Sweet Pete's Marcus Lemonis wants to tear down historic DT Building

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Vibrant and historical neighborhoods are much more than just trophy buildings. There is a fabric to a city.  While I'm no fan of the Florida Baptists, let's face it, they were hugely influential in Jacksonville and throughout Florida.  We can't just preserve buildings where in one moment in time a life altering event happened or a legend once resided. We are more than just the product on fifty peope in Florida's history.  We are the product of genertions of unsung people who lived their lives and influenced Jacksonville in their day and were part of the long line of history that we are living with today.

So no, this building may not be the site of historical legend but I'm sure, the events and planning that went on in theis building for generations helped create (for better or for worse) Jacksonville of today.  So yes, we must preserve this building and the history that happened there.

[vicupstate]

jaxjaguar, it is your attitude that has made DT Jax into the ghost town that it is today.  Just as ultra-dense low income housing high-rises are today acknowledged as a huge mistake, so too is the idea that tearing down old building stock will bring vibrancy to downtrodden areas. In fact it has been demonstrated that there is almost nothing that you can do to kill vibrancy more than that.   

I think this guy has the right mindset generally, we just need to work with him to see the value in doing something different with the Baptist building. 

[Tacachale]

It's awesome this guy is investing downtown. However, demolishing a Klutho building is seriously not cool. Come on, "green space"? Who'd buy a $300k building and pay to demolish it for green space when you're already kittycorner to a park? Obviously parking's the real issue, it would be cool if the city worked with him on a creative solution to use some of the overabundant parking we already have, including the several garages that are located within a few blocks of these buildings. It sounds like Lemonis knows what's up otherwise, I'm sure he'd be amenable to positive solutions.

[Jumpinjack]

Just about every successful and vibrant downtown or historic urban neighborhood in America today once had abandoned buildings that were falling down.  Most of these places once had conventional wisdom that nobody will invest money into the place and nobody really cares and it just makes the whole place look bad.

Much was once said of Riverside with and now look at the neighborhood.

These buildings should be saved until they can be restored and/or adaptive reuse...

This is more than just looking bad. This is a loss to the quality of the neighborhood. People move, buildings get torn down, real estate values plummet, tax revenues decline. It's a horrible vicious cycle. And yet, here in Jacksonville we don't get the connections. So we don't fund enough restoration incentives to fix up a place before it goes down or help new owners get credits to fix it up. We would rather rely on a system of complaints by neighbors and send a city mowing machine out or send the cops to clear out the vagrants, or send the fire department to put out the fire, or wait until the darn building collapses.

Lots of other cities with historic properties in decline organize land banks or systems of handling abandonment by acquiring property through eminent domain, donation by owners. They are able to turn around and market these properties. We have great real estate agents that deal almost exclusively with historic neighborhoods. Setting up something that would consolidate properties in a blighted area, organize marketing of them, work through grants for fixing them up, and work with special agents to sell them for restoration or re-use would save the city in the long term. This isn't something weird and new. Check out New York, Philadelphia, and other major cites.

Sure there are problems with a land bank - doesn't rely on market forces, can be slow, blah blah. But is it any worse than saying, "Oh well, something should be done but, sigh, it isn't happening. What a shame, they are going to tear down that building."  or " Gee, he wants to buy this wonderful historic building and tear it down for a park (or transportation center, or homeless vets shelter, or Walmart)"
Check it out, Jacksonville: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/issues/revitalization/land-banking/

[ChriswUfGator]

It's awesome this guy is investing downtown. However, demolishing a Klutho building is seriously not cool. Come on, "green space"? Who'd buy a $300k building and pay to demolish it for green space when you're already kittycorner to a park? Obviously parking's the real issue, it would be cool if the city worked with him on a creative solution to use some of the overabundant parking we already have, including the several garages that are located within a few blocks of these buildings. It sounds like Lemonis knows what's up.

+1

It's a large building, any other city would be chomping at the bit to offer the guy incentives to renovate it and move his hedge fund's headquarters here. Instead we bicker about it being a better idea to turn it into a parking lot.

And some still wonder why there are few buildings left downtown...

[urbaknight]

Again I ask. How much is it going to cost to restore this building? If he isn't allowed to tear it down it's not going to have a positive impact sitting there in it's current condition. Businesses aren't exactly flocking to downtown looking to save these dilapidated buildings. It wouldn't hurt to have another nice park. If you're scared of having another parking lot then add a clause to his contract that prevents him from using the site as surface parking.

Just about every successful and vibrant downtown or historic urban neighborhood in America today once had abandoned buildings that were falling down.  Most of these places once had conventional wisdom that nobody will invest money into the place and nobody really cares and it just makes the whole place look bad.

Much was once said of Riverside with and now look at the neighborhood.

These buildings should be saved until they can be restored and/or adaptive reuse. If the owners refuse to maintain the building in a structurally sound condition, then fine them, once they get enough fines, they'll either fix the place up or sell it for whatever they can get for it.  Very few downtown buildings are in so bad condition that onlycharity can save it.   

This building could have street level retail with affordable rents for struggling buisnesses on a shoestring budget. The places upstairs could become apartments or even maybe dorms for UNF.  Obviously it's easier said then done but this is not rocket science, adaptive reuses like this are happening if urban neighborhoods all over the country.

Get college students or artists living there with cheap rent means they and their friends will be around downtown all hours of the day and night with extra money to spend in downtown bars and restaurants.

I'd like to see that happen. And if the ambassador is restored to apartments as well, it would be a great start for that part of DT. Does anyone know anything about that project's current status?

[simms3]

But this building... What historical significance does this building have?

^Last office building designed by HJ Klutho.

Look at the surrounding area. It's the worst spot in the immediate core of downtown.

I've always thought this area offers some of the best potential.  It's walkable, has a great mix of historic architecture, adjacent to Hemming, etc. Great adaptive reuse possibilities if we can get our act together. DT's worse spots to me are what's left of LaVilla, Railroad Row and Main Street.

Completely agree.  There are a few cities in America (a few) where this building could conceivably be torn down for a parklet and nobody would shed a tear, except for maybe those of joy.  Jacksonville is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.  As far as old buildings go *in Jax*, this one is large and significant.  It's also one of the only ones left.  We aren't talking a 1-2 story non-descript building, but one that will make a positive impact later on if the area comes back.  It will add character and charm to an otherwise characterless and charmless town/downtown.

This guy took on a risk and needs to deal with that risk.  Presumably he didn't go in blind.

Finally, Jax is so "un-dense" that it almost doesn't even need ANY greenspace, lol.  Everyone already has a yard.  Downtown already has lots of public space and open space.  Public and open space that can be converted to green space I might add.  Cities like NYC and SF are building parklets and turning metered parking spaces into park space (literally).  Jax is in an opposite camp, once again.

If this guy can't make his own deal work, I can't feel sorry for him.  He should be more creative than that.  If all he knows is how to run an ice cream shop, honestly, he's pretty much the last person that should have bought some old rehab opportunities in DT Jax.  He should find a partner and quit asking for weird crap (and he should relinquish all respect people have given him if he turns into a whiner like Sleiman...it'd be even worse than Sleiman as no promises were ever made and everything was transparently clear).

[fsquid]

I think Lemonis knows how to run more than an ice cream shop.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

Again I ask. How much is it going to cost to restore this building? If he isn't allowed to tear it down it's not going to have a positive impact sitting there in it's current condition. Businesses aren't exactly flocking to downtown looking to save these dilapidated buildings. It wouldn't hurt to have another nice park. If you're scared of having another parking lot then add a clause to his contract that prevents him from using the site as surface parking.

Though I respect the effort you cannot tell someone who purchases something outright how to use it lol. It would be similar to you buying a car and me saying you cant transport your family in it.

As for usage. I think the area has extreme potential. I am in the works on several things over there and I was going to meet with the city about a couple buildings there at my meeting on the 10th. There are people out there that want to save the structures. Never once did the land owner return my calls about the property after mr. McEachin told me about it. That being said the buildings can be saved.... The owners just need to take a little initiative about working with those with a vision for the buildings. This is in general to all the properties. Not just that one. And just because you do not see interest here or there doesn't mean that it is not there. For instance I can name 4 preservation groups I have met through my short time here saving buildings and volunteering their own time for FREE to save structures.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

On a side note... Keep that game up with the title of a local business owner and I can see a sad future for sweet pete's.

[jaxlore]

i agree we dont need more green space downtown we need better utilization of the spaces we have. I walk by that building daily and see the potential. There needs to be a real push to fix the green spaces we have. Not just Hemming Plaza but just look at the wasted space on main and monroe another "green space" decision that worked out great.

[AuditoreEnterprise]

i agree we dont need more green space downtown we need better utilization of the spaces we have. I walk by that building daily and see the potential. There needs to be a real push to fix the green spaces we have. Not just Hemming Plaza but just look at the wasted space on main and monroe another "green space" decision that worked out great.

On a side note... they were adding more tiling to that park recently in an effort to create a mosaic all the way around it. One spark funds in action!!!!!!

Back on topic I contacted a few people and this tv guy (we wont associate him with swete pete for the sake of this as they probably have little control over his actions) has not purchased anything at all yet. Simply submitted LOIs so until I see a for sale sign removed whatever he has to say is nothing more than a media grasp in my opinion. He keeps saying all cash all cash all cash... that wont require a process or letter of intent. So not sure what his motives are yet I'm interested in seeing how it pans out

[fieldafm]

He clearly knows he can't tear it down but he bought it anyway.

He hasn't bought anything yet.

[river4340]

He clearly knows he can't tear it down but he bought it anyway.

He hasn't bought anything yet.

true. hasn't closed on the Seminole Club either.

[tufsu1]

On a side note... they were adding more tiling to that park recently in an effort to create a mosaic all the way around it. One spark funds in action!!!!!!

actually the project is just about finished....the artists were our again last night working on the tile project...it will not go all the way around.

there will be a sculpture garden in the park starting this fall...funded as a Spark grant by the Cultural Council