Supporters of the Five Points Theatre urged City Council members to recognize the importance of the movie house as a neighborhood gathering spot, distinctive entertainment venue and attraction for the district.
“There is no other space like it in Jacksonville,” said Cate Dobbins, who told Council that she picked a site with convenient access to the Florida Theatre and Sun-Ray Cinema, a tenant of the Five Points building, when she retired from teaching and downsized five years ago. “If you can help them in the future, please, please do so.”
Dobbins was among several people who came to the Council meeting in reaction to recent news that the 1920s-era building was up for sale and could be repurposed.
The building’s owner, Jack Shad, has confirmed he found a buyer. In a statement to the Daily Record, he declined to identify the buyer but said it had experience managing historic buildings in the Southeast and would honor all existing leases.
“Our family bought the 5 Points Theatre Building in 2004 and did a complete historic rehabilitation to return this beautiful building to its original appearance. After almost 20 years, it is time for us to sell the building to a new owner who can maintain that legacy,” Shad said in an email.
Before Shad bought the building it was a nightclub.
Tenants include Sun-Ray Cinema and Brew Five Points. Sun-Ray is an independent movie house that shows mainstream Hollywood movies and arthouse films.
News of the sale prompted social media rumors that the building would be razed for a parking garage.
Shad said the Council declared the building a local historic landmark in 2004, which gives it protection against being torn down or its appearance being significantly altered.
The building has another level of protection by being in Riverside, a historic district where any attempt to demolish the building or significantly alter its facade would require approval by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission.
Dobbins said that although the building’s exterior is protected, its interior is not. She said that although Council couldn’t stop the new owner from legally bringing in new tenants and changing the use of the building, she hoped Council members would support the community’s efforts to influence its owners to maintain it as a theater. She has started a Facebook page called “Save Sun-Ray Cinema!”
Nothing on the Council agenda was related to the building. The supporters made their remarks during the open public comment period.
Teresa Wells told Council members that she lives in senior housing near Sun-Ray and visits the theater often because it offers affordable prices, senior discounts and restaurant-type food items in addition to concessions. She said she had lived in numerous cities, including Tallahassee, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Scottsdale, Arizona, and considered Sun-Ray a rare gem.
After watching Council members approve legislation for the controversial Lofts at Southbank mixed-use development over the complaints of neighbors, Wells asked them to help give the community a win.
“This is part of our home, this is part of our neighborhood,” she said. “It’s where we gather.”