but still contribute to the charm and character of their neighborhoods.