by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
The thing about attending the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors Downtown Council meetings is that they are never boring. You always visit a new, usually not overly publicized location; you get to meet eclectic downtown Realtors, lenders and attorneys and you get a free lunch.
Sam Morgan, of Lifestyles Realtors and chair of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors’ Downtown Neighborhood Council of Realtors, said they generally have about 30-40 Realtors and affiliates who have an interest in urban growth and renewal.
This past month, the Realtors gathered at the Adams Street Station, railroad car entertainment suites, to hear the history behind the office condominium development and take a tour of the condominiums themselves.
The 25 cars are on Adams Street within walking distance of the Jacksonville Sports & Entertainment District including Alltel Stadium, Metropolitan Park & Marina, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.
“Adams Street Station was a natural choice for one of our meetings due to its location [downtown] and the history of the railcars,” said Morgan.
Realtor Sherrie Braxton, who is marketing the site, and historian Bill Sistare, owner and developer of one of the Grand Salon suites, were on hand to give information about the site to the guests. Adams Street Station, LLC is the developer of the site.
“Zoning doesn’t allow residents, but once you buy it you can do whatever you want with it,” said Braxton. “You can spend the entire weekend in your suite, but we just can’t sell them as residential units. You can use them for office space, entertaining for your own personal events or you can lease them out for parties going on downtown. They are all beautiful.”
There is one car the Realtors were able to visit that hasn’t been renovated yet. It gave them a feel of where the railcars have been and the history involved.
The suites come with bedrooms, bathrooms, full kitchens, optional full screen televisions and gas fireplace, satellite television, central heat and air, storage areas and sitting areas.
The site has controlled entry access, reserved parking, covered pavilion for larger gatherings, parties and live entertainment, raised terrace for additional outdoor entertainment space and period-style lighting and signage for
authentic station-like feel.
Prices for the railcars range from $243,000 to $435,000. Four have been sold mainly to corporations and multiple buyers who want to share use of the unit.
They have three styles to choose from including a Caboose, Grand Salon and Parlor suites.
“The railcars of Adams Street Station were all once part of working railroads,” said Braxton of the railcars, which came from railcar systems such as Chessie System, Seaboard Coast Line and Southern Pacific. “Their histories are captured through authentic color schemes and careful preservation. Their conversion to modern-day entertainment suites gives you the chance to personalize the interior of the car to your exact tastes.”