Sweet Pete's Marcus Lemonis wants to tear down historic DT Building

[thelakelander]

Marcus Lemonis plans to move Sweet Pete's into the Seminole Club building by the end of the year.  Now he's interested in the other two historic buildings adjacent to the Seminole Club. He's purchasing the 5-story, Florida Baptist Convention Building for $350k.  According to the FTU, he'd love to demolish and turn it into a park, since there aren't any nearby (what's Hemming? ) but the city won't let him because it's a local historic landmark.

Florida Baptist Convention Building - 218 W. Church St.


In the FTU article, his director of construction claims he hasn't been inside the Florida Baptist Convention Building because it's not safe. Yes, it's missing some windows and some face brick has fallen off a back wall but I seriously doubt that reinforced concrete building is in danger of a complete collapse.



He's also interested in the Old Federal Reserve Bank Building. He imagines turning it into a B&B if he can get his hands on it.

Old Federal Reserve Bank Building - 424 N. Hogan St.


Article: http://members.jacksonville.com/business/2014-06-04/story/theres-future-historic-baptist-convention-building-downtown (behind paywall)

[Bill Hoff]

In fairness,  he said "green space". And he's right about that, as Hemming is mostly hardscaped......though hopefully more green space will return to the park/plaza.

I think it's pretty cool he's taken such an interest in DT Jax. Has he made other similar investments?

[fieldafm]

Green space=parking lot.

[strider]

"it's not safe" is most often the excuse for demolition rather than true fact. Perhaps Mr. Lemonis just needs educated better on the value of landmarked buildings.

[thelakelander]

In fairness,  he said "green space". And he's right about that, as Hemming is mostly hardscaped......though hopefully more green space will return to the park/plaza.

I think it's pretty cool he's taken such an interest in DT Jax. Has he made other similar investments?

Assuming it's really about green space (which I doubt), it's much cheaper to replace the hard space, between the Skyway and soldier monument with grass, instead of paying $350k for something and then additional cash to demolish. There's also this thing that's two blocks west....

[river4340]

I wouldn't be quite so hard on Lemonis. He clearly knows he can't tear it down but he bought it anyway. That's a pretty good sign that he'll do something with it. It's certainly a mess now.
So this seems like a positive move.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Downtown needs more park space?  Seriously?  Hemming Plaza has potential. The lawn in front of the new courthouse will look beautiful within a few years as those trees mature and Confederate Park is neglected and underutilized. Then there is the Riverwalk and that big park across from the stadium right on the river.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Green space=parking lot.

I too believe this so called "green space" will be a parking lot with trees, maybe a few benches so people who are too exhausted to walk all the way from their car to Sweet Pete's and back and sit down and eat.

[jaxjaguar]

Heere we go again... He's looking to save 2 of the 3 buildings, but the loudest voices won't be happy unless everything is saved (it's like RAP 2.0 on here sometimes). That building is ugly anyways and compared to many other buildings doesn't offer any real architectural mastery. How much is it going to cost to restore that piece of crap, another $400k? I say let him buy all 3 and create his green space. It would only beautify the area and help both businesses. People at the B&B would have a place to relax and those leaving SP's could have a nice park to eat their sweets in. Let's choose our battles here and focus on saving buildings that will actually enhance the downtown experience.

A protected park for patrons of his business would be a much nicer / safer place to eat than the homeless shelter that is Hemming Plaza.

[jaxjaguar]

Again I ask. How much is it going to cost to restore this building? If he isn't allowed to tear it down it's not going to have a positive impact sitting there in it's current condition. Businesses aren't exactly flocking to downtown looking to save these dilapidated buildings. It wouldn't hurt to have another nice park. If you're scared of having another parking lot then add a clause to his contract that prevents him from using the site as surface parking.

[thelakelander]

I wouldn't be quite so hard on Lemonis. He clearly knows he can't tear it down but he bought it anyway. That's a pretty good sign that he'll do something with it. It's certainly a mess now.
So this seems like a positive move.

I wasn't being hard on the guy. I'm glad he purchased it and is trying to get the remaining buildings on that block.  I was just sharing his conceptual plans and ideas for the site, while providing another narrative to the story that can generate a more productive outcome. 

First, the building isn't going to collapse just because some none structural brick has fallen off the side from decades of not being properly maintained. Thus, the narrative that it's not safe to walk in (justifying demo) should die a quite death.

Second, downtown doesn't need more public space. Instead we need to better utilize the adjacent spaces we already have. If it's green people want, there's no reason this:




can't become this:





We don't need to really seriously entertain more discussion about destroying the little that's left in DT to create more "green" space. Just a little more collaboration and open conversation instead of every single entity moving in different isolated directions.

[Gamblor]

That building is ugly anyways and compared to many other buildings doesn't offer any real architectural mastery.

Ugly? No architectural mastery? *Sigh* The lack of taste or respect for this classic Klutho are why we don't have nice things any more. You'd think people would learn at some point, but...

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Again I ask. How much is it going to cost to restore this building? If he isn't allowed to tear it down it's not going to have a positive impact sitting there in it's current condition. Businesses aren't exactly flocking to downtown looking to save these dilapidated buildings. It wouldn't hurt to have another nice park. If you're scared of having another parking lot then add a clause to his contract that prevents him from using the site as surface parking.

Just about every successful and vibrant downtown or historic urban neighborhood in America today once had abandoned buildings that were falling down.  Most of these places once had conventional wisdom that nobody will invest money into the place and nobody really cares and it just makes the whole place look bad.

Much was once said of Riverside with and now look at the neighborhood.

These buildings should be saved until they can be restored and/or adaptive reuse. If the owners refuse to maintain the building in a structurally sound condition, then fine them, once they get enough fines, they'll either fix the place up or sell it for whatever they can get for it.  Very few downtown buildings are in so bad condition that onlycharity can save it.   

This building could have street level retail with affordable rents for struggling buisnesses on a shoestring budget. The places upstairs could become apartments or even maybe dorms for UNF.  Obviously it's easier said then done but this is not rocket science, adaptive reuses like this are happening if urban neighborhoods all over the country.

Get college students or artists living there with cheap rent means they and their friends will be around downtown all hours of the day and night with extra money to spend in downtown bars and restaurants.

[jaxjaguar]

Look at the surrounding area. It's the worst spot in the immediate core of downtown. That entire block, the entire block west of it, half of the block north of it and the entire block north of that...are all empty dilapidated buildings that do nothing but house vagrants and create a cancerous eyesore. If this was the old JEA building, sure, hold out a little while longer and hope someone fixes it. But this building... What historical significance does this building have? What benefit will it bring to the area sitting there in it's current condition for another indefinite amount of time?

[thelakelander]

But this building... What historical significance does this building have?

^Last office building designed by HJ Klutho.

Look at the surrounding area. It's the worst spot in the immediate core of downtown.

I've always thought this area offers some of the best potential.  It's walkable, has a great mix of historic architecture, adjacent to Hemming, etc. Great adaptive reuse possibilities if we can get our act together. DT's worse spots to me are what's left of LaVilla, Railroad Row and Main Street.