QuoteCity doesn't have money to move 105-year-old building
By Bridget MurphyStory updated at 6:35 PM on Thursday, Mar. 18, 2010
If the yellow brick building was an 105-year-old terminal patient, you could say its next-of-kin were debating a do-not-resuscitate order.
Nineteen months after Jacksonville firefighters answered their last alarm from 347 Riverside Ave., their old home is a shell of its former self.
Black graffiti stains a wall of the more than century-old Fire Station 5. Wood planks cover many windows and dead plant limbs cascade from one on the second story like an umbrella of doom.
So far the building has dodged a date with a wrecking ball, although it appears a month-long reprieve is all that remains. City Councilman Warren Jones said he’s working with a commercial developer on a plan that’s turned into one last rescue attempt for the old firehouse.
Firefighters moved to a new state-of-the-art Station 5 on Forest Street in August 2008. As part of a land swap, Fidelity got the land the old station stands on and the company paid for a small city park on the riverfront behind the property. In December, Fidelity told the city it planned to demolish the structure.
Under a 2005 agreement, that gave the city three months to come up with a plan to relocate the building.
Mayoral spokeswoman Misty Skipper said Wednesday the city hasn’t found money to the move the building or a place to relocate it. But she said the city will wait until mid-April to give its final answer to Fidelity about the station’s fate after Jones asked for time to work with the developer on a possible save.
Jones and Jacksonville Historical Society President Jerry Spinks identified the developer as John Stokes, who has a Fernandina Beach design and construction company that builds churches. Stokes didn’t respond to several phone calls.
While the city put the cost of moving the station at $600,000, Spinks said Stokes found a company to do it for about $300,000.
Another problem is location. Because of its size, the station wouldn’t fit under the highway bridges in the Riverside area and would have to stay in the Brooklyn section.
Jones said there is available land, but the property value is expected to rocket when the state Department of Transportation finishes construction work on nearby Interstate 95 and I-10.
Spinks said Stokes’ plan would be to house his headquarters in the old station. The historic preservationist said Stokes’ company would do the site work, make building improvements and contribute to the cost of buying land next to city-owned parcels.
Spinks also said the developer hopes to qualify for preferred status on federal bidding projects under a Small Business Administration program that would require him to hire people living in areas that include Brooklyn.
If the plan works, he said it could create jobs for Jacksonville residents. And a building that hosted generation after generation of emergency responders would get a lifeline.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-03-18/story/one_last_rescue_attempt_for_old_jacksonville_firehouse
QuoteMayoral spokeswoman Misty Skipper said Wednesday the city hasn’t found money to the move the building or a place to relocate it....
While the city put the cost of moving the station at $600,000, Spinks said Stokes found a company to do it for about $300,000.
I would rather see them use the $400K increment money they "found" for the RAM dock for this once-in-a-lifetime project to save this building and spur area redevelopment than for a dock no one thought about much until the past year and that can always be built later. RAP needs to prioritize this project for those funds and deal with the dock another time.
Funny, how the City says they can't find the money after 3 years for this historic structure but whatever City money is needed for a dock or a new road ($4 to 6 million), benefiting mainly an urban sprawl developer's shopping center project always appears by magic from some mystery fund.
While the city put the cost of moving the station at $600,000, Spinks said Stokes found a company to do it for about $300,000.
Why doesn't that surprise me?
the plan does sound great though *crossing fingers*
HOW TO SAVE A FIREHOUSE AND COME OUT LIKE A ROSE??
EQUATION of the Year??
1. Put some talent on this project, (IE: get Ennis to draw this up)
2. Move the fire station ACROSS Riverside Avenue, North of Blue Cross.
3. Extend the Skyway to the old firehouse.
4. Build Streetcar and Bus Lanes at the Firehouse lot.
5. Wrap the whole thing up as a historical station, urban break room, with fountain, landscaping, and intermodal convenience.
6. Bring in the volunteers to add all of the finishing touches, museum pieces, displays, welcome center, gift shop, snack stand...etc...
RESULT??
JTA and the COJ become everyones hero's and save the day.
Citizens get a fantastic new way to get onboard transit.
All generations get to keep a piece of history for learning and enlightenment.
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: stjr on March 18, 2010, 09:07:31 PM
QuoteMayoral spokeswoman Misty Skipper said Wednesday the city hasn’t found money to the move the building or a place to relocate it....
While the city put the cost of moving the station at $600,000, Spinks said Stokes found a company to do it for about $300,000.
I would rather see them use the $400K increment money they "found" for the RAM dock for this once-in-a-lifetime project to save this building and spur area redevelopment than for a dock no one thought about much until the past year and that can always be built later. RAP needs to prioritize this project for those funds and deal with the dock another time.
Funny, how the City says they can't find the money after 3 years for this historic structure but whatever City money is needed for a dock or a new road ($4 to 6 million), benefiting mainly an urban sprawl developer's shopping center project always appears by magic from some mystery fund.
Yes, yes, yes. The dock can be constructed at any time in the future - the window of opportunity to save this fire station is about to close.
Quote from: stjr on March 18, 2010, 09:07:31 PM
QuoteMayoral spokeswoman Misty Skipper said Wednesday the city hasn’t found money to the move the building or a place to relocate it....
While the city put the cost of moving the station at $600,000, Spinks said Stokes found a company to do it for about $300,000.
I would rather see them use the $400K increment money they "found" for the RAM dock for this once-in-a-lifetime project to save this building and spur area redevelopment than for a dock no one thought about much until the past year and that can always be built later. RAP needs to prioritize this project for those funds and deal with the dock another time.
I made a post about this in that dock thread yesterday. While I'm a fan of building the dock, I question if it is the best use of the money. Considering the circumstances, addressing the fire station would be a greater benefit. In conjunction with the 200 Riverside project and park, you could really spruce up that section of Brooklyn.
QuoteFunny, how the City says they can't find the money after 3 years for this historic structure but whatever City money is needed for a dock or a new road ($4 to 6 million), benefiting mainly an urban sprawl developer's shopping center project always appears by magic from some mystery fund.
Its all about priorities. If the will is there, the money will be found.
Perhaps an email campaign to mayor's office and city council is in order?
Didn't the council already pass the plan to spend the $400k on the dock? Or is it still up for discussion?
I thought that was a committee vote, 4 to 3. Passes from there, I suppose, to the full council, but when? Someone needs to get to Warren Jones to find out how to save this.
Quote from: Miss Fixit on March 18, 2010, 09:45:37 PM
Perhaps an email campaign to mayor's office and city council is in order?
if you lead the way, i think that's possible.......
even though it's just outside of RAP's boundaries, i would think they'd be lobbying for it as well. or perhaps they have enough on thier plate.
The email campaign is a good idea. Someone needs to "show the love" for this building. Get the firefighters in on it. Somewhere was the idea of a firefighters museum featuring the city's 1901 fire history. Let's push for it.
I was the biggest supporter of the dock in the other thread, but if the funds for that are sufficient to move the fire station to a safe location, then by all means I'm in favor of re-allocating it to save the building. The only thing I'm not in favor of is taking $400k raised by a special assessment and then letting it disappear into the black hole of COJ's budget deficit.
But by all means, if the funds are sufficient to move the firehouse, then first and foremost that should be done. It's the only original structure still standing on Riverside Avenue. Real piece of history will lost there.
Perhaps someone more tech savvy than I could upload all of the city council and mayor's office email addresses? I have the list and could forward it.
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for Stokes. The city gives them a historic building, pays for it to be moved and all they have to do is contribute towards the purchase of new land and make structural improvements... A new headquarters on the back of the tax payers moved to bargain priced land that's projected to skyrocket in value. Nice.
Quote from: lindab on March 19, 2010, 07:43:31 AM.......... Somewhere was the idea of a firefighters museum featuring the city's 1901 fire history. .........
Don't we already have one over by the Metro Park?
Why not put it on a barge and take it somewhere other than the high dollar property. You'd have to jump the river walk but there is $300k budget savings to do that with. But then again why is the city doing this anyway? They save light houses, but it is usually private foundations that do it.
Quote from: Shwaz on March 19, 2010, 09:42:44 AM
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for Stokes. The city gives them a historic building, pays for it to be moved and all they have to do is contribute towards the purchase of new land and make structural improvements... A new headquarters on the back of the tax payers moved to bargain priced land that's projected to skyrocket in value. Nice.
Welcome to Jacksonville.
Actually Stokes got screwed, compared to what usually happens around here. Look at the shipyards as a typical example. COJ handed out millions, and the developer promptly kept the money and abandoned the property back to COJ via nonpayment of taxes. But hey, look at the bright side, at least we did get a chainlink fence put around the site!
Quote from: Shwaz on March 19, 2010, 09:42:44 AM
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for Stokes. The city gives them a historic building, pays for it to be moved and all they have to do is contribute towards the purchase of new land and make structural improvements... A new headquarters on the back of the tax payers moved to bargain priced land that's projected to skyrocket in value. Nice.
Did I miss something? I gathered that, in order for the Stokes deal to work, he would pay the cost of moving the building.
I think the city paying for it should be an alternative to the Stokes deal which sounds far from done.
Quote from: Miss Fixit on March 19, 2010, 10:47:12 AM
Quote from: Shwaz on March 19, 2010, 09:42:44 AM
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for Stokes. The city gives them a historic building, pays for it to be moved and all they have to do is contribute towards the purchase of new land and make structural improvements... A new headquarters on the back of the tax payers moved to bargain priced land that's projected to skyrocket in value. Nice.
Did I miss something? I gathered that, in order for the Stokes deal to work, he would pay the cost of moving the building.
I think the city paying for it should be an alternative to the Stokes deal which sounds far from done.
I didn't see anything about them paying for relocation in the proposed plan... you?
QuoteSpinks said Stokes' plan would be to house his headquarters in the old station. The historic preservationist said Stokes' company would do the site work, make building improvements and contribute to the cost of buying land next to city-owned parcels.
QuoteCity doesn't have money to move 105-year-old building
Mayoral spokeswoman Misty Skipper said Wednesday the city hasn’t found money to the move the building or a place to relocate it. But she said the city will wait until mid-April to give its final answer to Fidelity about the station’s fate after Jones asked for time to work with the developer on a possible save.
Jones and Jacksonville Historical Society President Jerry Spinks identified the developer as John Stokes, who has a Fernandina Beach design and construction company that builds churches. Stokes didn’t respond to several phone calls.
While the city put the cost of moving the station at $600,000, Spinks said Stokes found a company to do it for about $300,000.
Quote
It's unclear who would pay under this plan - city says they haven't found the money, Spinks says Stokes has found a company to do it for $300,000.
Regardless of pays for the move (which is still undecided)... it's still a sweetheart deal.
Hell I'll build boat dock for RAM if you give me the waterfront.
John Stokes is my former brother-in-law. He's an honorable man, and does quality work. Everyone wants to save the fire station, and he's come up with a plan to do it, at a cost to move it 50% what the City estimated, but now we don't like it because John is going to repair it and use it? At this point, we're on the 10 with 10 seconds left, and it's 4th and 10 yards to go. I've been reading about saving this fire station for, what is it?, two or three years now and no one is any closer to a solution than they were at the beginning? I guess you would prefer to see it in the landfill.
I dont, knock it down and build a starbucks and a mellow mushroom pizza place :3
Well Said Debbie.
If it's such a great 'sweetheart' deal, anyone else could have proposed it sometime in the last two-three years. Nobody did, so don't complain that a smart entrepeneur had the idea and ran with it.
So, Debbie, what is the City saying now?
Go for it! Save it! At this point who cares how that is accomplished.
OCKLAWAHA
Gosh, stjr, I don't know. I was just sticking up for my brother-in-law, who I know to be a good man. :-) I'm with Ock, though, just save it.