Sifting Through Old Downtown Jax Pictures, Demolition Makes Me Sick

[904Scars]

Just thought I would share this with you guys. If you're anything like me the sight of these pictures will make you stomach curl and your mind fill with a bit of rage. Often times there are reasons for demolition, this particular building, I'm not sure why.... Such a gorgeous building, gone!

http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGTITLE=SP01560

http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGTITLE=SP01562

[acme54321]

Wow, that building was awesome.  Do you know when it was demolished?  Looks like the 30s/40s?

[Jaxson]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Furchgott's replace the old U.S. Post Office building?

[kells904]

This building--of all the stuff that was torn down--was what has upset me the most of all the pictures I've seen on metrojax.  I'm right there with you, 904Scars...

[904Scars]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Furchgott's replace the old U.S. Post Office building?

Not entirely sure... I can't quit tell where this is. It's dated 1940 (both pictures) There was also at one time a Post Office on West Bay St.

http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGTITLE=SP01557

[Wacca Pilatka]

Wow, that building was awesome.  Do you know when it was demolished?  Looks like the 30s/40s?

I am almost certain it was torn down in 1949 and replaced by Furchgott's.

[Bativac]

Ah Jacksonville. A storied history of tearing down "old stuff." At least in this case they built something else.

I quit looking at pictures of old Downtown. It made me sad. My dad and I clicked thru several photos, and dad had happy childhood memories of traipsing around the shops during Christmas time in the late 1950s and early 60s. Now it's like a ghost town. My memories of downtown as a kid in the late 80s and early 90s consist of biking down empty streets and wishing there was someplace I could buy a pretzel or a hot dog or something.

[904Scars]

Ah Jacksonville. A storied history of tearing down "old stuff." At least in this case they built something else.

I quit looking at pictures of old Downtown. It made me sad. My dad and I clicked thru several photos, and dad had happy childhood memories of traipsing around the shops during Christmas time in the late 1950s and early 60s. Now it's like a ghost town. My memories of downtown as a kid in the late 80s and early 90s consist of biking down empty streets and wishing there was someplace I could buy a pretzel or a hot dog or something.

I can't help but to look at the old photos and imagine what it was like back in the day. I'm fairly young but I was brought up around an appreciation for the vintage, classic, rusted and carbureted. Seeing the old cars, old motorcycle and old bikes makes me wish I had been around in the black&white photo days. If more people would give Downtown a chance and a try they would realize it's not what the media sometimes labels it as. Our downtown has been tainted by horrible new stories and the random crowds that pass through and see one homeless person and freak. There's a quite simple solution but Jacksonville-archy can't seem to realize the fix. As I've mentioned before, just look at other southern cities such as Charleston and Savannah. Charleston has a "Town Center" smack dab in the middle of their historic downtown, mixed with restaurants and living space. And what makes it most unique is they are all old restored buildings (for the most part).

[Timkin]

Compared to what has been razed since the 1940s, there is , essentially NOTHING left....


This is why I am ( and I know it )  such a broken record about saving what VERY VERY little remains....

And to date , it still seems to be falling on the deaf ears of those WHO COULD find a way to spare what remains.

There is no good excuse, not even a reasonable excuse , for even one more historic building to be torn down in Jacksonville..  yet they still do .

" MAKES ME SICK " is an understatement 

[uptowngirl]

Sad, just SAD. Imagine what we could have today if our predecessors had been good stewards? Not vacant lots, buildings, and a dead DT that is for sure.

[ChriswUfGator]

It would be slightly less sad, if the Civic Council weren't about to recreate another Downtown Disaster Authority, comprised of the very same Thundertards and schools of thought responsible for the carnage. Preston Haskell just submitted a plan to demolish the historic Herkimer Block and replace it with a pre-fab concrete parking garage. Awesome! Way to go Jacksonville! Here's to learning from mistakes! Here here...

[Timkin]

Good grief. Does not appear the nonsense will ever stop until everything beautiful or Old is a glass palace or another F%$#%^& parking garage.  Nice going Preston!

[stjr]

What adds to the sadness and ludicrousness of the situation Downtown is that, after tearing down these great buildings, we try to RECREATE them for up to $400 million (see new courthouse) and, in so doing, demonstrate our complete inability and failure to replicate or even approach the character and quality of such buildings.  Not to mention the irreplaceable history of them.

And, now, we have the Civic Council promoting the repetition of such sins.  This failure to learn from our past and project such lessons into our future is at the core of the leadership vacuum this City has.

[jcjohnpaint]

I remember seeing a picture of this building some time ago.  It was hard to believe that anyone would have gotten away with letting this building be demolished. 

[Bativac]

It would be slightly less sad, if the Civic Council weren't about to recreate another Downtown Disaster Authority, comprised of the very same Thundertards and schools of thought responsible for the carnage. Preston Haskell just submitted a plan to demolish the historic Herkimer Block and replace it with a pre-fab concrete parking garage. Awesome! Way to go Jacksonville! Here's to learning from mistakes! Here here...

Any word on the mile-wide steamrolling apparatus the city wanted to purchase? It would enable them to just wipe out all of downtown in just a couple days. Then we wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Why is the Florida Theater still standing? Couldn't they use that space to hold 30 or 40 cars during Jags games?