by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The City’s “Official Band” has moved to an Arlington strip shopping center as the mayor’s office ponders the fate of the historic downtown church the band still tentatively calls home.
The City Council discussed Tuesday ways to help the band retain ownership of Snyder Music Hall, but Kirk Wendland, the managing director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission said that wasn’t likely to happen.
“All the indications are that the dollars aren’t there to do that,” said Wendland. “If they come in tomorrow with a plan to pay off their liens and remaining construction and produce consistent revenue then you could say it’s possible, but from what I’ve seen, the hopes that that is going to be possible are pretty dim.”
Wendland has been working for months with City Chief Financial Officer Walt Bussells and the band to work out the band’s money issues, which include $250,000 owed to contractors, $800,000 left in construction on Snyder and a lack of revenue brought on largely by uncertainty, surrounding the band’s future in the music hall.
The RCB has yet to pay down $650,000 loaned by the City in July 2000, using Community Development Block Grants. The City has given the band a two–year extension on starting $133,000 annual payments, but the band has not been able to make a dent in its debt.
RCB president Dick Brown, also mayor of Neptune Beach, said the band would continue no matter the outcome of negotiations with the City. However, he said the situation had made it impossible to raise money.
Wendland said the City would likely make its decision in the next two weeks. The City could call in the loan, effectively foreclosing on the band and giving title of the property to Oceanside Bank of Jacksonville Beach. Oceanside CEO Barry Chandler said taking over Snyder was “an option we don’t want to see happen.” Wendland said the City wanted make sure “the right owner” had possession of the former church, bordering Hemming Plaza.
“What we don’t want to say is ‘who cares?’ We want a say in what the use is going to be, we want a say in what happens to that property.
As the City has examined the situation, Wendland said taking ownership of the property has become increasingly unattractive. Brown said he proposed leasing Snyder from City owners, but Wendland said the band’s debt owed to the building made that scenario unlikely. The JEDC told the band it would need to see a comprehensive restructuring plan to take over the building. So far that hasn’t happened said Wendland.
“I haven’t seen a whole lot of progress from them other than the continual requests to forgive the note. We were pretty clear that wasn’t an option,” said Wendland.
Dick Brown’s wife Elaine, the Council vice president announced at the Finance Committee meeting that the City had declined to extend the band’s grace period, forcing it out of Snyder. She said the City was breaking a promise to the band.
She said the band’s focus on restoring Snyder had eaten up most of its revenue.
“They did exactly what we asked them to, and now they’ve moved out after putting $1 million into that building,” said Brown. “They asked for some help, but the JEDC did not see fit, and the mayor’s office did not see fit, to extend the loan.
“I’m a little angry today, because in downtown right now we have a closed church on Laura Street. I just thought I’d bring that up.”
The Council discussed putting together a subcommittee to investigate ways to help the band, which could include a grant from the dwindling Historic Downtown Trust Fund or turning the loan into a grant.
Dick Brown said the band relocated after expired electrical permits forced the City to shut off Snyder’s power. He said the decision to cut power was “totally understandable,” and said the City and the contractors had worked with the band to keep power on after the band fell behind on construction payments.
Brown said the band has been approved for a $325,000 State Historic Preservation Board grant this year. Most of that money, however, is already owed to contractors. Brown said the band fell behind on payments when State grants fell through last year.
The band’s music director, Mike Davis, said he still held out hope that something could be worked out with the City to keep the band in Snyder, even if not as the primary tenant.
“The City was there with us at one time. We all had a dream that this could happen,” said Davis. “Unfortunately this was just a dream that didn’t come true.”