by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
One of Downtown’s most visible sights — the jaguar mural that’s been on the Bostwick Building at the corner of Ocean and Bay streets since 2004 — will likely last another year.
Thursday, the Design Review Committee of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission approved a deviation request from building owner Val Bostwick that allows Bostwick to not comply with a City Downtown building maintenance requirement for at least another year. The requirement says that all ground floor windows be “maintained with glass or translucent material so as to present the appearance of being glassed” and all second floor and higher windows be boarded and painted black.
Bostwick, who owns what is officially known as the Guaranty Trust Investments & Savings Bank Building, received his first deviation waiver in December of 2005. A year later, it expired and he has since been cited for the violation by the City’s Code Enforcement office and was fined. Bostwick says he is in the process of selling the building and has recently dropped the asking price from $1.5 million to $1 million.
Jim Klement of the JEDC said the waiver only covers the maintenance aspect of the City’s lien that has been placed on the building, “not the health and safety issues” that also affect the building.
Bostwick says the City’s lien is almost hypocritical.
“What’s ironic is the City asked us to put up the mural in the first place,” he said. “Then, they changed the law and cited us.”
The DRC approved a 12-month extension on the waiver and Bostwick said he intends the sell the building before the waiver expires.
The 20 townhomes at Berkman Plaza were approved for second-story balconies. Steve Heykens of The Palace Company said he intends to build balconies for every townhome resident that wants them and expects to eventually build one for all the townhomes. Heykens said the balconies will mirror the current look of the townhomes to include the design and color of the railings as well as the color of the finished stucco.
“It will look like it wasn’t added,” said Heykens, adding the same subcontractors used to build the townhomes will build the balcony additions.
Berkman townhome owner and president of the Berkman homeowners association Victoria Burnett said the balconies have been approved by all the residents regardless whether they choose to have one built or not.
“There was no opposition,” she said, adding the additions had to look identical to the original design. “This was the only way our architectural board would approve them is if the same material was used and they were built the exact same way.”
According to Heykens, the balconies will cost between $10,220 and $10,570 depending on engineering and architectural requirements.
The DRC also approved:
• EverBank’s request to place two addition signs on its Riverside Avenue building.
• Temporary window signs at ground level, temporary building identification signs and a wind screen design for the One 12 condominium project – formerly the Laura Street Trio, which is being redeveloped by the Kuhn Companies.
• A final review of the Police & Fire Pension Fund’s plans for the redevelopment of the old Haverty’s Building at the corner of Duval and Laura streets. When finished, the building will house the JEDC and the City’s Planning Department.