( Note: After posting on another thread, I decided this should have its own thread. ) QuoteThe old American Heritage Life building at the corner of Main and Forsyth streets was condemned by the City last Wednesday and is subject to demolition. According to the Property Appraiser’s Web site, the building is owned by 5 W. Forsyth St. Inc., which lists a P.O. box in Atlantic Beach as its address. In 2008, the building had an assessed value of $940,878.
From 6/30/2009: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=52650&text=american%20heritage&type=thisexactphrase
Anyone know what this is leading up to?
Per the property appraiser, this is the approximately 20,000 square foot two-story white brick building facing Forsyth across Main Street from the former AHL tower (now 5 East) and is an historic building built in 1916! Looks like another great and endangered building from Jax's history.
I have been in this building before and it was nicely renovated in the 1980's and maybe again since. It should be in decent shape even today. Is there no end to our destruction?! Will Jax step up and save this one. It's much larger than Lerner's was around the corner.
It will be criminal if this joins the scrap heap. There will be no hope ever for historic preservation in this City. HELP!!!!! [/color]
Link to Google Street View: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=main+and+forsyth,+jacksonville,+fl&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=48.50801,78.837891&ie=UTF8&ll=30.327043,-81.658008&spn=0,359.997594&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=30.327045,-81.658018&panoid=dAZgxYK5CBzGfD3CCY2CaQ&cbp=12,32.83,,0,-2.02
Thats really odd, can anyone get into the building and see if there has been a significant change in it? Wouldn't pt it past the city but still there are usually 2 stories to every event.
thats another Hionedis shell corp, so just add this one to the long list of others he lets rot.
http://sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=P03000014074&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=5WFORSYTHST&names_filing_type=
Has the Jax Historic Preservation Commission or Historic Society addressed this issue? If not, any idea of why they don't publicly advocate for the preservation of all remaining historic structures in the DT area? Would establishing a portion of DT as an official historic district be the answer to preserving what's left?
Wow, that's one helluva URL.
Quote from: thelakelander on July 11, 2009, 10:28:33 PMWould establishing a portion of DT as an official historic district be the answer to preserving what's left?
Lake that is a great idea. Any downtown resident's ready to stake your claim on your community?
I'm sure the idea has come up in the past and there would be heavy opposition in a demo happy place like this. Anyway, it would make the demolition process more difficult while also opening up new federal funding options to renovate structures at the same time.
This building, along with another historic building next door, that was torn down for the now present ugly parking garage, and the marble bank/Laura Street Trio, were all owned at one time by Jack Uible's Jacksonville National Bank/Charter Mortgage/Alliance Holding and Mortgage companies. These companies were spun off to Uible by The Charter Company when he departed it and Charter Mortgage became Alliance Mortgage upon sale of his companies to Florida National Bank in the early 80's. It's now part of Everbank.
At its prime, JNB/Alliance had hundreds of employees and they lovingly renovated the Trio and these Forsyth-facing buildings to near Class A quality to house them all. Very nicely done. It's sad that in about 20 years they could go from the equivalent of multi-million dollar renovations to being tear downs/condemnations/derelict. If this can happen to buildings with this history, no building in Jax is safe from the wrecking ball!
Now is the time for the people to be heard, if word gets out that any of these building are slated to come down a demonstation needs to take place.
Demonstrations won't do any good. I really don't have an answer regarding stopping this madness. It all boils down to money I am sure; if no one wants to buy the property, and the Owner doesn't have the money or doesn't want to invest in the property then it sits, waiting on a buyer, and if not kept "up to snuff," the city eventually condemns the property and readys it for the wrecking ball or other type demolition. Sad thing.
Heights Unknown
Quote from: thelakelander on July 11, 2009, 10:28:33 PM
Has the Jax Historic Preservation Commission or Historic Society addressed this issue? If not, any idea of why they don't publicly advocate for the preservation of all remaining historic structures in the DT area? Would establishing a portion of DT as an official historic district be the answer to preserving what's left?
If they don't intervene, or speak in a loud voice regarding these type issues, then in my opinion they don't care either. And if they don't care, and there are no other avenues or options in saving the building/property, then "here comes the wrecking ball!"
Heights Unknown
This building was advertised in today's Florida Times-Union as for lease.
This sounds interesting. Is anything being done about trying to get the Federal or possibly a designation on the State level?
other cities levy fines against properties that aren't kept up to code and then when the fines reach a certain point the city forecloses their liens and unloads the property to the highest bidder. This results in two things, one the recalcitrant property owner will lose the property and still be responsible under the note they signed and two someone can snap up a property for a song allowing them to do the needed renovations.
In this city they only levy fines, but thats it. The fines pile up, but the building continues to deteriorate eventually falling down or becoming so bad that remediation would be prohibitively expensive. When someone like Hionedis can sit back and do nothing and just let the building rot it does noone any good. And even if he was to try to lease or sell it bringing it up to code would cost too much. The way Jacksonville deals with this issue is a joke. I wonder how much money goes uncollected every year in both fines and property taxes, but they want to raise taxes HA!
Quote from: TREE4309 on July 12, 2009, 01:54:50 PM
This building was advertised in today's Florida Times-Union as for lease.
Hmmm... how easy is it to lease a condemned office building? ;) I can see it now: Lease term for 5 years or whenever building collapses, which ever comes first!
Unfortunately, with the courthouse moving, this side of downtown could begin to take a real hit with lawyers and other professionals relocating and making this area more like the desolate area that has existed these last few decades where the courthouse is moving to . We shall see.
I hope that they don't have to tear that building down. It does have great potential. BUT, if they do, they can at least put a new skyscraper to replace it. I think we have about enough pocket parks in downtown already.
Quote from: jeh1980 on July 13, 2009, 12:41:00 AM
I hope that they don't have to tear that building down. It does have great potential. BUT, if they do, they can at least put a new skyscraper to replace it. I think we have about enough pocket parks in downtown already.
I don't think that (a new skyscraper) is going to happen anytime soon with the economy still lack luster, and, have you seen the office vacancy rates downtown and around Jacksonville lately?
Heights Unknown
what they will put in is a brand new surface parking lot. the city won't have money to put in another homeless park
Oh, if it comes down, I'm sure it will be replaced in less than 18 months by something contributing like the Southern Rock Museum and Venue....
The reason this building was cited is that the north wall was bulging and there are cracks all down the wall from top to bottom. Major cracks. A contractor has put up some steel support girders against the wall to brace it, but it appears that entire wall is going to have to be re-built. Now this building is a long,long,long,long way from being demolished. Look at the Parkview Inn. Its been condemended for how many years now, and its still standing. So before everyone gets themselves all up in arms, give the property owners some time.
Quote from: jbroadglide on July 13, 2009, 09:29:19 AM
The reason this building was cited is that the north wall was bulging and there are cracks all down the wall from top to bottom. Major cracks. A contractor has put up some steel support girders against the wall to brace it, but it appears that entire wall is going to have to be re-built. Now this building is a long,long,long,long way from being demolished. Look at the Parkview Inn. Its been condemended for how many years now, and its still standing. So before everyone gets themselves all up in arms, give the property owners some time.
118 Main was demolished in less than 3 weeks after the condemned sticker went on.
Sorry Jason but thats incorrect. The building was cited on March 16 and on May 11 it was demolished by the OWNER. That building had major, major structural damage inside and out. Ceilings were collapsing. Interior walls had given way..5 West Forsyth is not in near that bad a shape.
Quote from: jbroadglide on July 13, 2009, 09:29:19 AM
The reason this building was cited is that the north wall was bulging and there are cracks all down the wall from top to bottom. Major cracks. A contractor has put up some steel support girders against the wall to brace it, but it appears that entire wall is going to have to be rebuilt. Now this building is a long,long,long,long way from being demolished. Look at the Parkview Inn. Its been condemned for how many years now, and its still standing. So before everyone gets themselves all up in arms, give the property owners some time.
Assuming the north wall was in fair shape when the buildings were renovated and occupied extensively in the 1980's and that the building has been standing without apparent issues for over 90 years, one has to wonder if someone negligently did something on adjacent property, in the street, or to this building in recent times to cause the wall to move so much.
Maybe, as added protection for historic buildings, the City building and inspection department should get extra assurances area or building improvements don't provoke issues like this.
Okay,
Quote from: jbroadglide on July 13, 2009, 10:33:12 AM
Sorry Jason but thats incorrect. The building was cited on March 16 and on May 11 it was demolished by the OWNER. That building had major, major structural damage inside and out. Ceilings were collapsing. Interior walls had given way..5 West Forsyth is not in near that bad a shape.
Ok, so it was cited on March 16th, but the sticker didn't go up until after April 23rd? We photographed it on the 23rd and there was no sticker or signage at all. Joey over at Urban Jax posted the image of the sticker on April 30th.
118 Main came down on on the 15th and 16th of May at the earliest.
118 Main was not far gone enough for it to be completely demolished...
Who wants to put an over/under on when this place will be torn down?
Quote from: jason_contentdg on July 13, 2009, 10:44:04 AM
Okay, Quote from: jbroadglide on July 13, 2009, 10:33:12 AM
Sorry Jason but thats incorrect. The building was cited on March 16 and on May 11 it was demolished by the OWNER. That building had major, major structural damage inside and out. Ceilings were collapsing. Interior walls had given way..5 West Forsyth is not in near that bad a shape.
Ok, so it was cited on March 16th, but the sticker didn't go up until after April 23rd? We photographed it on the 23rd and there was no sticker or signage at all. Joey over at Urban Jax posted the image of the sticker on April 30th.
118 Main came down on on the 15th and 16th of May at the earliest.
118 Main was not far gone enough for it to be completely demolished...
Well I have seen a picture that shows the Condemned sign placed on 3/16/2009, along with a Do Not Enter sign..And my mistake the building was actually torn down May 5, not May 11. I have seen that picture also. And yes it was that far gone. It was even declared an Emergency Demolition.
Anyone have an update on the status of 5 W. Forsyth's condemnation?
Drove by this building Friday and it appears the "condemned" status is still in place. Not a pretty sight. Anyone have more to report? With the Historic Preservation Commission likely preoccupied with preserving itself during City budget discussions, is anyone watching?
Well, looks like this story, for once, may have a happy ending! Pick up the story with the thread below:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,6197.0.html
Kudos to Perdue for making this move! Quote(http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/articles/09_25_09/5b.jpg)
A catalyst for Downtown revival
(http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/articles/09_25_09/5a.jpg)
Perdue Office Interiors President Vince McCormack and the company’s new headquarters at 5 W. Forsyth St.
by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Two events that occurred Downtown in 1916 had no connection at the time, but now 93 years later history is at a point of intersection. One of the notable events was the founding of Perdue’s Office Furniture on Bay Street, the other was the opening of Woolworth’s “dime store†on the corner of Main and Forsyth streets. Woolworth’s closed many years ago and Perdue’s moved away from Downtown to Baymeadows about 25 years ago.
The “intersection†will be realized in about a month when Perdue Office Interiors opens its new showroom in the former Woolworth’s Building, a relocation decision that Vince McCormack, president of Perdue Office Interiors, said is best for the growth of his company.
“We looked at more than 20 properties all over town,†he said. “We decided Downtown is where we want to be for the long-term.â€
McCormack went to work for Perdue soon after the company moved to Baymeadows and purchased it several years ago. His connection to Downtown goes back much farther.
“I was born in Jacksonville and raised in Ortega. My father was a banker so he spent his entire career Downtown and I used to visit him at his office,†said McCormack.
As he stood at his new front door and surveyed the Downtown skyline Thursday morning, McCormack noted that the company was moving into the middle of the highest density of prospective clients for office interiors anywhere in Duval County.
“Think about how many tenants there are just in the Bank of America Building and they’ll be able to walk to our showroom,†he said.
The motives behind the relocation went beyond the benefits for the business. McCormack is active with the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and its Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership.
“We have to have a thriving Downtown with an active business community. We were able for find a building with a great location and image and our being here will bring people Downtown who might otherwise not come here,†he said.
Perdue Office Interiors entered into a long-term lease with Petra Management, which represents a landlord with what is likely the most extensive portfolio of commercial space in the urban core.
Broker Rich Trendel commented, “There are companies that will look at Downtown. It just takes landlords that will work with businesses to make the numbers make sense. Downtown has to meet a business’s needs and their wants. That’s how we can get the ball rolling to revitalize Downtown.â€
Trendel also pointed out the opening of Perdue’s showroom by the first of November will coincide with another opening a few blocks away. A new nightclub and lounge is under construction in the former Florida Ballet Building on Forsyth Street facing the Florida Theatre.
“That means there will be two new retailers opening Downtown in buildings that have been vacant for years,†he said.
In a statement released Wednesday, Mayor John Peyton said, “I am pleased that Perdue has chosen to relocate its offices to one of our most historic Downtown buildings and I hope its move serves as a catalyst for other companies to follow suit.â€
See: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php
QuoteIn a statement released Wednesday, Mayor John Peyton said, “I am pleased that Perdue has chosen to relocate its offices to one of our most historic Downtown buildings and I hope its move serves as a catalyst for other companies to follow suit.â€
Tighten up your parking control Nazi's Johnny, let's see how quick you can wipe this business out! Place your bets here...OCKLAWAHA
Obviously, time will tell.