Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 093 • Two Sections
‘ I cannot believe this is really happening
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Remodelers fix woman’s leaky roof left by scammer
Remodeling
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Mapping future of Cathedral District St. John’s partners with ULI for plan
By Carole Hawkins Staff Writer
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
A crew from Stonebridge Construction Services installed a new roof yesterday on the home of Robin Harris, a 57-year-old grandmother who was scammed twice before by contractors. The Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Remodelers Council found out about the problem and organized the work free of charge to Harris.
Photo by Carole Hawkins
It’s been almost three years since Robin Harris had a roof that didn’t leak. Not that she let the problem go. The 57-year-old school bus contractor and grandmother of 12 already paid to fix it. Twice. The third time, it was free. The Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Remodelers Council on Tuesday brought roofing shingles, gutters, drywall and a couple dozen pairs of hands to fix the leaking, water-damaged home. The work day was co-sponsored by Builders Care, NEFBA’s charitable arm. After so much disappointment, Harris could hardly muster excitement one week before the build. By the day of the project, though, she felt differently. “I am so happy,” she said. “I’ve cried and cried until my cheeks were swollen. I cannot believe this is really happening.” Nathan Moore, chairman of the Remodelers Council, said, “There are good contractors out there. But then, you hear stories that cast a negative light on all of us.” He called Harris a genuinely good person who had been through a lot. “I want people to see that what goes around comes around,” he said. Three years ago, Harris was sitting in her kitchen during a rainstorm when she noticed water trickling down the wall. The first contractor she hired to repair it charged $7,500. He installed the shingles improperly and went out of business before Harris could have him correct it. The second contractor had her take out a $20,000 mortgage to pay him upfront. He said he would replace her roof and repair her water-damaged bathrooms, bedrooms, living room and back doorway. He spent months making excuses for rain and subcontractors he hadn’t paid. He repaired drywall and put a tarp on the roof.
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Imagine a neighborhood where you could live, work, shop, participate in the arts and worship — all within walking distance of your front door. That’s the vision for The Cathedral District, based on a strategic plan developed by the Urban Land Institute North Florida District Council. It’s also the vision that’s been held by the Very Rev. Kate Moorehead since she became dean of St. John’s Cathedral nearly seven years ago. “ULI gave us the path we can walk on. It’s exactly what we need,” she said. A two-day analysis was performed Jan. 12-13 by a sevenmember ULI Technical Assistance Panel of professionals in architecture, landuse planning, law and marketing. The area defined as The Cathedral District is bordered on the north by State Moorehead Street, on the east by Hogan’s Creek, on the south by Adams Street and on the west by Main Street. At its center, on what was known more than a century ago as Billy Goat Hill, is St. John’s Cathedral. The church’s legacy goes back to 1829, when the first Episcopal services in Jacksonville were held along the bank of the St. Johns River. The church’s first building was dedicated in 1851. It was burned down during the Civil War and its successor was destroyed along with almost all of Downtown in the Great Fire of 1901. The current Gothic Revival church was designated in 1951 as the first cathedral in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. Cathedral
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A whim led Kennelly to create video company Some people put a lot of thought into their college major. For Chris Kennelly, it was more of a whim. A quick choice under pressure that he based on his love for television. As an incoming freshman at the University of Florida, Kennelly said he had to immediately declare a major. Truth be told, he had put more thought into where he was going to college versus what he would study. Kennelly had applied only to Southern schools after too many winters in Connecticut. The University of Florida had
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been his first choice, but now he had another decision to make. As he looked through a book at possible majors, he saw television production as one of the many options. “I love TV,” he told himself that day in 1999. “Let’s give it a shot.” That shot turned out to be a career. One that led him to start Kennetic Productions, a small but mighty video production company whose clients include powerhouses like EverBank, Baptist Health, Fidelity National Information Services and Watson Realty Corp. For Kennelly, the company serves as a visual storyteller for its clients, to show their heart and
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mission through videos. It’s a business he’s as passionate about now as he was the day he celebrated with fist pumps after getting his first paycheck just over a dozen years ago.
‘Young and kind of stupid’ entrepreneur
The University of Florida was an easy choice for Kennelly. His parents had planned to move to Palm Coast after he graduated from high school. That 90 minutes from the Gainesville school was the perfect distance, he said. Close enough to be an easy drive to visit, but far enough that there were no Workspace continued on Page A-7
Photo by Marilyn Young
By Marilyn Young Editor
Chris Kennelly started Kennetic Productions after graduating from the University of Florida.
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