by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
The land which has supported the City Hall Annex for the past 43 years could provide the bedrock for a bustling Jacksonville downtown community.
But the composition of that bedrock is still anyone’s guess.
“There are no [specific] plans that I know of now,” said Sam Mousa, who works for Mayor John Peyton. “There have been proposals for redevelopment in the distant past for the Annex and the courthouse. I’m not sure anything’s on the horizon now.”
The 15-story Annex, which opened in October 1960 with approximately 150,000 square feet of usable space, was the focal point for City government for 37 years. That focus shifted in 1997 when many City officials moved into the St. James Building at Hemming Plaza. The former department store and office building became the new government center following a $26 million renovation project, part of the River City Renaissance program.
In the process, the City acquired 345,000 square feet of office space.
It wasn’t the first time City offices had been spun off. A demand for additional space in the 1980s prompted a $9.7 million renovation of the Claude J. Yates Building, which had been a courthouse before it served as a bank.
The building, at 231 E. Forsyth St., also acquired wings on either side during construction. The City wound up with a total of 96,000 square feet of additional space. Work began in the summer of 1988; City employees started moving in during October 1989.
“Mayor John Delaney always envisioned the Riverfront being developed in a creative, attractive way that would generate income for the community,” said Audrey Moran, who was the mayor’s chief of staff. “His intention has been to get the most creative minds around the Southeast working on it. I expect the Peyton administration will issue another Request for Proposals for that site.”
Requests for Proposals are typically returned within one or two months, she added. The Downtown Development Authority would take the lead in identifying the best use.
“There is no preconceived notion about what should go there,” said Moran. “But that is prime property, and we need to get it back on the tax rolls.”
Fred Cummer, president of HBE Corp., which owns the adjoining Adam’s Mark Hotel, said he will do his part when the City submits its best idea for consideration.
“We are not looking at anything in particular,” he said. “We will work with the City in any way we can.”
A development agreement with Adam’s Mark gives HBE Corp. the first right of refusal for future use of the Annex.
The company, with headquarters in St. Louis, primarily builds hospitals and financial institutions.
Donald Dickhens, general manager of the Adam’s Mark, has an idea that he believes would benefit the community as a whole and downtown in particular.
“I think they should take the courthouse, the parking lot and the Annex and turn it all into a convention center,” said Dickhens. “It makes so much sense [in light of the downtown revitalization plan]. You would have a convention center right on the river, next to the biggest hotel.”
If the building were to be sold and not demolished, one consideration would be the cost of upgrading it to meet modern standards, said Fire Marshal Ted Holmes.
“If it were being built today, it would be required to have all the required safety measures,” he said. “And if there were any asbestos issues, those would have to be corrected, too.
No more than a handful of offices remain in the building, including the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Downtown Development Authority, the City’s Building and Zoning departments, Better Jacksonville, and a portion of the State Attorney’s.
There may be some general ideas floating around for the Annex’s future use, but the specifics are elusive.
“Downtown is of particular interest to the mayor-elect,” said Susie Wiles, spokesperson for Peyton. “Certainly, the Annex sits on a prime parcel of downtown real estate that deserves the highest and best use.
“As we move forward, along with the DDA and other City agencies dedicated to downtown, we will look at the Annex closely and carefully.”
Under the heading of “The Annex’s Future” is “a blank sheet of paper,” said Michael Munz of the Bay Street Town Center Project. “The new administration is going to have a great opportunity to decide what is the best and highest use of that property.”