Before Downtown’s Bostwick Building can be demolished, the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission will have to approve it in writing.
Historic Preservation City Planning Manager Joel McEachin said Monday the Bostwick Building was determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Because of that, the demolition of the building will require a review and action by the commission per City code, he said.
He said that within 60 days from Aug. 3, the commission can approve or deny the demolition “and instruct us to prepare a landmark designation report. “
He said the landmark designation ultimately is decided by City Council.
McEachin said the building was constructed in 1902 and expanded in 1919.
He said the Bostwick Building is on the Historic Preservation Commission agenda for 3 p.m. Sept. 26 on the eighth floor of the Ed Ball Building at 214 N. Hogan St.
The property owner is listed on the Duval Property Appraiser’s website as Guaranty Trust Investments Inc.
The permit application to demolish the structure at 101 E. Bay St. shows a demolition cost of $40,000 and lists the contractor as Realco Recycling Co. Inc. The “brief description of work” says “demolition of structure down to the floor slab.”
Within the past few weeks, the Worman’s Bakery & Deli building at 204 Broad St. was demolished, removing the remains of the restaurant that closed three years ago after more than 85 years in business. Worman’s served customers Downtown since at least 1923. Property records show the structure was built in 1909.
Records show the two-story Bostwick Building is 7,650 square feet in size, based on two floors of 3,825 square feet each. The building and land carry a taxable value of $319,130.
The property is owned by Guaranty Trust Investments Inc., which bought the property in 1996.
Guaranty Trust’s president is shown on state records as Karl E. Bostwick, who also is secretary, treasurer and a director. Another director is Kathleen C. Bostwick.
State records said that Guaranty Trust Investments Inc. was inactive as of April 30, “pending reinstatement.”
Guaranty Trust bought the property Aug. 30, 1996, from Charles W. Bostwick.
The Daily Record reported Thursday that the application for a demolition permit was discussed at the monthly board meeting of Downtown Vision Inc.
Amy Harrell, director of district services, said at the meeting that there was no longer a roof on the structure and that City fines had accrued to the point that the owners wanted to have the building removed.
The site, at Bay and Ocean streets at the foot of the Main Street Bridge, is known for its depiction of a jaguar.
The Daily Record reported that the building is old enough to be designated historic, but not legally protected as such. The permit application states in comments, “National historic any demo will have to be approved in writing by the Historic Preservation Commission” and it says to contact McEachin, principal planner for historic preservation with the city Planning and Development Department.
Harrell, whose last day is Wednesday, will be replaced by Jennifer Hewett-Apperson, who said the permit application will be reviewed by the historic preservation commission.
According to the Daily Record report, if the commission defers the issue and makes no recommendation before the deadline, there will be an additional 90-day period during which an application for the building’s designation as a historic landmark may be filed by the owner or another party, including the City.
DVI board member Oliver Barakat suggested that the organization advocate for the preservation of the building, saying that if it is demolished, “we send a message that it’s OK to tear down historic buildings Downtown.”
Daily Record Publisher Jim Bailey, a former DVI board member, said at the meeting that the building had deteriorated to the point that preservation or repair would be extremely expensive.
“With no designated funding source it won’t matter, at some point it will become a hazard and end up in the street like the Center Theater,” he said. That building’s roof collapsed a decade ago and the building was demolished.
DVI Executive Director Terry Lorince said the organization would probably issue a position statement about the Bostwick Building demolition permit application.