by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Major repairs inside the Laura Trio haven’t started yet. However, its new owners say they will make the exterior shine.
Acquired by the Police and Fire Pension Fund late last year, the Bisbee, Marble Bank and Florida Life Buildings at the corner of Laura and Adams streets are slated to undergo a complete overhaul. Fund administrator John Keane isn’t sure when demolition efforts will begin but has permission to paint and pressure wash the historic buildings.
“In response to the City’s request to clean up downtown for the Super Bowl, we are doing our best to improve the look of the buildings,” Keane said.
In addition, Keane said the buildings will soon be illuminated at night.
“Despite all the deterioration that has taken place inside, they are still among the most beautiful buildings downtown,” he said. “We should be showcasing them the way they were intended.”
Still undetermined is when work will begin to enclose a shattered skylight in the Marble Bank — once the headquarters of the Florida National Bank, which now is part of Wachovia after several mergers and acquisitions.
The Fund applied for a permit Jan. 3, but is still waiting on City approval. “We’re waiting, but we should have it soon,” he said.
The Fund has paid for all work that has taken place so far. However, in August Keane said he would likely apply for a Historic Trust Fund Grant to help complete the project.
“We’ve paid for everything out of our pocket,” Keane said, “but other parties who have attempted to renovate the buildings have had the City’s help.”
If possible, the Fund will renovate the buildings for mixed-residential use. Originally, Signet Development was charged with transforming the buildings into an office complex but after months of little to no work, Mayor John Peyton halted those plans, saying downtown’s need for more office space had dwindled and that the City wanted to take the buildings in a different direction.