The 18-0 vote marks the second time the city has agreed to partner with Augustine Development Group.
City Council previously agreed to an amended development agreement in May 2020 that committed $1.5 million in historic preservation fund money to help finance renovating the abandoned Ambassador Hotel, which is a few blocks from the Independent Life Building.
The Downtown Investment Authority has given several months of extensions to the developer to get started on the Ambassador work, most recently with a 21-day extension to work through delays from a bridge loan lender.
The planned $30 million renovation of the Independent Life Building would use $3 million from the historic preservation trust fund.
08:10 PM EST Share An Augustine Development Group LLC subsidiary plans 135 apartment units, a grocery store and restaurant at the 19-story Downtown tower.
The Jacksonville City Council approved a $3 million historic preservation grant Jan. 26 for Augustine Development Group LLC’s proposed $30 million renovation to Downtown’s Independent Life Building.
The Council voted 18-0 to commit money from the city’s Historic Preservation Trust Fund to help finance Augustine Development subsidiary PEP10 LLC’s plans for a 135-unit apartment development at the historic 19-story tower.
The bill now awaits Mayor Lenny Curry’s signature.
An artist s rendering of the redeveloped Independent Life Building.
12:08 PM EST Share City lawmakers held a side policy debate on when to budget and allocate award money from the Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
Four City Council committees voted 7-0 this week to advance a $3 million historic preservation grant for Augustine Development Group LLC’s proposed $30 million renovations to Downtown’s Independent Life Building for a final vote.
The Jan. 20 support by the Finance and Rules committees advances Ordinance 2020-0707 to the Council. The legislation includes city-backed financing for Augustine Development subsidiary PEP10 LLC’s plans for a 135-unit apartment development at the historic 19-story tower.
The Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health Committee and Safety and Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committees approved the legislation Jan. 19.
JWB Real Estate Capital President Alex Sifakis describes the inside of the abandoned, 96-year-old Florida Baptist Convention Building at 218 W. Church St. in downtown Jacksonville this way. It looks like Jumanji, he said. You’ve got skylights that are just holes in the roof and ferns growing in there. You can see from the outside the bricks are falling off. When you’re inside you can see the potential, but it also looks like a lot of work.”
The five-story building designed by famed architect Henry John Klutho is the polar opposite in many ways from the $450 million Lot J development pitched by Jaguars owner Shad Khan that went down to defeat last week in dramatic fashion at a City Council meeting.
05:10 AM EST Share When it comes to progress in Northeast Florida in the new year, these are the places that will be driving headlines
North Core
Four developers JWB Real Estate Capital, Augustine Development Group, ACE JAX LLC and Jim and Ellen Wiss have announced $116.1 million of investments in the historic area they’ve collectively branded the North Core.
The North Core is bordered by State, Broad, Church and Main streets.
Apartments for the North Core
JWB, led by president Alex Sifakis, plans to invest $11.4 million to redevelop the Federal Reserve and Baptist Convention buildings.
The Wisses acquired from First Baptist Church nearly a full city block that they intend to redevelop.