A block of Jacksonville’s Downtown Cathedral District could become active again if a developer can get past timing, financing and preservation issues.
Community Connections of Jacksonville Inc. occupied the 1.5-acre site at Duval, Liberty and Church streets and Shields Place.
Originally the YWCA, Community Connections operated at 325 E. Duval St., next to Saint John’s Cathedral. It shut down in December because of financial struggles.
Because the charity is no longer operating, the property is facing foreclosure from the city.
In 1995, the Florida Housing Finance Corp. awarded Community Connections a $288,200 State Apartment Incentive Loan to rehab the building.
The terms of the deal were extended in 2011. The city holds the first lien.
According to letters from Mayor Lenny Curry’s former chief of staff, Kerri Stewart, to the Florida Housing Finance Corp. in April, Chase Properties wants to buy the land and existing debt with hopes to redevelop the block into a residential mixed-use project.
A document with the sale modification indicted the developer would set aside some of the units for affordable housing.
Community Connections Chair Jerry Mallot confirmed that the land had a serious buyer in Chase Properties but declined to comment further.
There are a few issues that could stop the deal.
One of the first steps involved changing a 65-year-old land use restriction agreement on the deed, which required that the building be used only as housing for the homeless.
The Florida Housing Finance Corp. approved the change at its May 5 board meeting in Tallahassee.
The proposal then went to the city Historic Preservation Commission meeting April 26, where it received pushback from several commissioners.
Chase Properties wants to demolish the 45,000-square-foot structure, built in 1949 for the YWCA, to make room for the new project.
The land is considered a contributing property in the Downtown Jacksonville Historic District as listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and any demolition requires approval by the Historic Preservation Commission.
The commission can deny demolition if a structure meets at least four of seven standards set for historic properties.
Commissioners use the criteria to determine whether a property should be given a historic landmark designation.
Joel McEachin, city planning supervisor with the Historic Preservation Section of the Planning and Development Department, told the commission that the building meets at least three of those criteria.
First, the building is a “significant reminder of the cultural, historical, architectural or archaeological heritage of the city” because it was the home of the longstanding charity that focused on helping women and children.
It also is “identified as the work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the city.”
The architect, Jefferson Davis Powell, also is responsible for the design of other historic buildings in Jacksonville.
The builder, Owen Preston Woodcock, is considered “one of Jacksonville’s most prolific builders during the first half of the 20th century,” according to McEachin.
Finally, McEachin told the commission, the Colonial Revival-style building is “suitable for preservation or restoration” since it hasn’t had significant exterior alterations other than a $1.8 million upgrade in 1995.
At least two commissioners said they believe the building meets additional standards, too, although those were not added to the recommendations presented by McEachin.
At the April meeting Ginny Myrick with Cathedral District Jax Inc., a nonprofit focused on the area, said the pending foreclosure means timing is critical to the project.
“If we’re stopped right here, I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get through the due diligence period,” she told the commission.
Myrick said another plan is expected to be presented at the Historic Preservation Commission meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday. She declined further comment.
Michael Balanky, president of Chase Properties Inc., told the commission in April the deal wouldn’t be financially viable if he’s required to keep the building as is since he has serious concerns about the state of the interior and where it sits on the city block.
The current layout shows three floors and a basement, with more than 70 single rooms at 100 square feet each.
Balanky declined to comment pending the Wednesday meeting.
Myrick and Balanky withdrew their application to demolish the building in April, and chose not to have it denied.
If the Historic Preservation Commission denies a new plan, the issue could be appealed to City Council — a move Myrick said wasn’t ideal.