Abandoned Florida: The Jones Brothers Furniture Company

[Metro Jacksonville]

Abandoned Florida: The Jones Brothers Furniture Company



Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside one of downtown Jacksonville's largest vacant early 20th century buildings: The Jones Brother's Furniture Company

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2017-jan-abandoned-florida-the-jones-brothers-furniture-company

[heights unknown]

My eyes might be deceiving me, but looks ready for the wrecking ball to me. Is it really salvageable? To change the subject a bit, back in the early 80's, I frequented a bar that was on Main Street downtown called "The Flamingo" Lounge. I was very young back then and met two silver haired men that told me that they were the Jones Brothers and owned Jones Brothers Furniture Company, and they looked the part believe me. They frequented this bar often during weekdays after 5:00 PM. I remember asking the bartenders (John Weeks and Louise) were they who they said and they said yes. Question: Anyone know what the year was on those calendars on the wall? I sure would like to know.

[vicupstate]

^^ I'm not an expert but from the pictures the only issues are strictly aesthetic, nothing structural. There was a proposal to renovate it before the crash. 

[Gunnar]

The year on the larger calendar looks like 1970.

-> October 4th shows as a Sunday and Oct 4th, 1970 was a Sunday.

Personally, I really like this building, but the price seems to be rather steep for the condition and location.

[KenFSU]

Love the random photo of the penis graffiti.

Also, that wallpaper and zebra mural will haunt my dreams.

What generally happens with old buildings like this when they hit the market? I can't imagine the cost of restoration or demolition would be cheap. Is blighted property typically priced as such (e.g. marked down versus just the empty lot, knowing that excessive work will be needed)? Would this property be a viable purchase to someone who didn't view it as a labor-of-love civic project rather than a purely business investment?

[Gunnar]

There were other photos (by Nomeus) in 2012 that showed a very cool couch - wonder what happened to it.

If you look at the purchase history ( http://apps.coj.net/pao_propertySearch/Basic/Detail.aspx?RE=0738570000 ) it seems like the building is really overpriced - not sure if anything at all was done to it to increase its value since the original owner sold it for $235k in 1990.

Loopnet shows an asking price of    $750,000, btw.

I

[vicupstate]

If the area surrounding this building was vibrant, it wouldn't be crazy to pay $750k for it.  But since that isn't the case, it will probably continue to sit. It doesn't help that there is no room for on-site parking or even to add an exterior elevator or stairwell.

 

[thelakelander]

The Petra flyer claims it does have on-site parking. Looking at Google Earth, there's a small gated surface lot behind the building.

[vicupstate]

The Petra flyer claims it does have on-site parking. Looking at Google Earth, there's a small gated surface lot behind the building.

The city owns that, per the coj link in the prior post.

[thelakelander]

Evidently, when Petra acquired the building, it came with a DDA option to buy the parking lot from the from the city.

[MusicMan]

There is so much abandoned building stock downtown it scary. They should give it away or finance the purchase or it's going to sit forever.

[thelakelander]

There is so much abandoned building stock downtown it scary.

It's all relative.


Detroit

You should see some of the second and third tier US cities that had more early 20th century building stock than Jax.


Atlanta

[BenderRodriguez]

You should see some of the second and third tier US cities that had more early 20th century building stock than Jax.

New Orleans is usually my go-to comparison for that. Sooooooo many empty buildings.

[MusicMan]

Is there another city in FLORIDA with this many large abandoned buildings?

[lastdaysoffla]

In any other city this building would be snatched up for residential development in a heartbeat. One block from a Skyway station, two and half blocks from the Bus Depot, literally across the street from City Hall, and close enough to the stadium, museums, and nightlife neighborhoods.


Another case of the all too common Jacksonville Anemia.