Perdue Office Interiors moving to historic downtown building

[thelakelander]

A historic building that has sat vacant in downtown Jacksonville for almost a decade will get an occupant again when Perdue Office Interiors relocates its showroom and administrative offices from the Southside suburbs.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Perdue Office Interiors because the company was founded in downtown and operated there until moving in the 1980s to a Southside location on Baymeadows Road.

Perdue plans to move in late October into the entire first floor of the two-story building at 5 W. Forsyth St., which is at the corner of Forsyth and Main street. The building’s most notable occupant was a Woolworth’s five-and-dime store. The building dates back to 1916, which happens to be the same year Perdue got its start.

“We really felt the historic connection to downtown and wanted to be in the center of the business community,” said company President Vince McCormack. “The building has such a great story and feel for us.”

He said about 20 of the company’s 30 employees will move to the downtown Forsyth Street location. Other employees are out in the field, he said. Perdue will keep its warehouse at Baymeadows Road.

After remodeling the first floor of the Forsyth Street building, Perdue plans to make it a “working showroom” by showing customers examples of office furniture and workspace used by Perdue’s own employees as they do their jobs.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-09-23/story/perdue_office_interiors_moving_to_historic_downtown_building

[ac]

This is the one that you guys thought was set to be demolished, right?  Awesome! This is good news.

[thelakelander]

We were worried when it was tagged but we confirmed that it was being renovated in an article about a week ago.

[ac]

Ah, OK.  Forgive the fuzzy memory.  Good news nonetheless, right?  Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend.

[civil42806]

"major retail moving "  Perdue office interiors is a major retailor?, good for them nice to see someone moving back downtown.  Suburbs are shutting down?  PLease

[fsujax]

I saw people working on the building and was wondering what was going on. This is good news. Hopefully, others will follow.

[tufsu1]

This should accelerate over the next year as the suburbs shut down,

what is it you were saying about "wild claims"?

[904Scars]

This is exciting news for sure! Hopefully we see more of this to come!

[JeffreyS]

I hope they have great window displays that building was made for them.

[sheclown]

hooray!

[urbanlibertarian]

Hopefully this will enable someone to do something in the old Starbucks space at 11E.

[JeffreyS]

I thought the same thing today urban.

[jeh1980]

Hey, that's good news!

[mtraininjax]

major retail moving back into the downtown.

One tenant....Its such a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE groundswell.

I heard Jay Fant, head of 1st Guarantee speak recently. Jay said that the real problem for the economy is that banks, while rates are low, are fearful for making loans, because the FDIC and FED regulators will be gunning for them during their audits. So the banks are raising capital, not loaning money.

Now when a retailer needs money for expansion, the requirements to get a loan include business details that date back at least 5 years. Our company has 500,000 in cash in various banks, but that is not good enough now, we need to have other assets. What is more liquid than cash? Banks are in C-Y-A mode, and they are scared to death to write bad loans. Obama needs to loosen up the reigns on the banks, we have gone from 1 extreme to the exact other side, now we need to work back to the middle.

[civil42806]

But what about rail?  Isn't there a rule that every topic here has to have something to do with rail?