The news that Archlyn Villa in Pembroke is set for demolition should give all of us pause.

Not because buildings cannot reach a point beyond repair. Not because economics and safety do not matter. But because too often in Bermuda, demolition feels like the final chapter in a story that could have been written differently.

Archlyn Villa was not simply another ageing structure. It represented a chapter of Bermuda’s tourism and cultural history — a time when guesthouses formed the backbone of our accommodation sector and when small, locally owned properties helped to define the island’s character. These were places that welcomed visitors, created opportunity, and helped build Bermuda’s reputation long before large-scale hotel developments dominated the landscape.

Yet here we are again.

Another historic building allowed to deteriorate to the point where demolition becomes “the only option”.

We must be honest with ourselves: buildings do not fall into this condition overnight. Years of deferred maintenance, inaction, stalled planning, and lack of co-ordinated preservation policy lead us here. Demolition is rarely the first failure — it is the final one.

At a time when Bermuda speaks about diversifying tourism, strengthening our cultural product and protecting our heritage, this was an opportunity. A restored boutique guesthouse. A heritage tourism asset. A hospitality training space. A public-private partnership model that shows preservation and economic value can align.

Instead, we lose another piece of our story.

This is not about assigning blame to one owner or one department. It is about a broader pattern. Across Bermuda, historic properties — particularly smaller guesthouses and community-rooted buildings — quietly decline until the financial and structural hurdles become overwhelming. By the time serious intervention is discussed, the cost feels too high and the decision seems inevitable.

But preservation cannot be reactive. It must be proactive.

That means earlier engagement when properties begin to show signs of decline. It means incentives that encourage restoration before decay becomes critical. It means clearer adaptive reuse pathways and better co-ordination between planning, heritage and tourism authorities. If we believe our built environment is part of our brand, then we must treat it as a strategic asset — not an afterthought.

Visitors do not come to Bermuda for sun and sand alone. They come for character, authenticity and history. Each time an historic structure disappears, we narrow that identity.

Demolition may now be the outcome for Archlyn Villa. But it should not be routine.

This moment should prompt harder questions: how many more historic buildings are approaching the same fate? What systems do we have in place to intervene early? And are we willing to invest — creatively and collaboratively — in saving the ones we still can?

Because once they are gone, they are gone.

And no statement about heritage can replace what we chose not to preserve.

• Maurice Foley was the One Bermuda Alliance candidate for St David’s in the last General Election