Quote(https://photos.moderncities.com/Cities/Jacksonville/Neighborhoods/Downtown-Northbank---January-2021/i-mrgH9ft/0/75b79d36/L/20210110_123527-L.jpg)
Plans are underway to bring the long abandoned Furchgott's department store building back to life.
Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/adaptive-reuse-of-furchgotts-building-proposed/
Great project and a great addition to the numerous ones going on nearby. If the Laura Trio comes though finally, the cumulative effects will finally turn the tide for the Northbank I believe.
Sounds great!
What is the condition of the old elevators? I assume they were converted to 'self-serve' - but do they still have the vintage look?
Awesome project but does this mean that Da Real Ting Cafe is closing?
I was wondering what would happen to the Real Ting as well. I walk past it all the time and it smells amazing, but haven't tried it yet. Even though on Fridays I can't park on the street coming home or people blocking the exit of the garage, due to their Friday night event, I would miss the pretty good music.
Quote from: vicupstate on January 07, 2022, 09:25:59 AM
Great project and a great addition to the numerous ones going on nearby. If the Laura Trio comes though finally, the cumulative effects will finally turn the tide for the Northbank I believe.
That entire Hogan Street strip is ground zero for an outdoor cafe style environment stretching between the riverwalk and the city hall area. The Emerald Trail will help it out as well.
I was in that building about a year ago with a Buyer prospect. It was just a shell. Solid concrete however. As I recall the elevators were in poor condition. It's a big project for sure.
Really love the windows in this building. Should be great apartments.
I've always loved that building, especially its look, and when it closed and up to now, I've always thought and dreamed that it would be much more than sitting empty. It is in the heart of downtown and this news is not only promising but amazing. I hope it gets approved and comes back to life to complement downtown and the many current and future prospects forthcoming.
Quote from: thelakelander on January 07, 2022, 12:40:54 PM
Quote from: vicupstate on January 07, 2022, 09:25:59 AM
Great project and a great addition to the numerous ones going on nearby. If the Laura Trio comes though finally, the cumulative effects will finally turn the tide for the Northbank I believe.
That entire Hogan Street strip is ground zero for an outdoor cafe style environment stretching between the riverwalk and the city hall area. The Emerald Trail will help it out as well.
As much as I dislike the astetics of the elevated skyway tracks on Hogan they could provide some much needed shade for outdoor seating.
How exactly does the Emerald Trail interact with this building?
It (The Emerald Trail's Hogan Street corridor) will run right along the west side of the building. The retail/dining/outdoor seating will face the trail.
I remember fondly going into Furchgotts, a high end, white glove store, with my mom when Downtown was a hopping place. A gift from there was always beautifully gift wrapped with fancy shimmering white paper and a glittering bow and ribbon tied down with a metallic gold store seal. And, I especially remember from a distant past the sweet ladies who operated those beautiful brass elevators. The building is worth saving just for those elevators.
In the 1980's the ground floor of Furchgotts was expanded office space for Charter Mortgage/Alliance Mortgage (spun off from Charter to Jack Uible and that, ultimately, after being bought and sold by Florida National Bank and Owens Illinois, became Everbank) that also occupied the entire length of Forsyth between Laura & Adams including a beautifully restored building since, sadly, torn down for the parking garage in the middle of the block. Charter Mortgage/Alliance Mortgage's sister company, Jacksonville National Bank (ultimately sold to Florida National Bank and then spun off to Ellis Banking which was acquired by NCNB/NationsBank, now Bank of America), occupied the marble bank building, also beautifully restored at the time.
To think in the 1980's people thought Downtown was dying compared to the 1940's to 1960's. They should see how far it's fallen to the present day.
They'd roll over in their graves a few times. The gritty DT Jax of the 1980s would be considered bustling by downtown cheerleaders of today.
Update: DIA panel OK's $7.15 million for Furchgott's renovation
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/dia-panel-oks-dollar7-15-million-for-furchgotts-renovation
This incentive deal will be the 2nd highest percentage of the project cost that the DIA has approved for a developer. Highest is the Church & Hogan building that JWB received 46% of project cost.
$2300+ for a 1000 sf apartment.....
Is parking in the garage across the street?
Since Furchgotts closed doors in the 1980's I have always admired this building and had always hoped it would become something much better than night clubs, empty spaces, failed retail, etc. that have plagued it since then. This is really great news. It is a neat looking building that deserves much better than what it has been or now is.
Was given a rent roll this week for a 4plex, no recent renovations, with rents of $2,700/mo at 1,100 sq ft, and no on-site parking. I don't know how sustainable that is over the long-term, so I passed on the offer, but that's apparently what the market is bearing for the moment, at least.
In the past month, I've also seen apartment complexes being refinanced in BFE Clay County with renewals at $2.75/sq ft. There's no way I would live in that apartment, for that cost.... but apparently, people are.
In more relevant news.... the DIA's historic renovation incentives are 100% why these buildings are coming back to life. DIA deserves criticisms for certain things (including not extending the boundaries to this particular program into LaVilla), but the aggressive nature of this incentive program is something that is getting results.
Quote from: fieldafm on March 16, 2022, 12:03:35 PM
...the DIA's historic renovation incentives are 100% why these buildings are coming back to life. DIA deserves criticisms for certain things (including not extending the boundaries to this particular program into LaVilla), but the aggressive nature of this incentive program is something that is getting results.
That definitely seems clear - this program is probably the key to the North Core projects that JWB and others are taking on too.
Now, I am curious how "real" this project is. I mean it's great - perfect use for the building at that location; I just have this feel that it's like one of those renderings we never see come to fruition. Certainly hope I'm wrong!
QuoteCertainly hope I'm wrong!
Gladly, you will be wrong, my friend :)
^Hope So!
Now, the JDR article mentions 3,872 SqFt of Retail Space. That seems incorrect (low). Are they possibly not including the current De Real Ting space?
(https://photos.moderncities.com/Cities/Jacksonville/Development/Furchgotts-Building-/i-xMNVm37/0/2d24b288/L/20220113_DDRB%20Agenda%20Packet_Page_114-L.jpg)
Probably only counting those three first floor retail spaces and not the basement level.
Quote from: thelakelander on March 17, 2022, 12:18:23 PM
Probably only counting those three first floor retail spaces and not the basement level.
Yea, I assumed that but I thought it would be much more than 4k SqFt. I just measured it with Google Maps and it's right. Surprising.
Hogan street corridor is ripe with potential, very excited! That part of downtown is gonna look completely different in 5 years