Downtown bordello to be replaced with senior housing

[Metro Jacksonville]

Downtown bordello to be replaced with senior housing



Sarasota-based Beneficial Communities, LLC. is proposing to develop a 7-story affordable housing development for seniors at 615 Houston Street. To accommodate the 72-unit Houston Street Manor project, the last standing bordello from Houston Street's days as an early 20th century red light district would be demolished.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-nov-downtown-bordello-to-be-replaced-with-senior-housing

[I-10east]

Jacksonville had a whorehouse in it.

[Adam White]

Downtown bordello to be replaced with senior housing



Sarasota-based Beneficial Communities, LLC. is proposing to develop a 7-story affordable housing development for seniors at 615 Houston Street. To accommodate the 72-unit Houston Street Manor project, the last standing bordello from Houston Street's days as an early 20th century red light district would be demolished.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-nov-downtown-bordello-to-be-replaced-with-senior-housing

Well, that's a shame. While I support development downtown, I think another generic building that won't age well shouldn't be built in the place of an old - arguably historic - structure such as this. It may not be the most exciting building, but it is brick and could be turned into something worthwhile.

[CCMjax]

^  I am a huge supporter of preserving historic buildings.  The elevations of the proposed building do look a little generic I agree, sort of like a cheaper hotel, maybe a little nicer.  But I think if they make some tweaks to the elevations to add a few more architecturally interesting elements to make it tie in to some of the other historic buildings downtown it would make the demolition of the brick building a little easier to take.  The brick building is pretty small and the potential uses are limited.  If this does get approved I really hope they design a building that 100 years from now will be considered a nice historic building, not one that 40 years from now the city wishes was never built.

[mbwright]

Unfortunately most of the newer building are built to maximize profit, not be significant, and still standing in 100 years.  I guess they plan on few drivers in this age group.  Where will they walk to to get groceries?

[Adam White]

^  I am a huge supporter of preserving historic buildings.  The elevations of the proposed building do look a little generic I agree, sort of like a cheaper hotel, maybe a little nicer.  But I think if they make some tweaks to the elevations to add a few more architecturally interesting elements to make it tie in to some of the other historic buildings downtown it would make the demolition of the brick building a little easier to take.  The brick building is pretty small and the potential uses are limited.  If this does get approved I really hope they design a building that 100 years from now will be considered a nice historic building, not one that 40 years from now the city wishes was never built.

I agree. I think it would be easier to stomach if a) the proposed building was nicer and b) we hadn't already torn down so many buildings downtown. But development downtown is a good thing, so who knows.

[Bill Hoff]

Wasn't a previously planned senior housing development proposed for that site too? I believe that never came to fruition because it was relying on tax credits it did not recieve.

[Gunnar]

Just looking at the title ("Downtown bordello to be replaced with senior housing") this sounds like an extremely bad deal 

At the asking price of $1,2 Million (seems to be due to the lot size), I do not see many takers who wish to buy and re-develop the existing building.

Me, I would find preserving the last bordello a worthwhile cause, but I seriously doubt banks and investors think likewise.

What I find important is that it's ensured the new building is in fact going to be built before demolishing the old one. Otherwise we may just end up with another parking lot.

[aubureck]

Wouldn't this existing building be considered a contributing property in the pending downtown National Register district?  That could potentially impact their ability to demolish the building.  Their best bet would be to find a way to incorporate that existing building in their overall plans.

[jcjohnpaint]

I believe it was on Pearl and Church. 

[Tacachale]

I hate to see the older building go but I expect that's coming whether this project gets through or not.

Seems like an odd place for a senior housing development.

[gerschea@gmail.com]

I support historic preservation to the fullest but lets be real here, no one is going to do anything with the brick structure currently there. There is a difference between old and outdated and historic. There's really nothing aesthetically special about it, it just looks like an old vacant building. Now i am not saying the senior complex couldn't be designed a bit nicer b/c it most definitely could.

[I-10east]

I support historic preservation to the fullest but lets be real here, no one is going to do anything with the brick structure currently there. There is a difference between old and outdated and historic. There's really nothing aesthetically special about it, it just looks like an old vacant building.

I agree. It's like Worman's Bakery 2.0.

[brainstormer]

I really appreciate the design of this development having parking built underneath and within the footprint of the building. We do not need anymore surface parking lots downtown.

It would be nice to force more unique and urban design elements as the building looks like something you could find off of any I95 exit.

Does anyone know the cost difference between wood structures and concrete block structures of the same size? It seems like wood structures from 4-7 stories are so popular these days. I worry about longevity. I live in a wood condo building about 20 years old and it is already falling apart.

[acme54321]

A structure can be poorly build out of anything.  Looks at the Berkman 2 parking deck for example...