Jacksonville's Most Endangered Historic Buildings

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

The sale is a go after last nights school board meeting

[jason_contentdg]

The sale is a go after last nights school board meeting

Interesting, last I heard there was a potential buyer willing to pay a million for it...and the city sells it for half that.

[RiversideGator]

That potential buyer apparently did not submit a bid.

[Joe]

Well, if the Weavers are serious that this is housing for "teachers and nurses" then the subsidy wouldn't really matter, as these professionals aren't going to harm a neighborhood like Section 8 renters do.

However, I share Riversidegator's incredulity. I'm confused as to how a nurse or policeman would need a subsidy (including a "workforce" project) to afford an apartment in riverside. Maybe a teacher might? So hopefully this doesn't turn into a "dogooder" project that actually harms the neighborhood, like a lot of the downtown social services.

[Lucasjj]

If you look at the explanation of workforce housing on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workforce_housing it really is not a "hand out" type program. It just provides housing at prices that would be affordable and stay affordable in relation to the area they are built in.

As long as it is built as true workforce housing, it should be beneficial to that area.

[jason_contentdg]

That potential buyer apparently did not submit a bid.

The potential buyer was told not to bid, it seems they were purposely left out of the bid process.

[Joe]

As long as it is built as true workforce housing, it should be beneficial to that area.

I absolutely agree. True workforce housing would enhance the neighborhood.

Although realistically even workforce is subsidized - it's just the developer (or the city with tax credits) absorbing the cost, not the federal government with vouchers. So it's still a type of subsidy. And I still do question why a nurse or policeman couldn't afford a market rate unit in Riverside? So it's just a confusing contradiction on the Weaver's part. That's all.

[RiversideGator]

My point was that Riverside already has LOTS of cheap apartments which are affordable to anyone basically who has a job.  I dont know why we need more and I especially dont know why such a prime location and property should be transformed into something less than its highest and best use.  I am also very concerned that the Weavers have never been involved in rental real estate (to my knowledge) and that Mrs. Weaver has a penchant for do goodery.  Frankly, affordable housing is needed elsewhere.  Riverside should be aspiring for more.  This could be such an amazing high end apartment complex but I fear it will be sacrificed on the altar of good intentions.

[RiversideGator]

That potential buyer apparently did not submit a bid.

The potential buyer was told not to bid, it seems they were purposely left out of the bid process.

Any proof of this?  None of the other auctions brought good bids either.  It is a terrible time to sell real estate.  Of course, the City has chosen to sell at the bottom of the market.   

[stjr]

The 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 historic being 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

[thelakelander]

Our attitude towards historic preservation is deplorable.  I'm in Baltimore right now and you'll be amazed at what they still have standing.  75% of this city would have been leveled decades ago if COJ was in charge.

Outside of downtown, a good portion of Baltimore's older building stock looks like the rowhouses shown in this image.  I have a hard time believing COJ would allow structures like this to remain standing for an extended period of time.

[hillary supporter]

those buildings stjr mentioned are owned by our "dear" friend, chris hionedes, right lake?  So ive been told.

[thelakelander]

Yes.  He probably owns half of DT and Springfield.  Chances are, if a building is vacant, its probably owned by him or one of his LLCs.

[stjr]

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!

[Timkin]

This mindset needs to change .