FRIDAY February 28, 2020
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
First Baptist denied demolition Daily Record permit for Downtown building JACKSONVILLE
Council OKs sale of lot to VyStar for $943,403
Credit union wants property at Main and Forsyth streets for parking garage.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
JACKSONVILLE
Photo by Mike Mendenhall
The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission met Feb. 26. at City Hall. From left, commission members Timothy Bramwell, Max Glober, Ryan Davis, Jack C. Demetree III, Andres Lopera, Erik Kasper and Maiju Stansel.
The church says it hasn’t decided if it will appeal the decision by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission. BY MIKE MENDENHALL STAFF WRITER
The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission voted Feb. 26 to deny First Baptist Church a permit to demolish its Downtown building at 125 W. Church St., but the fate of the structure may not yet be decided. More than 100 people attended the public hearing to show support for and against the demolition. The meeting was moved to a larger space to handle the crowd. The vote was 5-2. Commissioners Jack C. Demetree III, Andres Lopera, Erik Kasper, Timothy Bramwell and Maiju
Stansel voted to deny the permit. Ryan Davis and Max Glober voted against. First Baptist wants to demolish the building to make way for a welcome center and primary entrance for the historic 182,000-square-foot Hobson Auditorium, the church administration building and the Ruth Lindsay Auditorium. It’s part of a more than $30 million project to renovate and redevelop 1.53 acres of church property into “The Hobson Block” as First Baptist consolidates its Downtown campus. Built by First Baptist in 1927, the building is a contributing structure to the National Register of Historic Places Downtown Historic District. First Baptist Senior Pastor Heath Lambert told the Daily Record on Feb. 19 the building’s interior is in disrepair and expects it would need to be gutted. A city report released Feb. 26 said the building could meet six of the seven criteria used to proceed with designation as SEE FIRST BAPTIST, PAGE 2
Photo by Monty Zickuhr
First Baptist Church wants to demolish its Downtown building at 125 W. Church St. to make way for a new welcome center.
City Council unanimously approved an agreement Feb. 25 to sell a city-owned lot to VyStar Credit Union to build a Downtown parking garage. Ordinance 2020-0073 approved the sale of the 0.77-acre property at Main and Forsyth streets to the credit union for $943,403. The proposed Main and Forsyth parking structure was part of Barnett Tower LLC’s lease agreement with the city before the Downtown Investment Authority board voted in September to terminate the garage portion of the Barnett contract. The developer of the historic Barnett National Bank Building and the companion Laura Street Trio project missed its deadline to complete the garage and is renegotiating its agreement with the DIA. The sale price in the VyStar agreement is the same as the Barnett deal. The garage will support the 1,000 employees VyStar is moving Downtown. The credit union is relocating its headquarters to the 23-story tower at 76 S. Laura St. it bought in July 2018 for $59 million. VyStar also purchased an adjacent parking garage. VyStar also is renovating a seven-story building it bought next door at 100 W. Bay St. that it intends to occupy by midyear. As part of the terms of the agreement, VyStar will build a minimum 550-space parking garage and lease up to 250 of those spaces to the DIA at $100 per space, per month. The city SEE VYSTAR, PAGE 2
Jim Citrano Jr. approved for DIA board Truist Financial Senior Vice President Jim Citrano Jr. will join the Downtown Investment Authority board. City Council unanimously approved Citrano’s appointment Feb. 25 for a term through June 30, 2023. He will fill the seat previously held by Jim Bailey. Council President Scott Wilson filed the resolution with Citrano’s nomination Jan. 22. “His knowledge and experience in the banking business should prove to be a valuable asset to our city,” Wilson said. Citrano Jr.’s father, Jim Citrano, was on the Downtown Development Authority, a predecessor to DIA. Citrano Sr. also chaired the Jacksonville Port Authority.
VOLUME 107, NO. 73 • ONE SECTION