Developers Marc Peter Kozman and Magdi Samuel said they are working through the selection of a general contractor and hope to renovate the former FBI building in Arlington into 118 apartments “as soon as possible.”
“Jacksonville is a nice town,” said Kozman, who is based near Toronto, on Sept. 18 during a visit to Jacksonville.
“It made good sense to us.”
Kozman said Jacksonville offers a diversified economy and doesn’t rely on tourism.
“We can see the work Downtown,” he said, and the area offers a good school system and a marketplace that attracts students and young professionals.
“It’s an attractive market,” he said.
The project architect is Fisher Koppenhafer.
Previously filed plans show the building will be converted into 70 one-bedroom and 48 two-bedroom units. Plans show a gym, recreation areas, amenities and a courtyard.
City Council enacted Ordinance 2020-0295 for rezoning and 2020-0294 for the land use change Aug. 11.
Kozman rezoned the property from community commercial/general-2 and community, residential and office to a planned unit development.
The land use changed from commercial and office categories to high-density residential.
The Halff Associates Inc. engineering and architecture consulting firm applied to the St. Johns River Water Management District for a permit exemption that involves redeveloping the commercial office building at 7820 Arlington Expressway into low-income housing.
Kozman said his group is not targeting any specific market for renters but is aware of the area’s demographics. He said rents will be in line with the neighborhood.
The Water Management District application limited site work to landscape islands in the existing parking lot. The district said a permit is not required.
Kozman Realty Inc. paid $1.2 million for the vacant building, according to a deed executed Sept. 26, 2019. It conveyed the property in July to a related group, Theotokos Holdings LLC. Samuel is a partner.
The city approved interior demolition in November.
The six-story, 90,000-square-foot building was developed in 1975 on a 4.79-acre site.
Kozman has a registration mailing address in Jacksonville Beach.
In a Feb. 19 written description, Halff Associates, represented by Joe Loretta, said the project is expected to be completed in one phase in 12-15 months.
It said it is a redevelopment of the former office building along with 5,675 square feet of storage and maintenance buildings. The minimum 17,700 square feet of nonresidential floor area, including amenities and storage, would be for resident use only.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation leased the building for the Jacksonville field office until the bureau moved in 2009 to a government-owned structure at 6061 Gate Parkway. The building sat largely vacant after the FBI relocated.
The LoopNet.com commercial real estate site said previously the Class C office building has been vandalized and without power, “adding to the demise of its visible condition.”
The site said the building could be useful to “a savvy value-add investor” who would recognize it has a better use or could be held for development.
“It seemed like an opportunity to serve the community,” Kozman said.
“Everybody needs somewhere to live.”
Kozman said he was preparing to submit for a building permit, likely as the 7820 Arlington Apartments until his group comes up with a name.