DIA may put historic Snyder Memorial building on the market

[Steve]

Apparently this is being talked about again:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/nov/20/dia-could-put-snyder-church-up-for-disposition-in-spring-2025/

But, here's a gem of a sentence:

The first DIA-funded event was the October Art Walk at the request of Mayor Donna Deegan, according to the agenda item, Resolution 2024-11-07.

Let me get this straight....it took the MAYOR HERSELF to push this idea!? I mean I think Deegan is doing a good job about 16 months into the gig, but is she supposed to prompt action on every vacant block downtown?

[Ken_FSU]

Let me get this straight....it took the MAYOR HERSELF to push this idea!? I mean I think Deegan is doing a good job about 16 months into the gig, but is she supposed to prompt action on every vacant block downtown?

And if there are interested parties, as we've heard for years, why hasn't the disposition happened already?

Instead of the DIA "considering" an RFP six months down the road?

I get that there are limited resources and lots of things to get to, but for such a key, strategically located property, it's pretty staggering that no progress has been made in reactivating it during the entire run of this last DIA administration.

[Tacachale]

I worked on this one, and the reason it came from the mayor is that it needed some coordination. DVI handled the event, and DIA provided the funding, and both stepped right up to get it ready for limited use again (it's stable enough, but it needs portolets, staffing, etc. to be usable for events). It'll take more to get it in a position to sell, let alone to find its next use, but getting it ready and allowing people to see how cool it is will hopefully help with that.