The Universal Marion Building
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-7371-p1160431.JPG)
Originally an office building and Ivey's Department Store, Downtown's JEA office tower was also once topped by a revolving restaurant.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/928
I always wonder what the inside of the top of the building look like. Hawaii has a building similiar to that. Would be nice if they brought that back.
It would be nice if it became an observation deck. The top of Richmond's city hall is open to the public and offers great views of the city.
Richmond City Hall
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1020479.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1020480.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1020484.jpg)
The Skywalk Observatory in Boston, also offers great views of that city.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/images/boston/DCP_5094.jpg)
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/images/boston/DCP_5087.jpg)
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/images/boston/DCP_5089.jpg)
I once has someone tell me that the building came one big night club in the 80's. Any proof that occurred?
The views from the tower are quite spectacular. I work there and we occasionally have social functions on the 19th floor. I can almost see my house in Sfield if it wasn't blocked by tree cover.
As of about 1982, it was still a fine restaurant. The Iveys store was long gone, in fact IVEYS must have happened in my absence from 1976-80 because it wasn't EVER there as far as I know. JB IVEY was very good to his employees, my wife was a divisional executive at the time - and this building is news to us.
The restaurant was a fantastic experience. The rotation so slow as not to be noticed, but you would find yourself moving from the steak to the vegies and wow, different view outside. By the time the ice cream and cake was served, you had made a complete circle.
I never saw it as a club, but I do know it knocked the socks off the city when it went up in the 60's-70's era. Everyone, rich and poor made at least an annual trip to the restaurant in the sky. Sadly by the 80's security was making it troublesome to get in. One of those sign in the building, get your sticky pass, go up etc... Maybe this is when JEA took it. SAD, but it would make the killer restaurant of downtown, or a killer club. I'd go back in a second. You children don't know what you've missed - hell they EVEN SERVED HIPPIES!
OCKLAWAHA, LOL
Ock, Ivey's was definitely still there in the early 80s. I vividly remember shopping there and May Cohen's with my mother and grandmother when I was a kid. Also, a friend of mine did the downtown store's window displays until they closed. I remember it being such a treat to go to the downtown department stores to shop. I always thought they were so much "fancier" than the Regency stores. I also have fond memories of going to Furchgott's with my grandmother, both downtown and Regency. Man do I miss the regional and local department stores!
Making the old restaurant an observation deck, is a great idea. Anyone have any shots from there?
Personally, I think the building is very ugly. It looks like a honeycomb. I also don't like the way it turns it's back on Springfield. I'd love to see it replaced with something nicer, but that won't happen anytime soon, if ever. At least it is occupied.
My only issue with the now JEA Building becoming an observation is that it's pretty short with alotta TALLER buidings nearby, and not to mention it's a lil' ways from the water; IMO it would make more sense if somethin' like Modis would have an observation deck. Just my opinion.
doh. the 14 months I worked at JEA I had always meant to snap some pictures off from the observation deck, because we'd have our weekly meetings up there. The view was pretty sweet actually, you were just enough distance from the water front to take it all in.
I'll see if some old coworkers can get some pics from the deck.
I've been up there for a Toastmasters contest. It was a Friday night and the Suns were playing. During our meeting we paused to enjoy the fireworks shooting up at the baseball grounds. It was certainly a unique and beautiful view of the show.
Every time I see city views from the top of buildings, makes me wish I was Superman and could do a face dive and swoop up right before I smack the pavement.
/endrandomrant
I know Ivey's was there in the late 60s early 70s, and the Embers Restaurant. Splurged for lunch there one day.
And I had no idea what the Universal Marion company did - much less that they backed movies! Thanks for the info. Great article.
Hi Ock,
I know for sure that Ivey's was still around then because I was working there in the mid-80's when the downtown store closed.
I really don't remember the year.....
I was the last person in the Visual Merchandising department when they closed.
One day I will scan some shots of the displays I did....
It was a very cool store. In the end all the top floors were closed.
Brothers restaurant was on the 3rd floor and there was a big markdown department where all the locals stores sent their drastically reduced merchandise.
The exterior walls had really nice murals that were painted for the childrens department, and there were a bunch of childrens props from the old days living there. During my years at Ivey's I worked in the downtown Jacksonville, Orange Park, Regency Sq, Roosevelt Mall, Winter Park Mall, Colonial Plaza Mall (Orlando,) and the Daytona Mall stores.
But even cooler was downtown May-Cohen's where I also worked in display. I still don't think I got to see every little crevice and corner in that building, but I explored a lot.
You guys are lucky to have memories of downtown being a retail powerhouse. From the images I've seen, its clear the place in your memories is a complete contrast to the scene today. I grew up in Central Florida, but visited the city a lot because my parents lived here in the early 1970s and kept touch with their Jax friends. Other than a trip or two to the Landing, we never spent much time in downtown, other then going down Main (the big Rhodes Furniture sign always stood out to me) to get from Springfield to I-95 South. Most of our local shopping time was spent at Gateway Mall.
Y'all had my wife and I out of our minds for a couple of days. Got it, IVEYS was NEVER in the Marion Building - rather it was on the corner of Laura and Church. That location is the JEA offices today, and I guess it's connected to the UM tower, but the store itself was a more typical 2 or 3 floor IVEYS, around the corner. I had to call in another old friend and former Divisional officer to get this right. So there you have it - CONNECTED but not in the tower.
LAKE, it really was like a little Los Angeles or Chicago, sad indeed.
OCKLAWAHA
QuoteYou guys are lucky to have memories of downtown being a retail powerhouse.
I really don't know if it's lucky or tragic. For old romantics like myself I live with 10,000 ghosts. I can't pass Jacksonville Terminal without hearing the voices of untold train announcements, I can still smell the scents of the air, see the arcades and lights, the rush and the millions of hugs, tears, hellos and goodbyes, that I witnessed. To see it today isn't lucky - but other worldly, as if I'm in the wrong space in time and I can't go back. I do anything to recapture the Jacksonville of my youth, but time is fleeting. Damn, I am haunted!OCKLAWAHA
Yes, the former Ivey's store is not in the actual vertical tower, but it was a part of the Universal Marion Building project at 21 West Church Street. Today, excluding a small corner owned by FBC, JEA occupies the entire block.
Here is an image of the former department store portion.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1160937.jpg)
Back in the mid-70's when I was in the Navy, someone told me that a nightclub was at the very top. Being a disco and nightclub crawler I wanted to check it out as no one knew exactly what was up there (or so they said). A friend and I checked it out and before we arrived at the top floor came to the conclusion that it was a gay club (men dressed up like women and giggly broken wristed men came out of the elevator). We went and checked it out anyway and a very nice bar (circular with windows all around), and a very plush nightclub/disco greeted us. We had one drink and didn't stay long as there were very very few women, and numerous men were starting to hit on us. But anyway we were kind of liberal minded (reason why we hung out for a short time and checked it out) and then left, but it was a very nice bar and was lined with shag carpeting (which was elegant during the 70's) from floor to wall to ceiling. Anyhoo, the answer is yes, at one time there was a very nice nightclub/dance club/disco up on that top floor.
Heights Unknown
Stephen;
I do know Don Strickland; he now lives in Bradenton, Florida (in my neck of the woods).
Heights Unknown
and Ock I may be off a floor but it was originally 6 or 7 floors
As downtown began to die, Ivey's began to close down floors until it stopped at 3 in the end.
You could also park free for the 1st two hours under the building.
As downtown began to die, Ivey's began to close down floors until it stopped at 3 in the end.
You could also park free for the 1st two hours under the building.
[/quote]
As far as I'm concerned, downtown was NEVER dead (we all due respect). Anyway, before the JEA logo first appeared at the top of the building, there was another name that was on it that had white letters. I remember that it did have it but I didn't recognize the name. Can someboby tell me who had the naming rights of that place and can you dig up any pictures with that logo on the building?
Not sure but I think it was Charter something Charter life? not sure,,Does anyone really know? :-\
Oooh, Keith-n-Jax, that jogged a memory. I think you are right that the Charter company bought the UM building, and converted the old Embers restaurant into either their board room or executive offices for the head guy - who, I think - was Raymond Mason.
Why do I remember that, and forgot to buy bread at Winn-Dixie last weekend?
Quote from: stephendare on November 11, 2008, 09:53:52 AM
Charter Oil. Raymond Mason, a Jacksonville banker who finally devised for the United States the proper business structure to allow our firms to do business with their firms was a president for a while.
The company went down in flames after unsuccessful investments in Offshore Power Systems OPS, and an attempt to create offshore nuclear power plants.
Ray Mason is a legend in US business history and his son is the president of Center Bank in San Marco.
If ever there was a man in need of a biography it is the illustrious Mr. Mason.
Don't forget all the expansion they did towards the end into areas they weren't familiar with, they bought a lot of magazines and other odd companies.
This is one of the ugliest buildings in downtown Jacksonville, IMO. I suppose it's the window, but to me it's very medieval/islamic looking in design. Anyone out there with architectural knowledge know what style this is?
QuoteI suppose it's the window, but to me it's very medieval/islamic looking in design.
Moorish.
Its Mid 20th century modern architecture. Other examples from this era include Riverplace Tower and the Haydon Burns Library.
Quote from: thelakelander on November 09, 2008, 02:02:14 PM
Here is an image of the former department store portion.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1160937.jpg)
I wonder why the architect put no windows on the facade? It would have made that building so much more attractive.
Quote from: RiversideGator on November 12, 2008, 11:06:02 PM
Quote from: thelakelander on November 09, 2008, 02:02:14 PM
Here is an image of the former department store portion.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1160937.jpg)
I wonder why the architect put no windows on the facade? It would have made that building so much more attractive.
What for? ??? ::) I don't see how the architect went wrong on that design. I thought that certain department store don't need windows...with the exception of Macy's in New York.
And they did have street level windows, that were (IIRC) decorated rather lavishly at Christmas. Upper level windows would serve no real purpose in a department store.
Quote from: stephendare on November 11, 2008, 09:53:52 AM
Charter Oil. Raymond Mason, a Jacksonville banker who finally devised for the United States the proper business structure to allow our firms to do business with their firms was a president for a while.
The company went down in flames after unsuccessful investments in Offshore Power Systems OPS, and an attempt to create offshore nuclear power plants.
Ray Mason is a legend in US business history and his son is the president of Center Bank in San Marco.
If ever there was a man in need of a biography it is the illustrious Mr. Mason.
This story is not right. Offshore Power Systems was a joint venture of Tenneco and Westinghouse. Its only connection to Charter was that when it failed, some of its senior executives joined Charter. I would classify Raymond Mason Sr. as more of a deal maker, than a banker even though a bank was a small part of his portfolio.
Charter was a conglomerate built by Raymond Mason Sr. from his dad's 1950's to early 60's lumber business, Mason Lumber Co. After merging it with several local home builders in the early 60's, he added banking (Jacksonville National Bank), mortgage banking (Charter Mortgage renamed Alliance Mortgage, now part of EverBank), insurance, real estate (throughout the southeast. In Jax, see Charter Point, etc. in Arlington), and, in the late 60's/early 70's he added the oil assets of the Signal Companies right before the first Arab Oil Embargo hitting a huge home run. In the late 70's he acquired out of bankruptcy the oil interests of Hugh Carey, brother of the governor of NY, Ed Carey. This was in conjunction with another boon in oil prices. In 1979, Charter became the largest company in Florida with 10,000 employees, 64th on the Fortune 500 with 5.5 billion in revenue, and invested in oil production, refineries in Houston (see the movie, Urban Cowboy with John Travolta) and Freeport, Bahamas, oil tankers, nearly 500 gas stations in the South, publishing (Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Sport magazines, Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper), printing (Dayton Press), collectibles (Hamilton Mint), radio stations, billboards, commercial insurance agency (insured the Empire State Bldg.), life insurance (Charter Security Life, the largest single premium deferred annuity company sold to Met Life), and land development among other things. In between, it engaged in odd things such as salmon farming in Oregon and other oddities. President Ford was an adviser. Charter had its name on its own skyscraper in NY (the Chartcom building) directly across the street from Citigroup's tower. In 1984, the Company went bankrupt because if failed to plan for the downward cycle of oil, 80% of its revenues. Charter also did a stock swap with Ed Ball's St. Joe Paper Comany (now just St. Joe) where Charter owned 8% of Joe and Joe owned 23% of Charter. This looked brilliant for Joe when Charter was the largest gainer on the NYSE in '79, up 10 fold for the year.
In the early 80's, its top 4 operating executives were killed in a helicopter crash in Ireland. Ironically, Charter had the largest corporate air force in the world at the time, 14 jets including two rebuilt 727's. Charter built the largest hanger at JIA with its own fuel tanks, still the biggest to this day.
Charter also owned the Sears block where the Omni and Wachovia are now. It had intended to build a 70 story HQ's building there before it failed. Charter also built the Bellsouth building for Southern Bell before bailing out mid way due to financial difficulties.
Charter went through more excitement in its short corporate life than most companies do in a 100 years. It was the toast of Jax at its peak and made the cover of almost every major business publication with regular appearances in the Wall St. Journal. Today, almost every major company in Jax has a former Charter exec working for it or running it, such was the talent it brought to Jax. You would be amazed how many of the movers and shakers in Jax crossed paths with Charter - probably more so than any company before or since. Its legacy will forever live on in this City.
Here is the postcard picture featured in the MJ article with the obverse description of the famous revolving restaurant called the Embers atop the Universal Marion building :
(http://www.cardcow.com/images/set106/card00242_fr.jpg)
(http://www.cardcow.com/backs/images/set106/card00242_bk.jpg)
Any pictures of the Charter Oil name on the Universal Marion Building yet?
stjr, great story on Charter. I always wondered how that company fell so quick.
Damn, to think of what could be if they hadn't failed.
Quote from: jeh1980 on May 06, 2009, 11:04:20 PM
Any pictures of the Charter Oil name on the Universal Marion Building yet?
I know lots of pictures of it were in the press, locally and nationally, but couldn't find any on Google yet. Here is their logo posted in their Wikipedia article at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_Company
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/CharterLogo.PNG)
I wrote my piece from memory. Overall, the Wikpedia article below appears more precise on some points. However, it is INACCURATE in places such as Charter NEVER owned Florida National Banks. That was a separate public company, originally controlled by Mason's mentor, Ed Ball, and ultimately acquired by First Union/Wachovia/Wells Fargo. Charter did own a one-branch bank, Jacksonville National Bank, that was located in the "marble bank" building originally occupied decades earlier by Florida National Bank. JNB and another Charter subsidiary, Charter Mortgage Company, were spun off to Jack Uible who, in turn, sold out to Florida National Bank, becoming its largest shareholder. At one time, under Ed Ball, Florida National was the largest bank in Florida. When sold to First Union, I think it was about #3 or #4 in the State. (Jacksonville was also home to two other of the six largest banks in Florida, Barnett, acquired by Bank of America, and Atlantic Banks, also acquired by First Union. The other banks, not based in Jacksonville, were Southeast Banks of Miami, acquired out of Chapter 7 bankruptcy by First Union, Sun Banks of Orlando, now SunTrust, and one other, that escapes me at the moment but possibly NCNB, which became Bank of America.) Uible became the largest non-institutional shareholder I believe of First Union when they bought Florida National. JNB was spun off for anti-trust and Charter Mortgage was renamed Alliance Mortgage. Eventually, Alliance Mortgage was sold to Owens Illinois then taken private and finally ended up with Everbank. I think JNB was purchased by Ellis Banking and eventually became part of what is now Bank of America through various consolidations of regional banks over the years. I do not recall Charter completing the acquisition of Commonwealth Oil in Puerto Rico. Charter announced lots of acquisitions and projects that were never consummated but made lots of news.QuoteThe Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984[1] before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity.
The Charter Company was started in Jacksonville, Florida in 1949 by Jacksonville native, Raymond Knight Mason, just graduated from college. The company’s roots were from the Mason Lumber Company, founded in 1919.[2]
Edward Ball, a powerful figure in Florida business and politics for decades, was Mason’s friend and mentor. Ball worked for Alfred I. du Pont for nine years as a business associate before du Pont’s death in 1935, then managed the trust’s assets for another 46 years.
Charter started with a group of Florida mortgage, banking and land-developing firms. The company then bought 60 small gas stations in 1968.
In 1970, Charter purchased a petroleum operation for $70 million from the Signal Companies. Included in the deal was a small gasoline refinery in Houston, Texas in need of updating, a string of gas stations in the Southeast and a handful of questionable tanker contracts. Four years later, when the Arab Oil Embargo struck, Charter cashed in.
Also in 1970, congress repealed an exemption which allowed charitable trusts to control banks, forcing the du Pont Trust to divest itself of the Florida National Group, which Charter purchased. Charter also owned 8.4% of the St. Joe Paper Company, one of the largest assets in the du Pont Trust, while St. Joe owned 22% of Charter. The two companies exchanged shares in 1972 with the intention of merging.[3]
Senator Joseph Tydings was an investment partner in Charter since 1964 with $2 million in equity. At one time, Tydings was the largest Charter stockholder outside of the Mason family. A Life Magazine article in 1970 suggested that the senator used his influence to assist Charter in business deals, but no laws were broken.[4]
In 1975, Charter purchased Redbook from Norton Simon Inc.
Charter acknowledged that in 1978 & 1979, two of its’ oil executives had discussions with fugitive financier Robert Vesco; Mr. Vesco and Mr. Mason had business discussions as far back as 1971. Vesco was living in the Bahamas and had declined requests that he return to the U.S. to face charges that he swindled investors out of millions of dollars. The Senate Judiciary Committee was investigating connections between Billy Carter, brother of President Jimmy Carter, Vesco, and the country of Libya.[5]
Carey Energy Corporation, with $550 million in assets, was acquired by Charter in 1979 for $4 million is cash, $16 million in Charter convertible preferred stock and a consulting job for Edward M. Carey paying $200,000 per year. Carey Energy’s principal assets were a 65% ownership in a Bahamas Refinery and the New England Petroleum Company, a fuel oil distributorship based in Brooklyn which sold the fuel produced by the refinery up and down the Atlantic coast.[3]
In 1980, Charter decided to buy Commonwealth Oil Refining Co. and their Puerto Rican refinery, which processed 160,000 bbl. per-day, for $650 million. The company also had plans to build a 100,000 bbl. per-day refinery in Alaska to process the 75,000 bbl. per-day of North Slope crude that they were promised.[6]
[edit] Operations
The company was split along three lines: Oil Refining, Insurance and Communications.[2]
Year Revenue Net Earn Per Share
1973 481.9 20.5 4.61
1974 1170 40.3 10.71
1975 1046.2 5.4 .19
1976 1190.9 16.9 0.81
1977 1481.6 20 1.00
1978 2046.3 23.3 1.17
1979 4296.4 365.3 14.83
1980 4421.1 50.2 1.59
1981 4966.2 7.7 0.06
1982 4017.2 35.3 1.04
1983 5656.8 61.7 2.35
1984 (29.8 ) (71.1) 0
1985 1559.7 1.3 0
1986 1136.3 153.2 3.23
1987 1042.6 46.9 0.98
1988 479.6 58.6 1.22
1989 665.1 5.3 0.1
[edit] Raymond Knight Mason
Mason had a reputation for eccentricity, but employees said he had "his own ways."[2] Mason owned two special properties, both of which were acquired through his friend, Ed Ball. Epping Forest was the former estate of Alfred I. du Pont and Jessie Ball du Pont, Ball’s sister. The Mason mansion, which Mason still owns, is a castle in Ballynahinch, County Galway, Ireland, and was once owned by Ed Ball.[2]
[edit] Performance
The company had sales totaling about $5 billion in 1981, when their earnings were .06 per share, the lowest point in a decade. The drop was attributed to the oil glut, which drove down prices.[3]
That year, Jack Donnell began eliminating some of the communications and publishing properties and whittled down the list of subsidiaries to a level the company could function with. Charter had net earnings of $53.89 million, or $2.01 a share in 1983. In 1984, the company reported a net loss of $749.34 million, $685 million of which the company attributed to discontinued operations, the expenses of filing for bankruptcy and provisions for estimated losses on disposal of assets which were partially offset by gains on assets sold.[7]
[edit] Troubles
The 1980’s began with earnings down dramatically, and things went from bad to worse.
[edit] Copter crash
The Charter Company suffered a tragedy in the foggy, early hours of July 29, 1982 when four senior executives died in Ireland when their helicopter crashed in route to Shannon International Airport. Killed were Jack T. Donnell, 53, Charter's president and chief operating officer and three from Charter Oil: Dudley K. Parker, 49, president; Barry L. Green, 34, executive vice president; and Jay L. Lammons, 43, senior vice president.[8]
[edit] Lawsuit
A lawsuit was filed on December 16, 1983 seeking more than $1.8 billion in damages The Charter Company and the Charter Oil Company of Jacksonville were one of four companies named as defendants.[9]
Independent Petrochemical Corporation (IPC), was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Charter Oil. On several occasions, and as a courtesy to a customer, IPC arranged for the disposal of waste oil by a St. Louis waste oil hauler, Bliss Oil, with the understanding that Bliss would take the oil to a waste disposal site. In actuality, after Bliss Oil's president tasted the oil to check its suitability for other uses and found the flavor fit, Bliss sprayed it as a dust suppressant at various locations throughout Missouri. The sprayings occurred over a period of at least two months, with each spraying lasting about 30-40 minutes. The waste oil contained dioxin, a chemical compound that was a known carcinogen. The discharge of the dioxin-contaminated oil was the basis of claims against IPC by the federal government, the State of Missouri, and over 1,600 private plaintiffs. The private suits sought an aggregate $4 billion in compensatory damages and an identical amount in punitive damages. IPC entered into settlements covering all of the claims which included over $100 million owed to the federal government for clean-up of various sites in Missouri.[10]
[edit] Bankruptcy
When Edward M. Carey sold Carey Energy Corporation to Charter in 1979, his comment was:
"Being in the oil business is like having a bear by the tail. You have to keep feeding it. You have to feed it to get it to perform."[3]
At the time, Carey's bear (Carey Energy) had been in a prolonged mauling mood because he was unable to feed it (obtain a source of crude oil for the refinery). Five years later, the bear was hungry and got angry again.
One of the primary reasons for Charter's bankruptcy was the financial market. Oil prices dropped sharply and companies lost their ability to get trade credit, so they were unable to purchase crude oil (feed the bear) and that forced Charter into Chapter 11, according to Mason.[11]
The Charter Company and 43 subsidiaries (including IPC) filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy law on April 20, 1984. In conjunction with the Bankruptcy filing, the company laid off 200 people in its Jacksonville officeâ€"which represented almost a 50% lossâ€"and an equal number in Houston.[12]
Mason sold Epping Forest in 1984 and resigned as Charter's Chairman. Most of the company's subsidiaries were sold off before emerging from court protection in 1987. Creditors received Charter stock representing a 50.5% ownership in the company in payment for Charter's debts. Carl Lindner acquired control of Charter in bankruptcy court.[13] One notable element of Charter's bankruptcy was stockholder equity. Typically, company stock would be worthless, but Jacksonville attorney Stephen Busey, who represented Charter in the legal proceedings, stated that it is unusual for shareholders to get as much value as Charter's stockholders did.[11]
[edit] A long, drawn out ending
Charter vanished from Jacksonville's headlines and former employees found positions at other businesses when the bankruptcy was discharged in 1988. Carl Lindner’s American Financial Corporation which owned 53% of Charter’s stock, moved the company from Jacksonville to Cincinnati, Ohio.
In early 1992, Charter announced an agreement to sell all remaining oil operations in a management buyout. That transaction left Charter with one business, an 82% stake in Spelling Entertainment, the television production company that produced over a dozen popular series, including Charmed, Beverly Hills 90210, 7th Heaven, Dynasty and Melrose Place.[14]
Entertainment giant Viacom purchased the last remaining asset in 1999.[11]
(http://www.jacksonville.com/images/052205/74425_300.jpg)
QuoteRaymond Mason (left) and Ed Ball are seen at a news conference from Aug. 13, 1969. Ball was Mason's mentor and Mason even went on to write Ball's biography, Confusion to the Enemy.
The Times-Union file
And here is a retrospective from the Times Union:Quote
The Florida Times-Union
May 22, 2005
The Charter Co. set a tremendous pace, all from Jacksonville
In the 1970s, The Charter Co. was the place to work in Jacksonville.
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
At least it was for the many Jacksonville real estate, banking, investment, hospital and other executives who grew up, at least professionally, at the company once described in a Jacksonville Journal news report as "flamboyant."
Charter Chairman Raymond Knight Mason, after all, hired young, energetic men and women and flew them around the world to tend to his massive, complex network of oil, insurance, communications and other companies.
The hard-charging Jacksonville-based Charter was based in a city dominated by the more staid industries of banking, insurance and the military as well as the blue-collar world of manufacturing and shipyards.
Of course Charter also had interests in banking and in paper mills and in railroads, but Charter itself was a huge, broad, diversified swirl of energy. Mason was just 36 when he became president of Charter, the new name of a company that traced its history to the Mason Lumber Co. in 1919.
Employees worked hard and they played hard, together. "That company was my family," recalls Shands Jacksonville executive Penny Thompson. "People there covered your back."
Alumni Curtis Loftin wouldn't call Charter "flamboyant." Instead of offering a better adjective for the company, he chose to describe Mason, its leader.
"It was Jacksonville-based, but the base was not Jacksonville. His sights were Paris and the Middle East and England and New York City. He had an apartment there, New York City. Very few people had a place in New York," Loftin said.
Jacksonville-born Mason also owns property in Ireland, especially the castle hotel once owned by his mentor, the legendary Ed Ball. Ball was the extraordinarily powerful Jacksonville financier who ran the Alfred I. duPont Trust formed by his wealthy brother-in-law. Alfred and Jessie Ball du Pont lived at the Epping Forest estate, which Mason and his family later owned and which businessman Herbert Peyton bought as Charter filed bankruptcy.
Charter soared to No. 61 on the Fortune 500 list of the nation's largest companies just before it spiraled into bankruptcy protection on April 20, 1984. No Jacksonville company has since broken into the elite Fortune 100.
Loftin, a real estate executive, was among the fraternity of Jacksonville business leaders who either worked with Charter, a subsidiary or an affiliate. Financiers, bankers, investors and other Charter veterans include Jim Winston, Steve Wilson, Jack Uible, Chester Stokes, Hawley Smith, Heyward Cantrell, Zeke Zechella, Fred McGinnis, Penny Thompson, Russell Newton, Bruce Bower, Dix Druce, Howard Serkin, Catherine Reynolds, and the list goes on.
Mason said during an interview last week that he doesn't have a single social gene, preferring to socialize as a part of business. Similarly, Loftin said a person's social background "wasn't a big issue for him."
"He didn't judge you by what you had done. He judged you by your potential," Loftin said.
Mason, still actively investing and traveling at 78, is proud of the men and women he hired, crediting them with carrying out the details of his many plans. Mason claims he has "no ability for detail," but he reads 150 books a year and associates say he initials each as he finishes. He recites names, dates, places and conversations from childhood up to now.
Mason read on the company plane as employees played cards.
Thompson described Mason as bold, visionary, and unafraid to take a risk. "He got such a charge in doing a deal," she recalled.
He still does. "It's almost impossible for me not to fall in love with a business," Mason said last week.
While some people might consider Mason eccentric, probably because of the long-ago Fortune magazine photo featuring him clad in yellow silk pajamas, his loyal hires shrug that he simply has his own ways.
Newspaper accounts from the '70s describe his business lunch entrees of hot dogs, sometimes served at his boat-house office at Epping, miles away from his 19th floor downtown office at the top of what is now a JEA building. Loftin explains that Mason "did not go by a special menu."
"You could have spaghetti and watermelon, if that appealed to him," he said.
Thompson said Mason often hosted his employees at his home, and "he'd flip light switches at his house when it was time to wind down a party." Mason and his wife, Minerva, have three children, including CenterBank President and Chief Executive Officer Raymond K. Mason Jr.
When Charter filed for bankruptcy, it was an emotional low for many. But the company's personal tragedy came in July 1982 when four of its top executives died in a helicopter crash on Ireland's countryside. They ranged in age from 34 to 53.
The men and their wives were part of a senior management group, including Mason, who were staying at the Irish castle for management meetings. Charter -- the company and the people -- took the deaths hard, as did the city.
Charter eventually vanished from Jacksonville's headlines and skyline as the bankruptcy wound down almost 20 years ago. Thompson still recalls the company vividly.
"It was 'wow'. The whole time, it was 'wow.'"
Buildings like that seem like an eye sore to me. Like the Roosevelt Shopping Center, with the ugly Belk building & Publix. Given they both look much better on the inside, the outside is fugly.
I definitely remember Ivey's as a young child. Also remember Woolworths (present site of the hideous Federal Courthouse) and the Downtown Sears Department Store was my personal favorite . Cohen Brothers Dept Store (now City Hall ) was a little before my time. I would love to see pictures of these stores in their heyday.
As to the Universal Marion Building... it is not one of my favorites, but before Id see it go, Id wreck the Haydon Burns Library... But I guess both of these places have value as a style of Architecture, and Jacksonville has razed so many buildings.. We need to stop somewhere. I never knew that Monroe Midyette had a club at the top of the building though... that must have been well before my time.
That's a fascinating article... thanks for posting that SJTR!! I want to learn more, seems I should do some digging this week.
My dad always beams about Ivey's and the rotating restaurant. He also had mentioned that the Sears store downtown(which he described as having carried everything you could possibly imagine to need to buy) was actually once a very successful store, in fact a top grossing store in the Southeast for the Sears Company.
But Malls and Tearing everything in downtown , to replace with glass towers, Parking Garages, and surface parking, became the order of the day...so we have nearly nothing (compared to 1960) to come to downtown for...unless of course you want to tour the many surface parking spaces and parking garages.
Hollywood has the maps to he stars' homes. We could have maps to the illustrious parking garages and vacant lots of downtown Jacksonville. Anyone ready to tear down some more historic buildings to make this dream a reality?
Well there really is not that many left down town.. but Im sure the mindset will be that they have to go :(
Quote from: Jaxson on July 03, 2010, 11:59:11 AM
Hollywood has the maps to he stars' homes. We could have maps to the illustrious parking garages and vacant lots of downtown Jacksonville. Anyone ready to tear down some more historic buildings to make this dream a reality?
Don't forget to include on your Hollywood tour all the parking meters where famous people got parking tickets...
"And here is the spot where former professional football player Reggie Johnson's Mercedes was ticketed and booted, and over there is the very parking meter where President Clinton's motorcade tried to stop to attend a public appearance until COJ parking enforcement had his limo towed away."
"And ladies and gentlemen, right over there is the very same parking meter where John Travolta stood while deciding whether to film his movie in Jacksonville. His decision was made after COJ ticketed and towed his film production van. All of these people vowed never to return to Jacksonville again, but the City was nevertheless happy because they collected $0.75 in parking revenue..."
LMAO!
Chris.......your making too much sense big fella! So forget it..........City is $58 Million Dollars in the hole and City Hall is concerned about chump change...............I expect it.....from chumps!
I feel a large part of that defecit is from Staggering salaries paid to what I call "dead wood" which could range anywhere from our Mayor to consultants, assistants, and assistant to assistants..
My brother just sent this website to me as we had been speaking of the building just this week. I lived in Jax from 1955 til 1992 when I retired from the City of Jacksonville. My mother-in-law was in charge of the department where all neeedle work, knitting, etc. was sold. She gave lessons, etc. She was so talented and as I recall, worked until Ivey's closed the store. It was a wonderful place to shop and I enjoyed lunches in the Embers many times.
Thanks for this information, especially the person who shared so much of the history of the Masons. When I graduated from high school, I received a $500 scholarship from Mrs. Crowningshield, who was the sister, I believe, of Alfred Dupont. That is how I got to Jacksonville to begin with, in 1955 to go to Business School.
I believe I read on this very website that the Ivey's in the Universal Marion building was one of the last major department stores to be opened in a U-S city's downtown...the big stores were already beginning to move out into the suburbs in the 60's when Ivey's came to Jacksonville. This was at about the same time the big new Sears opened downtown. As for the revolving restaurant on the top of the building, it was indeed a spectacular view. I went one time. My parents decided my brothers and I should be exposed to a fine dining experience. Up until that time, our idea of a high-end meal was the fried shrimp at Morrison's cafeteria (which, now that I think about it, I really miss!). So our family of five went to the Embers one night for dinner. Of the food I can say nothing, that has faded from my memory. What I do recall was the amazing panoramic sight of downtown, the river, the bridges, and everything else moving by slowly as the restaurant turned. Almost fifty years later (!!) my memory of the experience is vivid. Those were the days when it really felt like Jacksonville was on the move and big things were happening. Very exciting!
^ nice memory of Downtown Mike. Wouldn't it be nice if Ivey's was still downtown, The Embers was still downtown.. Sears ...downtown. Hotels , Theaters, Venues that attracted the masses.......
all memories now.
Does anyone remember what Ivey's looked like on the inside and what departments were located on each floor? Also, did Ivey's have a restaurant?
Ivey's was more like Sak's 5Th Avenue, then it was Sears or Penny's. My wife was a divisional officer at the Regency Store having moved up from department head at Roosevelt Mall. I'm sure she could tell you a LOT about Ivey's.
The one story that I DO remember, Libia had left the company to be a stay-at-home-MOM, all of the Ivey's employees were very close, J.B. operated the stores like every employee was family. When the Dillards buy-out came, they literally fired every single employee and replaced them without one cent of their 'vested retirement' or 'savings'. I recall some of her co-workers crying because they not only lost the job, but lost EVERYTHING in the process. Perhaps this wasn't a friendly take-over, but I've hated Dillards ever since.
Oh and Dillards also changed the policy on old equipment or unsalable merchandise. Rather then donate to local charities like Ivey's did, Dillard's make/makes their employees bust up the furniture, cut up the clothing, and generally destroy anything that they can't compact. NOTHING went to local charities as, 'They might open up competing stores!'
QuoteSo our family of five went to the Embers one night for dinner. Of the food I can say nothing, that has faded from my memory. What I do recall was the amazing panoramic sight of downtown, the river, the bridges, and everything else moving by slowly as the restaurant turned. Almost fifty years later (!!) my memory of the experience is vivid.
That's pretty much the same experience my dad had from those days. They went to Embers to celebrate his brothers' good end of year report cards.
First time I took him to Skyline Cafe atop the Bank of America Building he went on and on about how we were getting 'Embers views for the cost of a Publix sub'.
He tells me that the floor would complete it's 360degree rotation in 'about the time it takes an adult to eat a light meal'.
They hold Toastmasters meetings (and other large public meetings) on the 18th floor. There is a great view of downtown and Friendship Fountain.
As a side note, when the Jacksonville Electric Authority purchased the Water Dept from the City of Jacksonville they changed their name to JEA. So, JEA is no longer an acronym, it's their actual name.
For a while , the administrative offices and downtown classrooms of FCCJ were located in the building as the new downtown campus was being built. JEA was in the old Independent Life Bldg, as the Chamber of Commerce was in the old Gulf Life buildings. JEA has saved the building. The rotating restaurant, by the early 70s had stopped being a top of the line restaurant. Jacksonville has lost some great restaurants, Bernie's in the Roosevelt, The Green Turtle out Phillips Highway, and the Derby House in Riverside. This is not to say that the old restaurants have been replaced with newer good and outstanding restaurants. I am not sure what the Universal Marion corporation did but when the building was constructed it was thought this would add to the revitalization of downtown along with Ivey's department store adjacent. Alas, the department stores followed their market to the "burbs".
Minor nit ... t'was the Green Derby in Riverside - where the BCBS (oops "Florida Blue") building is now.
Quote from: HisBuffPVB on June 30, 2013, 11:28:09 AM
I am not sure what the Universal Marion corporation did but when the building was constructed it was thought this would add to the revitalization of downtown along with Ivey's department store adjacent. Alas, the department stores followed their market to the "burbs".
The Universal Marion Building, Ivey's and the garage that had Purcell's in it were a joint venture development by the May Company and S.S. Jacobs Company in 1960. May had just acquired Cohens. May did a major revamp of the Cohen's store that was complemented by the infill department stores, Universal Marion Building and shared parking deck. Ivey's just happened to be the last phase of that development to open when it was completed in 1962.
In a way, the project did pump life into that area of downtown. Retail sales in downtown were at a major high in the 60s and 70s, despite openings and major expansions by Regency, Orange Park, Gateway, Roosevelt, Normandy and Philips Malls. Ivey's downtown store lasted over 20 years at that location before closing with just about everything else in downtown in 1985. May-Cohens only survived three more years, closing in 1988 after being around since 1867.
While the suburban malls were popular, there were a lot of other factors at play that killed downtown. If we would have properly addressed them, we could have been one of the few remaining American cities today that have vibrant downtown and suburban retail.
Here's an interesting story about the old Charter Co. on JDR.
www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542756
Thanks, I-10!
History Jacksonville is back with an amazing show about the illustrious past of the JEA Headquarters at Main & Church Streets. Many years before the JEA moved in, it was the corporate headquarters for some interesting companies and The Ivey's Department Store. https://youtu.be/RXYmkjfmCTY