A great building waiting for an idea to happen.
That’s how Guy Parola, Downtown Investment Authority redevelopment manager, describes the 112-year-old Snyder Memorial building across from Hemming Park.
The former Methodist Church has been described that way for 15 years by city economic development and Downtown renewal officials.
It also is a nearly $2 million preservation project, including the city’s real estate investment and maintenance cost to date. The 2015 in-progress assessed value is $611,560.
Parola said he has shown the building to a few potential buyers and tenants, but so far Snyder remains on the city’s inventory of empty properties.
“The people who want to look at it really appreciate the architecture and its significance. It would be a great venue for the arts, a gallery or a restaurant,” Parola said. “We’re just waiting on a really good idea.”
One of the first structures restored after the Great Fire of 1901 destroyed virtually all of Jacksonville, services were conducted in the Gothic-style, granite and limestone church until the mid-’70s, when the congregation dwindled to the point the church could not be sustained.
After a period of time, the United Methodist Church deconsecrated Snyder Memorial, transforming it from a church to a mere building.
It sat empty until July 2000, when the St. Johns River City Band, with the help of a $650,000 Community Development Block Grant and letter of credit from Ocean State Bank in Jacksonville Beach, took over the building.
Plans called for about $800,000 in renovations included in a $1.4 million project budget for the band to establish its headquarters and performance space.
It didn’t work out as planned for the new owner or the city.
In January 2004, the band moved out of the building with about $800,000 in rehab yet to be done and $250,000 owed to contractors.
In addition, the loan payments were in arrears.
By then, the city already had granted two years of extensions on the debt service and still wanted to work out a plan that might allow the band to retain ownership of the building.
Kirk Wendland, who Tuesday was confirmed by City Council as the new head of the Office of Economic Development, was at the time managing director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission.
He worked with the city chief financial officer and the band to come up with a plan to service the debt, but when the musicians moved out, he said it wasn’t likely to happen.
“All indications are that the dollars aren’t there,” Wendland said. “I haven’t seen a lot of progress from them other than the continual requests to forgive the note. We were pretty clear that wasn’t an option.”
Addison Commercial Realty took on the project and listed the building for sale for $1.3 million. That, said broker Bob Knight, would pay down the loan, satisfy the $250,000 in construction liens and leave a small profit for the band.
Despite showing Snyder to multiple local and out-of-town prospects, it didn’t attract enough interest to sell.
The trail of the city trying to get out from under the deal took a turn in 2002 when council enacted an ordinance to appropriate funds from the Northside West Community Redevelopment Area Trust Fund to repay the $650,000 block grant.
By August 2004, the mayor’s office was considering waiving the guidelines of the Historical Preservation Trust Fund to appropriate $1 million to satisfy the band’s letter of credit with Ocean State Bank and the liens, which by that time had grown to $400,000.
The trust fund is specifically designated to improve infrastructure, appearance and safety in historic buildings targeted for development.
Assistant Council Auditor Jim Meyer couldn’t support the proposal from a financial standpoint, either.
“If we’re going to buy this building and make the necessary improvements to it, I think it’s worth asking whether we could absorb the cost,” he said. “If we’re doing all this just to sell it, I don’t know if we could get our money back on it.”
Nonetheless, council three months later approved an ordinance that authorized spending $1 million from historic preservation funds to pay off the creditor and construction and tax liens on the building in exchange for a warranty deed to the property from St. Johns River City Band.
The money part of the story didn’t end there.
In 2006, the city repaired the roof at Snyder at a cost of $385,000.
In March 2014, a building permit was issued for $319,000 to repair the south wall, which was sagging and causing one end of the structure to crack. After the job started, more work was determined to be needed and $113,000 was added to the project’s budget for a total of $432,000.
That’s $817,000 for work to preserve the structure’s integrity. It’s likely that more renovations will be required inside the building before a lease can be signed with a tenant.
Steve Williams, artist and president of Harbinger, a commercial sign manufacturing company, purchased a building in 5 Points which currently is being renovated.
He said he might be interested in taking on another development project and Snyder could be a site for a multi-use arts facility or possibly a restaurant.
Williams is scheduling an inspection tour, possibly as soon as this week, but making an offer isn’t even close on his calendar.
“My interest is completely exploratory at this point,” he said.
@drmaxdowntown
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