by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Though slow to start, downtown living space promises to be an upward trend before too long.
At the W.A. Knight Building lofts ribbon cutting ceremony Monday, the men and women who have been working behind the scenes of the residential push expressed nothing but optimism for the future.
Lisa King of LB Jax Development, the company responsible for the renovation, said the building has leased nearly half of 12 the apartments — she estimated that they will be full by June — and that they have been shown on a regular basis.
“We have a lot of people from urban cities like New York and Washington, D.C. coming to us,” said King. “They all say the same thing: ‘Do you know how much these would cost in New York?’ ” Lofts in the building typically rent from anywhere between $700 and $1,200 a month.
“We’re looking for pioneers who are willing take the risk of being the first people living down here,” said Kirk Wendland, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. “Once we have them, the retail market will follow.”
Wendland, who has been working closely on the project alongside LB Jax Development, added that the lofts have a unique aspect that potential tenants won’t find in another part of Jacksonville.
“A complex on the Southside can’t compete,” he said. “We’ve worked really hard to maintain the historic integrity of the building.”
Howard Holloway, the building’s first tenant was living in New York before coming to Jacksonville. He never considered himself a pioneer, he was just looking for convenience and a nice neighborhood.
“I thought it was a joke,” he said, “but there really isn’t anyone else down here yet. But I love my apartment, it’s home.”