The city issued a permit May 26 for Ronin Contractors LLC to demolish the interior of the Downtown Independent Life Building in the North Core at a cost of $1 million.
Interior demolition includes removing lead and asbestos, nonload-bearing walls and two elevators.
The 19-story building is at 233 W. Duval St. Property records show it was built in 1955.
Ronin Contractors is based in Green Cove Springs.
On Jan. 26, the Jacksonville City Council approved a $3 million historic preservation grant for Augustine Development Group LLC’s proposed $30 million renovation.
The grant from the city’s Historic Preservation Trust Fund will help finance Augustine Development subsidiary PEP10 LLC’s plans for a 135-unit apartment development.
The company plans a 21,000-square-foot grocery store on the ground floor, a 10,000-square-foot restaurant and an executive sky lounge.
There are plans for studio, one- and two-bedroom units on floors two through 16 at an average size of 700 to 750 square feet.
The Downtown Development Review Board approved Dasher Hurst Architects’ design in December.
According to Dasher Hurst, the proposed restoration was waiting for final approval from the National Park Service, which regulates historic preservation projects in federally designated historic districts, including Downtown Jacksonville.
The DDRB staff report in December said the developer received a tentative certificate of appropriateness from the city Historic Preservation Commission on the restoration plans.
The former Independent Life and Accident Insurance Co. home office building was used by its namesake company and then by city-owned utility JEA as its headquarters from 1976 through the mid-1990s. It has since been vacant.
Augustine Development Group President Bryan Greiner and investment partner DLP Capital LLC bought the building Sept. 30, 2019, for $3.7 million.
On the exterior, Augustine Development Group plans to clean and replace broken glass and add a reproduction of the original “Independent” sign at the top of the building.
The spire rising above the roof will be restored and reilluminated, according to site plans.
The streetscape and pedestrian walkways also will be redeveloped.
The proposed restoration requires approval from the National Park Service, which regulates historic preservation projects in federally designated historic districts like Downtown Jacksonville.
Steve Kelley, Downtown Investment Authority director of real estate and development, said May 27 the National Park Service awarded conditional approval Sept. 30 for the redevelopment of the Independent Life Building.
Staff Writer Mike Mendenhall contributed to this report.
