by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Interior demolition efforts continue inside The Bisbee, Marble Bank and Florida Life buildings downtown.
Although the buildings, known as the Laura Trio, won’t be ready for occupancy for some time, it seems one structure in particular is already standing out among its historic counterparts.
According to project principals The Police and Fire Pension Fund, the Marble Bank building is already generating a fair amount of buzz from some of the city’s top financial institutions.
“Due to the nature of that corner and the fact that that building served as bank for so many years, it’s logical to think that it could function as a bank again,” said Richard Cohee, assistant fund administrator. “We do plan to court the financial institutions, which are as excited about this project as we are, because as we move forward in revitalizing the complex we would like a bank to serve as an anchor tenant.”
Cohee declined to name the prospects, though at least one well-known bank has made public its interest in the Marble Bank for some time.
AmSouth Bank President Marty Lanahan said that while AmSouth already has a downtown headquarters on Bay Street, anything is possible.
“We continue to explore all our options downtown,” Lanahan said. “It is a beautiful building and we have been interested in it for a long time. It’s a part of Jacksonville history.”
Whether or not it would be relocated one block north to the Marble Bank building on Forsythe and Laura Streets remains unclear. Lanahan alluded that it could be used as space for bank employees currently working at branches outside of downtown.
“I continue to have a goal of moving some of our personnel downtown from the suburbs,” she said. “We are looking at the opportunities it (the Marble Bank) presents.”
Having a firm commitment from AmSouth or any other bank would serve as a major boon to the fund’s efforts to bring the Laura Trio back online.
Before the end of the year it is required to present the City Council with a detailed redevelopment plan. Cohee admitted the piqued interest of the business community could help persuade the Council to allocate valuable public incentives that would subsidize the more than $15 million estimated cost to rehab the Trio.
The City surplussed the buildings to the fund last year in hopes it could renovate them and fill them with mixed-use tenants.
“And ever since we took possession of the buildings in March we have been working towards putting together the best package possible,” Cohee said.
“Preliminary discussions,” have taken place with Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton as well as Dan Kleman and Mickey Miller from Mayor John Peyton’s office. Those talks have gone well, Cohee said, but a confirmed tenant could be the icing on the cake.
“Everyone is excited about the nature of the project. It is very significant and gets everyone’s juices flowing,” Cohee said. “There is a willingness to facilitate the buildings’ revival, but yes, that would help.”
Cohee said he didn’t know if an anchor tenant would lease, buy or enter into a partnership with the fund to secure space in the bank building. All options would be discussed.
“All concepts are still on the table,” he said. “It’s a bit premature to state the various courses we may take because we do have an open mind. We’ll entertain any realistic option if it means securing the right financial institution.”