by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
What was a revolutionary urban architectural installation in 1963 has turned out to be, 45 years later, something that has to be replaced in the interests of public safety and maintenance.
The architecture in question belongs to the BB&T parking garage on Hogan Street between Forsyth and Adams streets. The Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC) approved Thursday a plan to replace the existing 7,000 square feet of 1-inch-thick marble veneer with more durable composite aluminum panels.
“When this was installed it was one of the first uses of marble veneer in the Southeast,” said architect Ed Shafer of Akel Logan & Shafer. He also said years after the marble was installed on the garage, the company that fabricated the panels, Georgia Marble, received a U.S. patent on the clips that secure the veneer to the building.
“At the time, nobody realized how vulnerable thin marble veneer is to weather deterioration and thermal stress,” he said. “Over the years, the constant expansion and contraction of the material has led to microfractures that could cause the marble to crack and fall off. In 45 years no one has come up with a solution to this problem. We’re concerned it may become a safety issue.”
The marble will be replaced with custom-fabricated aluminum panels that will closely match the appearance of the marble. Due to advantages in installing aluminum panels compared to marble veneer, the new installation will likely have fewer visible seams.
“Aluminum is lighter and extremely low-maintenance. The marble has lasted 45 years and we expect a similar performance from the replacement material,” said Shafer.
The DDRB also heard a presentation by Kimberly Scott, chief of the City’s Municipal Code Compliance Division. The board invited her to the meeting to discuss how actions taken by the DDRB could affect compliance issues and ways to improve communication and collaboration between the two agencies.
The division has regulations that specifically address Downtown building code issues and most involve the exterior of a property including graffiti, trash management and abandoned vehicles, Scott said, then added the last street-by-street inspection revealed about 50 code violations.
Assistant General Counsel Jason Teal pointed out the DDRB has authority to grant deviations to the City’s building code, but since those deviations are granted for a specific property and within a specific time frame, the DDRB’s actions do not have the effect of amending the City’s Municipal Building Code.
356-2466