321 E 5th Street: It's coming down!

[sheclown]

This house was originally built in 1904 for John Dickinson a clerk at Christie Glover Drug Store.  It is currently bank owned and has been in the "Formal Track" for demolition since 2007. 



This case is brought by the city; it is the city requesting demolition.

Joel McEachin, head of the Historic Planning Department,  said "I didn't see a whole lot of problems with it.  It does have some improper alterations to it. There is some deterioration in the back section here, but this is an addition...But it looked reasonably sound."

Elaine Lancaster, code compliance supervisor, "I've had to put it back under the unsafe track because the wall is tilting and the damage of the roof."

I'm posting the minutes from the Historic Planning Commission meeting. 

[sheclown]

It starts half way down the first column

[sheclown]

[sheclown]

It ends in the first part of the first column

[Miss Fixit]

Absolutely disgusting.  SPAR supporting demolition, and an historic commission that apparently could not care less about saving historic structures.  Is it too late to save thisone?  Does anyone know how to contact the owner?

What happened to the property on East 2nd Street?

[sheclown]

The bank owns it and I think it may be too late.  They have already cut the sewer lines.

[iloveionia]

Which property on East 2nd?

[Miss Fixit]

251 East 2nd - it was discussed in the HPC transcript.

[iloveionia]

Yes.  Sorry.  A "steamboat" type house.  At the community preservation meeting July 14 Code Enforcement talked about the danger of this house.  I'll leave it at that. 
But, yes, I would say based on what I heard, in dire jeopardy of the bulldozer.

[jbroadglide]

The bank owns it and I think it may be too late.  They have already cut the sewer lines.

Bank does not own it.
PEOPLES FIRST OF JACKSONVILLE LLC
6903 MERRILL RD
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32277
City has a pre-demolition inspection scheduled for July 30.

[iloveionia]

An sketch found the the HPC file this morning of what the house could be.

[Springfield Chicken]

I guess I'm confused.  I looked up 321 E 5th St in the MLS and can't find a record of it being for sale any time in the last few years.  But it was sold in 2003 for $42,000 to a couple.  Then a month later to a person for $77,300 with a mortgage of $121,500.  Then sold again in 2005 to a trust for $111,000.  Then sold again to a person in 2006 for $149,400 with a mortgage of $141,900.  That person must have been foreclosed on because it went to Fannie Mae in 2008 for $100, and was taken over by Peoples First of Jacksonville for $23,000 in May of 2009.  I would have thought that some time from it being bought in 2006 and now that SOMEBODY would have tried to sell it for SOME amount.  Unless it was marketed by owner, it's not been offered up for sale during all this time and now it appears it's toast!

[fieldafm]

The bank owns it and I think it may be too late.  They have already cut the sewer lines.

Bank does not own it.
PEOPLES FIRST OF JACKSONVILLE LLC
6903 MERRILL RD
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32277
City has a pre-demolition inspection scheduled for July 30.

That's Hancock Bank... they own the property.

[jbroadglide]

Oh okay. That is a bank..

[brainstormer]

A few thoughts....

1) Ineptitude.  Complete ineptitude.  Reading the minutes kind of made me want to scream.

2) So this meeting alone mentioned at least two owners who put in the wrong windows.  I understand that a Historic District must abide by certain rules, but I'm probably not the only one who thinks that in some way having historic status may prevent development and restoration.  Bay windows?  Really?  Old homes had bay windows.  If there are so many hoops and mazes to jump through to restore a home in Springfield, then I guess, personally that would make me very disinterested.

3)  Are these the same folks who pushed for returning all of LaVilla to prairie lands?  I guess pretty soon at SPAR's rate Springfield will also be prairie lands.