SARASOTA — The city’s Historic Preservation Board decided Tuesday not to try to spare the vacant G.WIZ building from the wrecking ball after it learned a demolition permit has been approved by the city and any action taken against the City Commission’s wishes to tear the structure down could violate city code.

The Historic Preservation Board, which serves strictly as an advisory board to the Sarasota City Commission, considered recommending that the commission deem the defunct building a historic structure, possibly sparing it from being torn down as part of the initial phase of the $250 million to $300 million bayfront redevelopment project, known as The Bay. The move came despite an earlier decision by the commission to demolish the building as part of the redevelopment project. Mayor Liz Alpert also recently sent the advisory board a letter stating the city is opposed to a local historic designation for that building.

City Planning Director Steven Cover advised the advisory board that if it took action to recommend the site as historic, despite Alpert’s letter, it could violate city code. He added that a demolition permit had been approved by city officials this week. The City Commission voted 3-2 in October to designate up to $200,000 to pay for demolishing the structure. The dissenting votes belonged to Vice Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch and Commissioner Willie Charles Shaw.

“I think we should just stop talking at this point,” advisory board member Albert Sanchez said, after the board was informed it would hear any appeal of the demolition, if one is filed.

The City Commission, however, would make the final ruling on the appeal, city officials added.

Any party wishing to appeal the demolition of the building has 10 business days to file, city officials said.

Built in 1976, the building originally served as the Selby Library and became the G.WIZ museum in 2000. It has sat vacant for nearly six years and costs the city roughly $44,000 annually to maintain. The building sustained damage from Hurricane Irma last year, city officials said.

The advisory board’s decision to take no action followed passionate pleas from several area residents to save the building. They provided the advisory board a Dec. 3 letter from the state’s Division of Historical Resources stating that the building potentially meets the criteria for national historic designation. Public speakers pointed to the letter, claiming the commission did not have it as evidence the structure should be potentially spared.

“You need to be strong. You need to stand up to the bullying commissioners,” Janet Minker, former board chair of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, said. “Your advisory board is important to add professional input to elected officials who need advice and recommendations based on solid facts, not on behind closed doors negotiations.”

City officials have argued the building lost any historic significance, local or national, when it was overhauled to become the G.WIZ museum.

The first phase of The Bay project — which requires demolition of the G.WIZ building — consists of a recreational pier on the south end and a pedestrian bridge over Tamiami Trail, which could take three to four years to build and cost approximately $10 million to $20 million, designers have said. Part of the first phase also includes open space for events, outdoor movies and art displays and would take a year to build at a cost of $3 million to $4 million.

Plans for The Bay call for several pedestrian bridges, a relocated boat ramp, a waterfront promenade, one-acre event lawn, a 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot casual restaurant, smaller food kiosks, a bait and tackle shop, children’s play space, botanical gardens and a cultural district that preserves the Sarasota Garden Club, art center, history center, Blue Pagoda and Municipal Auditorium. The entire 53-acre project could take 10 to 15 years to build, planners have said.