The Denton City Council on Tuesday approved a new tax break designed to save Fry Street’s historic buildings, just hours after plans were released showing some of the buildings are targeted for demolition.

Plans for the Fry Street Village retail center, filed by a Houston-area developer Monday, show new buildings replacing many older structures in the area, where diverse eateries and businesses have long attracted students from the University of North Texas across the street.

United Equities Inc. bought properties in a 3.8-acre block last year and announced plans to redevelop them, drawing protests from some who wanted the older buildings preserved.

A group, Save Fry Street, organized to fight the developer’s plans, and nearly 9,500 people signed a petition supporting historic preservation on Fry Street.

The public uproar spurred the city to develop the tax break policy, offering property owners who renovate or preserve historic buildings a chance to freeze their properties’ taxable value with the city for 10 years.

Although the policy is unlikely to affect United Equities’ plans, city officials said it wasn’t in vain.

“The tax abatement covers more than just the property of United Equities,” said Linda Ratliff, city economic development director. “Even if United Equities doesn’t take advantage of it, some other property owners in the Fry Street area could.”

The affected area is bounded by Oak Street to the north, Welch Street to the east, Mulberry and Hickory streets to the south and Avenue B to the west.

Structures must be at least 50 years old and have a commercial use, and improvements must equal or exceed 25 percent of the property’s value, or $20,000, whichever is less.

Chris Flemmons, representing Save Fry Street and the online blog www.CentralDentonPreservation.org , said the groups supported the tax break.

“We wanted to say that as a standalone measure, outside the prevailing concerns of the structures of Fry Street, we think this is a good measure to adopt,” Flemmons told the council.

Tim Sandifer, project manager with United Equities, said the company had no plans to pursue the tax break.

“I’ve never been approached by anyone from the city regarding tax abatements,” Sandifer said in a phone interview. “So I really don’t have any comment about it.”

City and United Equities officials discussed possible incentives for preserving historic buildings but never held formal talks on the tax abatement, Ratliff said.

“Until it was a policy, we really didn’t have anything to offer them,” she said.

Mayor Pro Tem Pete Kamp said the city has done all it could to encourage historic preservation.

United Equities “could still do something if they wanted to, but I think that it is obvious that they do not want to,” Kamp said.

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .