Midtown Centre: The Nation's First Office Park

[Ocklawaha]

"Born in Charleston, SC, Koger first came to Jacksonville in 1939 to serve as an advertising manager for an afternoon newspaper. "

Did the history research reveal which afternoon newspaper?  Jacksonville had an EXCELLENT afternoon paper, "THE JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL," which retained it's solid common sense approach under the management and direction of the late great George Harmon. The journal under his leadership as well as before his direction would often take a position that didn't necessarily jive with the parent TU or the city's 'main stream.' In a very real sense, when the Journal died, it was the end of the great newspaper era in Jacksonville. The Journal ceased publication on October 28, 1988. only one year after celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The Journal's final circulation was around 30,000 weekdays, plus an advance Sunday edition. To me the idea that '30,000' was too small for profit in the TU hierarchy speaks volumes about the management. Consider some of the other locals, the Palatka Daily News publishes Tuesday through Saturday with a daily circulation of 11,733 appearing to be alive and well. The St. Augustine Record’s weekday circulation, in contrast, rose from 17,481 last year to 19,291, and the Palm Coast Observer has grown to 24,000. The Lake Regions Monitor was founded in 1973. It covers Keystone Heights and the surrounding communities of the Lake Region, as well as Bradford and Clay counties, Florida with a circulation of 2,300 copies.

The day of the great newspapers seems to be over, but the small community based papers and advertiser or speciality papers are booming. Interesting grounds for a little 'METRO JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL' research! LOL!   

[Adam W]

Did Koger really create the office park concept or just popularize it in America? I ask because the Slough Trading Estate (as seen in BBC's The Office) was founded in 1920, on farmland in a suburb. Koger would've been eight years old at the time!

[thelakelander]

Isn't Slough considered to be an industrial complex?

[Adam W]

Isn't Slough considered to be an industrial complex?

It's mixed-use. Offices and industry. Back in the day, you'd see a lot of light industry with offices located on-site (much like the fictional Wernham-Hogg Paper Company). But it still is a business park of a sort and certainly was developed to give office space (and warehouse space) to businesses outside of the city. Kind of like what Koger was doing.

[thelakelander]

There are similarities but there are also large differences.  Slough initially started off with heavy industry built around a rail line, similar to the old industrial/warehouse districts of the early 20th century.  Over time, it's added a mix of additional uses.  Koger's concept is an example of a single specific use (office) catering to the highway/automobile/suburban growth in Jacksonville and the US after WWII.

[Adam W]

There are similarities but there are also large differences.  Slough initially started off with heavy industry built around a rail line, similar to the old industrial/warehouse districts of the early 20th century.  Over time, it's added a mix of additional uses.  Koger's concept is an example of a single specific use (office) catering to the highway/automobile/suburban growth in Jacksonville and the US after WWII.

Thanks Lake.