by Bailey White
Staff Writer
How much work will developers have to do on the Bisbee, Marble Bank and Florida Life buildings? A tour through the currently empty buildings indicates it could be a daunting task.
A leaky roof, and in some places a crumbling ceiling, have made plaster mush on areas of the floor, and abandoned furniture and papers are everywhere.
Despite the problems, richly patterned tile work and hardwood is found on many floors throughout the buildings. The high ceilings of the Marble Bank give the lobby a feeling of grandeur and there is intricate iron work above the elevators and up winding staircases of the Bisbee and Florida National Bank buildings. Large windows offer magnificent views of downtown.
Before Signet Development, the company selected to renovate the buildings into Laura Place, can get to work on the restoring and developing of the trio of historic buildings into office, residential and commercial space, developers will meet with the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission to discuss plans for the project.
“We’re sitting down, trying to come up with terms of our participation, performance measurement,” said Kirk Wendland, executive director of the JEDC. “There is still quite a bit of work. Not six months of work, but nothing before 2003.”
Once plans are finalized, Signet will go before the JEDC, the Downtown Development Authority and City Council seeking final approval for the project.