Gateway Mall Forclosure

[IamAmerican]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/Gateway-Mall-served-forclosure-papers/-/475880/8809460/-/65snmjz/-/index.html

Gateway Mall served forclosure papers

Supervisor of Elections has complained about building conditions

Published On: Feb 20 2012 02:10:18 PM EST  Updated On: Feb 20 2012 03:28:31 PM EST

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
The owner of Gateway Mall on Jacksonville's Northside has been served foreclosure papers, Channel 4 has learned.

The mall houses city offices, including a tax collector site and a police stop station, as well as several stores. One of the major tenants is the Supervisor of Elections Office, where the election center is housed.

The city pays more than $55,000 a month in rent just for that site.

Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland has been complaining for months about the conditions at the site, saying they haven't been repaired in more than a year. He said the building is falling apart and the owner has not paid taxes even though the city keeps paying its rent.

The mall owner, Carlton Jones, said last month it was just sour grapes because Holland wants to move from the site.

Last week, Holland said he met with the mayor's staff, Jones and Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and worked out an arrangement. At least that's what he thought until he got a notice Friday saying the bank is foreclosing on Gateway Mall.

"My job is to worry about the problems nobody else worries about," Holland said. "I am concerned that the administration does not consider this a problem and that we are not considering any other options. We got the next election in 180 days and my concern is, what happens if we are asked to move out of Gateway before the election?"

Mayor Alvin Brown's staff has been quiet about the Gateway situation. His office said all comments on the issue will come from the city's General Counsel, Cindy Laquidara, who said it's too early to tell if the Elections Office and other city agencies will be forced out.

"That is very premature," she said. "The supervisor is interested in having a steady place to have this election, as is, I am sure, the city. My job as the attorney is to make sure that happens, and there are many legal protections we have to address."

Jones was unavailable for comment Monday, and his office had a sign that said it was temporarily closed.

"I think we have to consider other options," Holland said. "We are very careless if we are thinking this will all workout and this is our only option."

The foreclosure papers are the first step in a foreclosurer proceeding between the bank and the landlord.


© 2012 © 2011

http://www.news4jax.com/news/Gateway-Mall-served-forclosure-papers/-/475880/8809460/-/65snmjz/-/index.html

[tufsu1]

Carlton Jones has been skating by on many of his properties for years...all the meanwhile giving money to pols and hobnobbing with the city's elite

[IamAmerican]

Does he have other properties that are about to go under?

[mtraininjax]

Of Course Jones is closed on President's day!

[Dashing Dan]

Wasn't Gateway Mall supposed to be a BRT transit hub?  What happens now?

[duvaldude08]

The landlord needs to get his act together.

[Ocklawaha]

Wasn't Gateway Mall supposed to be a BRT transit hub?  What happens now?

Don't worry Dan, JTA will ask for their $100 million back so they can buy the mall and claim their BRT system created massive transit oriented development.

Ya know, the scary part of my previous statement? It might happen!

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

LOL, I wouldn't be surprised if something that actually happened. 

My guess is that no real BRT improvements would have been made at Gateway.  It already has a decent bus station BRT vehicles can drive into just like the existing bus services do now.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Getting onto and off of Golfair is a bitch - isn't that why they were installing the bus only lane around back along I-95?

[Brian Siebenschuh]

The city pays more than $55,000 a month in rent just for that site.

Couldn't we buy an empty lot downtown and build a building to house these offices for $660,000 a year?

[fsujax]

^^I agree! plenty of empty space to fill.

[thelakelander]

No need to buy a lot. Just pick an empty building. Downtown has tons.

[Dashing Dan]

At the going rate, how much downtown space could you get for $660,000 per year?

[duvaldude08]

To make matters worse, Jacksonville.com says Gateway is 90% occupied, which I believe. It may only be neghiborhood stores, but they have enough teants. This guy is a true slum lord. If he is not maintaining the property, nor paying the mortgage, what the hell is he doing.??

[urbanlibertarian]

No need to buy a lot. Just pick an empty building. Downtown has tons.

Isn't there space for lease at the Federal Reserve building on Water St.?  That might be a good fit for elections office.  Gotta be one of the most secure places in town.