TUESDAY February 25, 2020
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
DEVELOPMENT
First Baptist Church will fight local Daily Record landmark designation for building JACKSONVILLE
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An artist’s rendering of the $136 million project proposed by Spandrel for The Ford on Bay area Downtown.
DIA OKs Spandrel plan for The Ford on Bay
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
Church plans to demolish the structure, says designation would derail its plans to consolidate Downtown campus. BY MIKE MENDENHALL
BY MIKE MENDENHALL
STAFF WRITER
STAFF WRITER
A Jacksonville Planning and Development Department report could lead to a local landmark designation for a First Baptist Church building Downtown and halt its demolition. Church leaders say the move would derail plans to consolidate its 13.7-acre Downtown campus to a single city block. First Baptist Senior Pastor Heath Lambert said the church wo u l d ta ke legal action to challenge local landmark status if it is approved by Lambert City Council. The report issued Feb. 21 says the 93-yearold, six-story structure at 125 W. Duval St. may meet six of the seven criteria used by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission to determine landmark status. First Baptist wants to demolish the building to make way for a welcome center that would serve as a connective space and the 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 church project to renovate and redevelop the 1.53-acres into “The Hobson Block.” In December, First Baptist hired
FIRST BAPTIST PLANS
First Baptist Church wants to build a welcome center, above, on the site of its building at 125 W. Duval St.
JACKSONVILLE
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real estate firm CBRE Jacksonville to market and sell 11.29 acres of its Downtown campus to address declining attendance and rising maintenance costs on its aging Downtown facilities. First Baptist representatives met with city Planning and Development staff Jan. 9 before the church applied for a demolition permit Jan. 29. The Historic Preservation Commission will meet at 3 p.m.
Feb. 26 to consider whether to support the demolition permit or recommend the local landmark designation to Council. Also known as the Education Building and First Baptist Sunday School Building, it’s classified as a contributing structure to the National Register of Historic Places Downtown Historic District. Among the findings, the report determined the building has links
to people and institutions with historic significance to the city, Florida and U.S., as well as architectural significance. The report also states the exterior of the building is “basically sound” and suitable for preservation. “It’s got a lot of history,” said Christian Popoli, city planner supervisor for the Community Planning Division, Historic PresSEE FIRST BAPTIST, PAGE 2
The Downtown Investment Authority on Feb. 21 unanimously approved a $136 million bid by New York-based Spandrel Development Partners LLC to build a mixed-use retail and multifamily development at The Ford on Bay. The developer proposes a two-phase project with 520 apartments and up to 74,000 square feet of retail space at the former Duval County Courthouse and City Hall sites at 220 and 330 E. Bay St. Downtown. A development agreement could go before the DIA in April. The DIA will work on a development agreement with Spandrel, crafted to work around the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront’s first right of refusal for the parcel at 220 E. Bay St. north of the hotel. The DIA does not have an agreement with Hyatt for the property. Phase I of the development at 330 E. Bay St. can proceed without the hotel’s approval. Spandrel Acquisition and Development Associate Benjamin Scharf said Feb. 11 that Phase I would comprise 279 residential units and 40,000 square feet of retail space anchored by a 10,000-square-foot riverfront restaurant.
Pingpong restaurant Smash closes Smash, the pingpong restaurant and bar at 8206 Philips Highway in Baymeadows Junction, closed Feb. 23. News of the closure was first reported by Jacksonville Daily Record news partner News4Jax.com. “Thank you to every person who visited and every group that held events and enjoyed our unique and interactive restaurant. We appreciate your business and time,” the restaurant said in a statement on its website. The 13,000-square-foot space opened in November 2018 with 20 pingpong tables, two bars, a kitchen and restaurant seating for 265 people.
VOLUME 107, NO. 70 • ONE SECTION