TAMPA, Fla. — A historic Tampa Heights building built in 1925 is being spared from the wrecking ball for 60 days. 

The Florida Department of Transportation owns the building located at 1902 Lamar Avenue which they opted to demolish after an investor backed out.

Neighborhood residents said they were only made aware of FDOT's plans to tear it down when wrecking crews showed up on the property. 

"We're constantly looking at it," Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association President Lena Young said. "We were able to see the tape and equipment."

The Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association headquarters are located at a renovated historic building on Lamar Avenue. The group had hopes of turning the other building on Lamar Avenue into a community center. 

"The neighborhood was caught off guard by this," said Tampa Heights Civic Association President Brian Seel.  "We're losing a lot of historic structures."

In 1995 the City of Tampa designated Tampa Heights as a historic district because of the many structures that were first built outside of downtown Tampa. 

"There aren't that many urban and walkable historic neighborhoods left," said Seel. 

Lena Young says it's a scenario that keeps playing out with historic properties owned by FDOT. 

"They'll come in, purchase buildings and then leave it to deteriorate and then somewhere down the line "we need to destroy this building," she added. 

With planned construction along the I-275 coridor, Young is also concerned the Tampa Heights community will no longer exist.

Historic preservationists are racing against the clock to save the building from the wrecking ball. 

The Tampa Heights Civic association is searching for a buyer and hope to turn it into another community center.