by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Private enterprise and local preservation groups have battled over the fate of Brewster Hospital for years. By next month, that struggle will end in a draw.
At one time the city’s only African-American medical facility, the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission recommended last month that Brewster be moved a block and half away to make room for a new medical facility in LaVilla.
As part of that ruling, the City will spend about $1 million from two existing LaVilla redevelopment accounts to cover renovation and restoration costs.
“I’m sorry that it will have to move, but at least the funds to restore it have been put in place,” said City Council member Glorious Johnson.
Since her term began approximately a year ago, Johnson has lobbied hard to keep the locally designated landmark at its original location.
She and other Brewster advocates argued that moving the abandoned structure would not only weaken its foundation, but also disqualify it from receiving federal and State grants.
“We need that money. We need those grants,” said Johnson. “We’ve been told by the State that if we move it, we’ll be put at the bottom of the list behind other historical properties in need of funding.”
City attorneys confirmed the limited funding would not be available after relocating Brewster.
“That’s basically the way it works,” said Jason Teal, an attorney in the General Counsel’s Office. “Knowing that, the Historic Preservation Commission said, ‘You can move it, but the City has to commit to restoring it, too.”
Until now, the City has only been responsible for “maintaining” Brewster and making it structurally secure.
“Now what the City is going to have to do is provide funding for the major work that’s going to take place,” said Teal.
Adding that relocation costs are already a City responsibility, Teal said the two accounts targeted for the Brewster renovation will be empty after the project is completed.
“We’ll have to issue a (Request for Proposals), but eventually the City is going to have to redo all of Brewster’s structural and utility components,” he said, “basically update it so that it can meet general requirements,” he said.
No moving date has been scheduled, and representatives from the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission said that until the Council approves legislation to remodel Brewster, that won’t change.
“We really can’t comment beyond that,” said JEDC spokesperson Jean Moyer. “The Council will have to pass that bill before we can do anything.”
A future use for Brewster also remains unclear. Johnson said she would like to see it be used as a museum or welcome center for tourists.