With the Jacksonville City Council’s OK of a $26.67 million taxpayer financing package on Tuesday, developer Steve Atkins said everything is in place to begin restoration of the historic Laura Street Trio.
Council voted 16-1 on Sept. 14 to approve a forgivable and deferred principal loan package to help Atkins’ SouthEast Development Group convert the vacant Downtown buildings into a 145-room Marriott Autograph Hotel with a restaurant, lounge, ground-floor retail and a bodega grocery store.
After the vote, Atkins told the Jacksonville Daily Record the work will be challenging but that the Trio needs to be put “back into service.”
Redevelopment plans for the Laura Street Trio include:
Historic Florida National Bank Building: 18,216 square feet over two stories and a basement, to include a 7,442-square-foot, basement-level private dining and wine cellar space; 7,069 square feet on the first floor for restaurant operations; and an additional 3,615 square feet of restaurant operating space
Historic Bisbee Building: 42,333 square feet over 10 stories, with mechanical operations in the basement; a 4,401-square-foot retail bodega on the ground floor; a 4,401-square-foot conference center on the second floor; and eight floors of 4,401 square feet each to provide seven hotel rooms on each floor (56 rooms total)
Historic Florida Life Insurance Building (Marble Bank Building): 26,803 square feet over 11 stories and a basement, to include a 2,548-square-foot media theater in the basement; 2,205 square feet of lobby/business center space on the ground floor; a 2,205-square-foot fitness and media center on the second floor; and nine floors of 2,205 square feet each to provide a total of 35 hotel rooms
In addition to the three historic buildings, SouthEast will build two new components to support the mixed-use project: an eight-story building that will provide 8,843 square feet of ground-level retail, six floors with nine hotel rooms each and a 4,650-square-foot rooftop bar; and an 11-story circulation core that will add 2,012 square feet of lobby space on the first floor, and 10 additional floors of 1,675 square feet for circulation between each building.
The National Park Service approved the Laura Street Trio plans meeting Historic Preservation Certificate guidelines in May 2021. SouthEast will restore the historic architectural elements of the buildings through the preservation process.
Read the rest of this story from WJCT News partner the Jacksonville Daily Record.
