This recently submitted application to the Downtown Development Review Board highlights a plan to convert the abandoned Ambassador Hotel into 50 one and two-bedroom apartment units.
About the Ambassador Hotel
The 310 West Church Street Apartment building was completed in 1923. It was the first large apartment building constructed in downtown. At some point, it became a hotel called 'The Ambassador'. In its later years, the Ambassador became an $80-a-week rooming house with 110 residents and a target of code inspections and drug raids.
The Ambassador closed and has been vacant since 1998. In 2000, the owner of the building mentioned that he would like to see it become a hotel once again. While the Ambassador still sits vacant nearly a decade later, unlike its counterparts, it is still standing.
Source: 110 must find new housing Ambassador Hotel closing to remodel - Florida Times-Union - Friday, January 16, 1998 (Jacksonville Public Library online archives)
If this project moves forward, it could be the first of many to come as a result of the county courthouse project finally getting underway.
Project Update by Ennis Davis
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civil42806
July 02, 2009, 05:03:45 AMWow! hope this works out, last time I was in there was back in 95 and it was in serious disrepair at that time. Can't imagine the work required to get it up to spec now.
ashmead
July 02, 2009, 07:54:39 AMPlease please please make this happen!
Hurricane
July 02, 2009, 07:56:58 AMGreat news! I wouldn't want to be the contractor dealing with new code issues, but I sure hope that it actually happens!
hightowerlover
July 02, 2009, 08:16:07 AMthey protect "river views" for buildings this far off the river?
archiphreak
July 02, 2009, 08:32:49 AMFINALLY! I worked on a proposal for a developer back in 2004 for the same piece of land. I'm glad someone is finally going to do something with this building. It's a beautiful structure.
copperfiend
July 02, 2009, 08:40:36 AMLooks good.
JeffreyS
July 02, 2009, 08:50:24 AMThis is great. A real silver lining on what I consider a bad courthouse design.
BridgeTroll
July 02, 2009, 08:54:36 AMI am keeping my fingers crossed. If this project moves forward it may provide incentive for someone to rehab some other buildings in that area...
vicupstate
July 02, 2009, 09:21:44 AMBest news in some time. I hope this one makes it to fruition.
shanshan1218
July 02, 2009, 09:33:58 AM:-)
5PointsGuy
July 02, 2009, 09:48:06 AMHell, I'll be in the first group lining up to try and get a room...
Dapperdan
July 02, 2009, 10:01:53 AMOk, now someone pleae do something with the old JEA building and then that little stretch may have some life . Open up a ground floor restaurant and you are in business.
ac
July 02, 2009, 10:04:13 AMAny chance they'll let a restaurant/bar back into the old lounge space?
Dapperdan
July 02, 2009, 10:09:01 AMIts possible, but would you want to live above a bar?
jaxlore
July 02, 2009, 10:14:57 AMthats would be awesome
ac
July 02, 2009, 10:16:55 AMDepends on the noise level. But I was thinking more along the lines of a restaurant with a bar; not a night club. People in other cities live atop bars and restaurants, don't they?
thelakelander
July 02, 2009, 10:22:21 AM^I wouldn't mind. Ultimately it would depend on what type of restaurant/bar/lounge. If people are getting stabbed in there that's one thing. However, if its well kept, it would be a nice on-site amentity for building residents.
A building in Nashville.
copperfiend
July 02, 2009, 10:34:36 AMThe dude on Early Edition?
ac
July 02, 2009, 10:43:07 AMThat's pretty much what I meant, lake. I'd like to see something both nice and local go in there. My dad once told me the lounge at the Ambassador was one of his after-work hangouts when he worked at the Federal Reserve (now the JFRD building) at Julia and Ashley. That was in the mid-'70s and early '80s.
heights unknown
July 02, 2009, 10:57:19 AMIf the walls in that downstairs bar could speak. I spent many a dollar in that bar, and had a great time down there. Hope they do something constructive with it, either hotel or apartments. It's been sitting much too long.
Heights Unknown
billy
July 02, 2009, 12:23:42 PMThere was a chinese restaurant in the building years ago.
My Mom went there when she worked at Bell South.
mtraininjax
July 02, 2009, 12:24:23 PMI hope it works out, we own some buildings with Sam, the owner, he is a shrewd businessman, but fair.
downtownjag
July 02, 2009, 02:50:49 PMI wonder if the parking situation is adequate for 50 units on the two lots Easton owns right there... beautiful building though I really hope this goes through. Maybe once the old JEA tower is foreclosed on, someone with vision can come in and revitalize it as well, not that I don't love the junkyard dogs they have living in there now...
thelakelander
July 02, 2009, 03:50:39 PMThose two lots are supposed to be the site of 323 Duval, another project that has been delayed by slow movement on the courthouse.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-apr-forgotten-jacksonville-julia-street
Seraphs
July 02, 2009, 03:52:25 PMIt may take some time, but this area may see some vibrancy eventually.
5PointsGuy
July 02, 2009, 04:06:49 PMMaybe a nice restaurant/bar with live music entertainment (acoustic/jazz style). Maybe they can have more than one business.
This place would be ideal for young lawyers looking to be close to the action, especially for the class of 2011!
jeh1980
July 03, 2009, 01:49:15 AMcopperfiend
July 03, 2009, 08:45:31 AMLake, thanks for posting the pic from Nashville. Image if something like that was built where the Main Street pocket park/homeless lawn/dog poop collection is.
heights unknown
July 03, 2009, 09:54:49 AMhttp://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-apr-forgotten-jacksonville-julia-street
Being that the Courthouse is now under construction, I hope it brings back to life all of the previous proposed developments, such as 323 West Duval, and others, for that area.
Heights Unknown
heights unknown
July 03, 2009, 09:59:21 AMYour Dad probably didn't tell you that lounge was "off the chain" so to speak; but I'm talking off the chain in a good way. We had some good times in that lounge, and yes, it was an "after work" hangout for people that lived and worked downtown or near downtown...it was really fab; it was a little seedy, dirty, blue collar if you will but it was good...real good.
Heights Unknown
JeffreyS
July 03, 2009, 10:08:25 AMI really just do not like the size of the foot print. So many blocks that won't interact with the public. I do think it will have positive impacts not much is Black and White sometimes you take the bad with the good.
Jason
July 06, 2009, 08:26:38 AMYou know, other cities will probably covet our new courthouse for one reason or another.
Back to the Ambassador, GET IT DONE!!! Apartments would be fantastic and very suitable for young professionals wanting to be close the the government district.
Ocklawaha
July 06, 2009, 10:19:57 AMSTREETCAR!!
OCKLAWAHA
Ocklawaha
July 06, 2009, 04:46:26 PMYour Dad probably didn't tell you that lounge was "off the chain" so to speak; but I'm talking off the chain in a good way. We had some good times in that lounge, and yes, it was an "after work" hangout for people that lived and worked downtown or near downtown...it was really fab; it was a little seedy, dirty, blue collar if you will but it was good...real good.
Heights Unknown
I've always found that the quality of the establishment is in direct proportion to the proof, and quantity of the whiskey I'm drinking.
OCKLAWAHA
stephendare
July 06, 2009, 04:49:10 PMOne would think that the last thing you would want is 'proof' of the whiskey youve drunk Ock. Neither the medical or the highway safety establishments would appreciate the shock to their systems.
Omarvelous09
July 06, 2009, 05:33:37 PMThis is great news! Love this building.
JaxNative68
July 08, 2009, 11:38:16 AMscrew the new. please restore the old.
Deuce
July 14, 2009, 09:36:27 AMI go out of town and something awesome like this gets announced. I should leave town more often.
Mugatu
July 14, 2009, 11:25:44 PMI believe the rendering that was shown on page 2 was the project Hionedes was shopping around a couple of years ago. Nice picture, but for some reason he seemed to have problems getting any bankers excited about it. Weird.
thelakelander
July 17, 2009, 12:24:04 AMDeveloper wants to turn old hotel into apartments
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-07-16/story/developer_wants_to_turn_old_hotel_into_apartments
Jason
July 17, 2009, 03:35:06 PMNice history on the building in that article.
Thanks for posting it Lake.
nolechick7
July 21, 2009, 10:20:43 PMGreat idea! Upscale apartments or lofts while incorporating retail spaces would be ideal.
Wacca Pilatka
July 22, 2009, 04:38:40 PMI wish some of the other older hotels could have been saved, as mentioned many times on this site.
Does anyone have any specific insights as to why they were torn down (beyond the tear-down frenzy of the 1970s)? I understand that the AT&T Building was built on the Mayflower site--not that that justifies tearing down the building, but at least it was torn down to be replaced with something--but have never read an explanation for why the Seminole and George Washington were torn down, and both not very long after they went out of service too. Something to do with the 1971 redevelopment plan that never panned out?
Was the Seminole torn down for the express purpose of the building old Duval Federal office building that was on that corner?
heights unknown
July 22, 2009, 04:56:59 PMhttp://jacksonville.com/business/2009-07-16/story/developer_wants_to_turn_old_hotel_into_apartments
Good news and good article. Would love to see the old Ambassador busy again and teeming with residents. Hope they do have some commercial entities in there, including a bar!
Heights Unknown
Ocklawaha
July 22, 2009, 05:35:36 PMNow Stephen, you do realize that my car has "auto pilot," after all, how else could I crawl into the back seat and sleep whilst driving home? With a priest as my witness, you also know that a high proof content in my glass goes down in one swallow... How is Father doing these days? I'm just wondering where you guys and gals found enough duct tape that night at TSI. I understand that y'all taped me into an upright position behind the steering wheel because I kept falling over... Hey that seat is very lopsided.
For the rest of you, with certain drinks the proof is the difference between drinking glorified used dish water and a velvet smooth Carmelo sweet drink. For example Southern Comfort comes in a 70 or a 100 proof bottle, ANYONE could tell the difference in a matter of seconds. You pay more for the 100 proof, but the smoothness more then compensates for the dollars.
Let's hope they put in a really nice pub at the old Ambassador. A small mall of local businesses would be fantastic, my favorite place in downtown used to be either the train department of the Cohen Brothers Big Store (today's city hall), or a tiny hobby shop which was about 1 block west of Main and somewhere between about Bay and Duval. Wouldn't it be a trip if something special like that went into the old hotel?
I just expect that this hotel project is the tip of a very big development iceberg. Imagine how big it would be if we included streetcars! People would have to jump out of the way of all the developments.
OCKLAWAHA
wwanderlust
August 07, 2009, 03:51:42 PMAllow me to bang the MIXED USE drum.
Make this a mixed use space!