by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
A group of six real estate developers has been awarded the contract to develop a library into a condo/retail project in downtown Jacksonville.
The group, which goes by the corporate name of Main Branch, LLC, is buying the Taylor Hardwick-designed main library from the City for $3.25 million and has plans to invest another $10 million to $15 million into the project.
When completed, the old library, named for former Governor and Jacksonville Mayor Haydon Burns, will retain its current exterior look — that 1960s architectural style that, while chunky, also employed the use of mosaic tile — that folks seem to either love or hate with little middle ground. Inside, plans call for a mixed-use space incorporating residential, retail and office components.
The entire process started over a year ago when the City issued a request for proposal for the building. Five bids were submitted and Main Branch found themselves ranked third behind a bid from Atkins Group and Peterbrooke Chocolatier. The JEDC entered into negotiations with both at some point.
“We negotiated with them through early 2006 and both pulled out for totally different reasons,” said JEDC Executive Director Ron Barton.
Re-enter Main Branch, an eclectic group of urban planners, architects, engineers and a spokesman/restaurant owner.
“We all know each other from different contexts,” said partner Jack Shad of The Shad Company.
“It’s a long story,” said chemical engineer Mark Rinaman, whose father is attorney and former Jacksonville Bar Association President Jim Rinaman.
“We actually started putting together the RFP four years,” said Shad.
Progress came to a near stop at one point earlier this year when Rinaman was deployed to Afghanistan. Since coming, however, the group has refocused and, with the JEDC approval, can start moving forward on the project.
“There are no drawings yet, but we have been waiting for this exciting moment,” said architect Melody Bishop of Akel Logan Shafer. Her husband Bill is also an architect, partner in the project and aspiring politician. “He’s running for City Council, Dist. 2, which is Lynette Self’s district.”
Tony Allegretti is the group’s spokesman/marketer. He’s also a part owner of the building across the street and the popular Burrito Gallery.
“I’ll be helping Jack with tenant lease-ups and the marketing of the commercial space,” said Allegretti.
Two others round out the team: Colin Bois, whom Shad said is “our numbers guy” and who is over the program management and pro formas of the project, and Robert Van Winkle, a civil engineer who owns a few buildings around town and once owned 11E when it was still the Roosevelt Hotel.
With JEDC approval, the project now is at the Jacksonville City Council where it will be assigned to committees for review.
“We expect the Council to vote on the project in November,” said Shad.
According to the terms of the agreements, construction must begin within a year, but Rinaman says it won’t take nearly that long.
Phase I calls for a complete renovation of the building’s first floor into 122,000-144,000 square feet of retail and office space. Phase 2 consists of the residential side that could include the addition of two or three floors. Rinaman said the building can easily withstand the addition.