BEACH PARK - Residents' investment of time and money in a joint project with the city to restore the 1920s-era Beach Park gateway has earned recognition from a historical preservation group.

The recently completed six-year restoration of the gateway arches received a 2010 Banner Award from Tampa Bay Preservation, a local nonprofit group that recognizes structures with exteriors restored to their historical origins.

"We're glad to have that big project finally finished," said Emmy Purcell Reynolds, president of the Beach Park Homeowners Association from 2000 until December, who remains as director, historian and Arches Restoration Committee chairwoman of the association.

"And we're really, really happy to have received recognition from Tampa Preservation. That was wonderful, and it came as a surprise," she said of the banner presented at a May 4 awards ceremony at the University of Tampa.

Dennis Fernandez, Tampa's historical preservation manager, said the arches are historically significant, especially because they are the city's last functioning gateway of that magnitude.

The arches are thought to have been built in 1925-26, when Beach Park was being developed. Developers often built gateways before home construction, giving the structure double duty as a marketing tool, Fernandez said.

Restoration required uncovering the stucco arch's earliest coats of paint, which included buff and light peach. The stucco was repainted to match those typical Mediterranean colors, popular in 1920s Florida.

Work included stucco repairs, pressure cleaning, caulking, priming, lighting and landscaping with Florida-friendly plants, in conjunction with the Mayor's Beautification Program.

Delays included legal issues. The central arch is on city right of way, but both wing walls extend onto private property. "Once we got through all the minutiae of funding and legalities ... it happened fairly quickly," Fernandez said.

A formal dedication is planned.

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at (813) 259-7124.