by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Hoping to capitalize on downtown’s continued revitalization, Downtown Vision, Inc. announced this week plans to highlight the untapped resources that could aid in the redevelopment of many of the area’s oldest buildings.
The Historic Designation and Tax Credit meeting will take place on Monday, Aug. 22 at the Aetna Building - South Shore Group on the Southbank.
DVI business development manager Amy Harrell said the meeting will target downtown property owners and potential investors who may not be aware of various historic redevelopment incentive programs already in existence.
City Council member Suzanne Jenkins as well as representatives from the City’s Planning Department and the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission will be on hand, Harrell said, to shed some light on those programs.
Andrew Ham, principal in Urban Trust, LLC, a private company that works with other organizations to levy tax credits to establish equity, will also be present. For more than 10 years, Urban Trust has worked across the Southeast on similar initiatives.
“There are a lot of options out there that, in many cases, the property owners themselves aren’t even aware of,” Harrell said. “Programs including (the City’s) Historic Preservation Trust Fund and other tax abatement and credit programs are specifically designed to help restore those properties and, really, the entire area in the process.”
The City’s efforts to enable designation of federal historic
districts within the downtown urban core will be discussed.
Harrell was unsure of exactly how many properties downtown would be eligible to receive any type of public
assistance, though properties including the Greenleaf and old Barnett Bank Buildings on Laura Street would likely qualify on some levels, she said.
“We’ve been getting a lot of calls about this issue for some time, calls from people who want to invest in downtown and help in its revitalization,” Harrell said. “The goal of this meeting is to show that there may be funds out there that can help.
“There are so many buildings downtown, whether vacant or under contract, that may qualify.”
To attend the meeting, RSVP to DVI at 634-0303.