by Bailey White
Staff Writer
From downtown to the Southbank to Riverside to San Marco. Whether it is restoration and renovation or a new building, housing seems to be sprouting on almost every block
Berkman Plaza, the Parks at the Cathedral and the W.A. Knight Building have already seen their first tenants. And with so many more housing projects slated to finish within a year or two, the dream of a 24-hour downtown soon may be a reality.
“We’re right there now. It’s really starting to happen, but it’s hard to predict [what the future will be],” said Jim Citrano, managing director at CB Richard Ellis and chairman of the Downtown Development Authority. “A lot will get finished in the next six months like 11 E. Forsyth and Berkman Plaza will be filling up. The Strand will be huge and it will be a true test of whether housing will work on both the Northbank and the Southbank. In a year we will have a much better idea.”
Here’s a look at the downtown residential projects:
W.A. Knight Building
113 W. Adams St.
Two of the 12 loft apartments have been leased in the former commercial space. Langton Associates developed the lofts, which range in size from 705 to 967 square feet. The apartments run from $700 a month to $1,090 a month, and each one is unique. Rent includes a parking space in a garage at Main and Bay streets. A model apartment has been set up and tours are available. Lisa King of Langton Associates said a lease is pending on one of the two commercial spaces available on the first floor of the building.
Berkman Plaza
400 E. Bay St.
Berkman Plaza offers a variety of housing options. There are 198 one, two and three bedroom apartments, ranging from 770-1,800 square feet and from $850 to $2,095 a month in rent. Eight two-story penthouse units start at $3,800 a month and have a little over 2,280 square feet per unit. Twenty riverfront townhomes are $595,000 each and have a minimum of 1,900 square feet. Estimated occupancy is 40 percent. Residents also have access to Portabella’s restaurant and the Daryl Powers Day Spa in the lobby.
11 E. Forsyth St.
The former American Heritage Life Insurance Building is being renovated by Vestcor Companies into 127 loft apartments. One, two and three bedroom units are available for $700 to $900 a month. They range in size from 500-700 square feet. Commercial and retail space is planned for the first floor. A parking garage for residents is under construction at the corner of West Adams and Main streets. The first tenants are expected by next summer.
Home Street Lofts
Ocean Boulevard Development is handling the renovation of the Luther Rice Seminary Building on the corner of Hendricks Avenue and Home Street in San Marco. Prices of the high-end condominiums range from $195,000 to $400,000. Eight of the 12 units have been sold, leaving three penthouse units and one first floor unit available. Though the original finish date was March, Margie Petitt of Lifestyles Realty said that has been pushed back until May. “But no later than that,” she said. Loft-style units will feature Bosch appliances, exposed beams and granite fixtures.
Flagler Avenue Lofts
1450 Flagler Ave.
A former San Marco elementary school is being transformed into 38 loft apartments by Cesery Companies. The company purchased the building, which has been used as administrative offices, a book depository and classrooms for FCCJ, from the Duval County School Board in August 2001. The 48,000 square-foot building sits on two acres and will be divided into live/work units ranging from 500-1,400 square feet. The building, which was built in 1916, is undergoing renovations now, but developers have not held a ground breaking and the building won’t be ready for occupancy until some time next year.
Park Lofts at Hogan’s Creek
115 W. Second St.
Jim Brewer, an Atlanta-based developer, will oversee construction on an apartment building formally owned by the Jacobs family in Springfield. The building was built around 1900 and will have six condominiums available by February. Because it is so early in the project, Brewer isn’t sure of the price of units, but they will be high-end with Bosch appliance and exposed bricks. The two bedroom/two bath units are surrounded by other renovated homes.
Luxury Villas in San Marco
A short stroll from San Marco Square, these six townhomes are being converted from 12 one-bedroom apartments. Three of the units, which are in the preconstruction phase, start at $331,425 and have been spoken for. Contracts are expected to be signed soon, which will allow the owners to customize their units, which range from 1,500-1,650 square feet. Developer Richard Cook says the 1950s building will go through vast changes in appearance. Plans call for a spring completion date.
The Strand at St. Johns
Southbank
Situated on the St. Johns River, The Strand will feature two high rise apartment buildings with 700 residential units. A third tower on Riverplace Boulevard will be used for commercial purposes. The developer is American Land Housing Ventures, a Miami-based firm. Construction could start by early next year. Rent is expected to run between $1,000-2,000 a month, with some penthouses costing $2,500 a month.
The Shipyards
950 E. Bay St.
This project, which will have construction workers busy for the next 10 years and will convert 44.7 acres of property along the St. Johns River into commercial, residential and office use. The first phase of the project, One Shipyard Place, which should be finished before the City hosts the 2005 Super Bowl, features 100 condominium flats and townhouses, ranging in price from $450,000 to $1.3 million. Residents should be able to move in to their units, which range in size from 1,500 to 2,564 square feet, by early 2004. Units range from one bedroom/one bath to 3 bedrooms/3.5 baths. A spokesperson for TriLegacy, the group overseeing development, said 47 of the 100 units are spoken for, putting the group only three short of the number of sales needed to get full bank financing. The group is hoping to reach that number by Thanksgiving. The second phase may not be complete until the end of 2008 and will include 388 units in three high-rise condominium towers, 24 live/work units and 58 townhouses. The construction currently underway is on the bulkhead and will provide a foundation for the condos.
Villa Riva
Riverside Avenue and Stockton Street
A 13-story tower with Mediterranean architecture which will feature 64 condominiums ranging in space from 2,220 to 3,000 square feet. There also will be six townhomes in the complex, ranging from 2,000-2,500 square feet. Flagship Communities is handling the permitting process for the buildings and expects to have floor plans available in early 2003.
The Parks at the Cathedral
Church, Liberty, Ashley and Market streets
All 63 of these townhomes are complete, with a little finishing work left in a few of the units. Realtors have sold 20 units, and another 18 sales are pending. Mary Beth Strots, a senior vice president with Bank of America, said they are seeing a couple sales each week and the townhomes, which range in size from 1,800-2,280 square feet, are attracting a wide mix of people, many of whom previously lived in other parts of Jacksonville. Prices range from $136,000-$165,000. Most units have two bedrooms/two baths, and a few have an extra room which can be used as a bedroom.