Momentum continues for Laura Street Trio

Latest downtown initiatives deliver announcements

Rumors of first commercial tenant for Brooklyn development

By Kate A. Hallock
Resident Community News

Four prominent buildings in downtown Jacksonville have been recommended for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Barnett Building (1926) and the Laura Street Trio, comprised of the Florida National Bank Building (1902), the Bisbee Building (1908) and Florida Life Building (1911), is largely considered the most significant group of non-reconditioned historic buildings to be preserved in the Southeastern United States.

“This is a huge step in the redevelopment of these important Jacksonville landmarks,” said developer Steve Atkins, Principal and Managing Director of SouthEast Group. “By placing these properties on the Register, we can qualify much of the preservation and rehabilitation costs for federal historic tax credits. This recommendation by the State and the subsequent programming greatly benefit the adaptive reuse effort.”

Bisbee, Florida Life and a new structure will become part of a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Restaurants are planned for the ground floors of the Bisbee and the Marble Bank buildings. Sports-themed programming is planned for the Courtyard by Marriott, catering to football fans.

“This is a huge step in the redevelopment of these important Jacksonville  landmarks.”  – Steve Atkins Principal and Managing Director of SouthEast Group

“This is a huge step in the redevelopment of these important Jacksonville
landmarks.”
– Steve Atkins
Principal and Managing Director of SouthEast Group

The State of Florida Office of Historic Preservation formally made the recommendation to the U.S. Department of Interior last month. The National Register of Historic Places is an official listing of historically significant sites and properties throughout the country.

Fresh Market in Brooklyn?
Rumors abound in the news that The Fresh Market may have signed an agreement for its third store in Jacksonville.
While no spokespersons from The Fresh Market, Regency Centers Corp. or Fuqua Development have yet to officially release the news, a deed recorded with Duval County on Oct. 25 indicates that there will be a grocer anchored in the retail center planned for 200 Riverside.

Regency Centers Corp. and Fuqua Development paid a little more than $3 million for about two acres of land in Brooklyn adjacent to the mixed-use plan under construction at 220 Riverside.

In late August, The Resident caught up with Karen Nasrallah, redevelopment manager for the Office of Economic Development to discuss that rumor. At that time, she noted that the City of Jacksonville agreed to $1.8 million in infrastructure provided that Pope & Land met certain criteria in development, including the promise to deliver a high-quality organic grocer in the 20,000 square foot planned retail building fronting Magnolia Street.

“This project is catalytic for this area,” Nasrallan said. “It does so much, not only for Brooklyn and Riverside, connecting them to Downtown, but it’s an amazing gateway up Forest. It makes it really attractive for development in LaVilla.”

Nasrallah also noted that there was some interest from developers in the LaVilla area, but the City is waiting to see what happens in Brooklyn.
She is optimistic about the plan, though, which “brings all that land, the values up tremendously. It’s a huge feat for the city where we’ve struggled for years; it’s been blighted for 50 years,” concluded Nasrallah.

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