Restaurant and Rooftop Bar Planned for Old Fire Station

[vicupstate]

She should talk to the folks at Bravo about doing a Reality show based on this project.  Just need to figure out how to loop in some young attractive guys and girls to be a part of the story. Bravo could provide some much needed capital.   

[Charles Hunter]

She should talk to the folks at Bravo about doing a Reality show based on this project.  Just need to figure out how to loop in some young attractive guys and girls to be a part of the story. Bravo could provide some much needed capital.   

or HGTV or the Magnolia Network ... 

[thelakelander]

I can't wait until we let this person who is in over their head demolish this building so it can become an empty lot for 10-20 years.

Doesn't help that there's no strong local policies in place to protect most of the remaining old structures in LaVilla. The entire neighborhood is still vulnerable to people who don't know its history, aren't apart of the community and don't care about it. You know its bad when you don't even really need true HPC review or approval to raze century old structures.

[fsu813]

Today at the COJ Historic Preservation Commission meeting during public comment, it was suggested that the Commission open a landmark application to possibly designate this structure as a historic landmark. HPC agreed, will sponsor the application, should delay the demo from moving forward until that process is complete.

[Bativac]

I can't wait until we let this person who is in over their head demolish this building so it can become an empty lot for 10-20 years.

Whoa. Hey now. Downtown Jax can always use another parking lot. That's what I call "activated space." Who needs some ol' building?

[Charles Hunter]

Today at the COJ Historic Preservation Commission meeting during public comment, it was suggested that the Commission open a landmark application to possibly designate this structure as a historic landmark. HPC agreed, will sponsor the application, should delay the demo from moving forward until that process is complete.

Unless the owner just goes ahead and knocks it down followed by the City issuing a sternly worded letter, and nothing more.

[MusicMan]

The $5 million estimate to renovate is ludicrous.

[tufsu1]

The $5 million estimate to renovate is ludicrous.

well it cost over $6 million for Cowford Chophouse - and that was 5+ years ago

[thelakelander]

The cost is ludicrous. The $5 million is the estimate for her financially unfeasible dream, not the cost to renovate the structure into a more suitable use for the building and location. Her concept would be better off as a restaurant/yacht club space at the Four Seasons, One Riverside, former Landing, former Courthouse or River City Brewing development sites.

[Captain Zissou]

Her concept would be better off as a restaurant/yacht club space at the Four Seasons, One Riverside, former Landing, former Courthouse or River City Brewing development sites.

Those sites also make more sense from a branding perspective.  Why would you put a Yacht themed restaurant in "The River City" on "The First Coast" a half mile from the nearest water? She should engage these developers early and get on their program.  Would likely cost much less than what she's trying to do.  It would also allow patrons arriving by boat to experience the yacht lifestyle experience she is going for.

[MusicMan]

Imagine if she put $10 million into that building. It would be really neat-o!!

Look, I hate everything that has transpired since she bought it. But it was on the open market AND NO ONE ELSE STEPPED UP TO BUY IT.

It sucks but there is a reason we have a market economy.  It would have been great if a sensible person with a financially feasible plan stepped forward, with plans to save it and come up with a cool and creative adaptive re-use.   But that did not happen.

I love Cowford.  He spent more as I understand it because it needed serious foundation work, and he made a spectacular restaurant. Nicest downtown by far IMO.

She's got a brick shell that needs an interior build out.....

You can get a very nice 7000 sf home on the water for $3 million, so not sure what the hell she plans on spending $5 million on at that site.

[fieldafm]

Imagine if she put $10 million into that building. It would be really neat-o!!

Look, I hate everything that has transpired since she bought it. But it was on the open market AND NO ONE ELSE STEPPED UP TO BUY IT.

It sucks but there is a reason we have a market economy.  It would have been great if a sensible person with a financially feasible plan stepped forward, with plans to save it and come up with a cool and creative adaptive re-use.   But that did not happen.

I love Cowford.  He spent more as I understand it because it needed serious foundation work, and he made a spectacular restaurant. Nicest downtown by far IMO.

She's got a brick shell that needs an interior build out.....

You can get a very nice 7000 sf home on the water for $3 million, so not sure what the hell she plans on spending $5 million on at that site.

The previous owner was wanting more than $500k for the building, with submitted offers in over the years below that price.  It seems really odd that the current ownership group got it for the price they did. There is something here that doesn't pass the smell test.

[Tacachale]

If I'm her I'm selling. Screw the sunk cost fallacy, don't throw more good money after bad, especially when you're sinking more money just to demolish one of LaVilla's rare remaining historic buildings.

[fieldafm]

If I'm her I'm selling. Screw the sunk cost fallacy, don't throw more good money after bad, especially when you're sinking more money just to demolish one of LaVilla's rare remaining historic buildings.

The fact that she isn't willing to sell to the (at least) two offers currently on the table is just more of this:

There is something here that doesn't pass the smell test.

[jaxlongtimer]

The $5 million estimate to renovate is ludicrous.

well it cost over $6 million for Cowford Chophouse - and that was 5+ years ago

I thought that Cowford actually spent closer to $10 million on their project, but regardless, isn't that building much larger than the one being discussed here?  And, as noted by others, it's not just the money, but the degree of work that needs to be done.  I seem to recall that Cowford had to dismantle some brick structures, brick by brick, and then put them back together again.  That doesn't necessarily apply here.