Historical significance
Located at College and Stockton streets, John Gorrie Junior High School educated thousands of students in the Riverside neighborhood before it closed in 1997. Nearly everyone over the age of 35 raised in Jacksonville has a John Gorrie story, James Sutton said, either they went to school there, played sports teams there or attended an event there. Sutton is a senior manager at Gordon’s Castle, which led the conversion project.
Architecture
Glazed architectural terracotta, used for molded details on The John Gorrie’s pillars and archways, a popular design feature on buildings between the late 19th century and 1930’s. Such architectural detailing is literally cost-prohibitive today, Sutton said.
Construction
Old classrooms offer large spaces with high ceilings and tall windows. They have good light and wooden floors, features that work well for condominiums, Sutton said.
Unique design elements
The John Gorrie’s interior design incorporates brick walls, molding from the theater’s proscenium and a medallion that adorned the ceiling above the stage. The décor includes old transom windows from the school, auditorium seats, cabinets and doors.
Neighborhood stabilization
A small but lively business strip across the street today includes 13 Gypsies Restaurant, Bold Bean Coffee Roasters, ZenCog bicycle shop and Tres Leches Eatery.
Deterioration
After 14 years of sitting vacant, John Gorrie Junior High had rotted eaves, peeling paint and holes in the roof. Water damage had destroyed plaster ceilings and buckled wooden floors.
Hazmat remediation
Virtually every building constructed before 1978 contains asbestos and lead paint, hazardous materials that by law must be removed. Also, any building not in use for 10 years will need mold remediation, Sutton said.
Conversion
Walls were moved and parking spaces and private outdoor lanais were added. Floors that once held only two bathrooms had to have separate individual plumbing added for each condo. Air conditioning, not generally used in older buildings, was added to every home. The best place for the A/C units was the roof –– but the added weight meant the roof needed to be structurally reinforced.
Unforeseen conditions
Old building plans are not nearly as dependable as plans today, Sutton said. To create blueprints for reconstruction, Gordon’s Castle measured the original building using lasers. Despite the effort, in demolition the team still discovered 24 hidden walls and design variances between all four corners of the building. “It seemed like four different guys had built the four corners,” Sutton said. Surprises generated more than 300 construction change orders and consumed about 10 percent of the project’s budget.