Council's LUZ committee to hear Annie Lytle Demolition request tomorrow 5pm!

[grimss]

The Council's land use and zoning committee will take up the demolition request for Annie Lytle tomorrow evening, Tuesday June 2, at 5 pm.  It does not look good for the old girl . . .

RAP had expected the request to be deferred back to JHPC but the LUZ chair apparently is against that.  If you've ever been concerned about this issue, please consider attending the meeting as the community will need to show enormous support to save this elegant landmark building.

[thelakelander]

Saving the Annie Lytle will be Metro Jacksonville's front page story tomorrow.

[grimss]

Great! Thanks.

[stjr]

What a shame.  Another historic building endangered.  How many more of these attacks can our history take before it is complete gone?

Maybe the City or State should buy this building  and make it into some kind of highly visible Jacksonville Visitors Center/ Tourism Commission HQ (near RAM and I-95/I-10 access) or FDOT facility (since they nearly overran it with I-95) where FDOT engineers can look out their windows and admire their handiwork and that other FDOT thing of beauty, the Fuller Warren Bridge.  NOT. 

If we could only take this "urge to purge" and channel it toward something really worthwhile demolishing.  Can anyone say "$ky-high-way" ?   

[lindab]

Folks, lots of you have said that it is important to save historic buildings. I agree but with one caveat. Showing up at this meeting to let the "deciders" know that we care about preservation is the most important thing we can do.

I've seen many good ideas for the use of AL School #4 posted on this site and other sites. But over 20+ years, this building, strong and beautiful, has become a neighborhood tragedy. None of your good ideas will work unless the building is preserved and equally importantly secured from vandals, teen-age tourists, and homeless encampments.

Please take the time to show up, fill out a card supporting preservation if you cannot stay to speak.

[stjr]

By the way, who is chairing LUZ so we know who should be held accountable for short circuiting the process?

And, who is on the committee?  Make sure and post their votes here after the meeting for all to know who is friend and foe.

[Charles Hunter]

I think it's part of a process the current Council President started to clean out all "old" bills - ones that have been sitting in committee or otherwise in limbo, some for years and years.  It is indeed unfortunate that the apparent outcome of this one is the loss of Annie Lytle.

[Bewler]

Great. I take it yesterday didn't go so well?

This is depressing. Is there any hope left at this point?

[vicupstate]

If it dodged a bullet, it is mostly likely ONLY temporary. This will make it back to LUZ.  In the meantime, why not use this time to explore what options are available to save it (ie alternative uses).  Could we get an arhitect to walk through and give an independent opinion of it's condition?

If this building were a cat, it would be on life 6 or 7 by now.

[Dog Walker]

The building is structurally sound, but all of the interior surfaces have been trashed by graffiti and neglect.  All of the light fixtures and architectural details and windows have long since been trashed by mindless idiots.

The owner gave up trying to keep people out years ago and will not support the volunteers who have done a lot of work to try to clean up and secure the building.  JSO was making a special effort for a while and had assigned a coordinating officer, but when it became evident that the owner was not acting in good faith by following a security plan, they gave up and went back to routine attention.

The owner doesn't want to demolish the building NOW because it would cost too much money, but does want the option of demolition in his pocket in case he gets an offer for the land alone.

He has evidently avoided the legal consequences of leaving the building open, unmaintained and in a dangerous condition through political connections and influence.  He is on the boards of several private schools and colleges in the area, is widely regarded as a "philanthropist" and even ran for Mayor of Jacksonville in 1987.  If you or I had had the same number of public safety violations on a building we owned, you can bet that OUR treatment would have been very different.

[Ocklawaha]

Wow, what a strange thing the "LUZ" is... LAND USE ZONING in order to darken our city with another historic hole in the fabric.

In Spanish, LUZ is translated as "LIGHT", it is often used as a female name. LIGHT or Destruction, we must decide. DON'T TOUCH ANNIE!

OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

Im pleased that the Council referred the matter back to HPC. I would certainly presume they still would deny demolition.  If anything other than the proposed use for it, add on to the back of it, a wing Identical to the Portico, Steps, Columns , just as the now Front of the School is .   Certainly there must be some viable project that could work there other than residential.. Funding for is obviously the problem.  Im keeping my fingers crossed .

Of late, I have personally not been able to work on the grounds of the School ,but hope to resume that effort.  I will need help if anyone wishes to pitch in on a cleanup..  I remain hopeful that the proposed development of the building is still in place and that we will all live to see a day with an Old Schoolhouse with Windows, Lights , a new Roof and a purpose finally back to life.


Hope all is well with everyone on this site !

Timkin