Historic Building Will Soon Be Home to Multifamily Affordable Housing
The project calls for the renovation of the historic former YWCA/Community Connections building plus the construction of a new apartment building on the same block, according to developer The Vestcor Companies of Jacksonville.
April 11, 2023 at 01:37 PM
3 minute read
ConstructionConstruction is underway to build a new multifamily apartment community providing workforce housing in downtown Jacksonville.
The Lofts at Cathedral at 325 and 327 E. Duval St., will include a total of 120 apartments. The project calls for the renovation of the historic former YWCA/Community Connections building plus the construction of a new apartment building on the same block, according to developer The Vestcor Companies of Jacksonville.
The YWCA/Community Connections building will be transformed into 28 apartments. An additional 92 units will be located in a separate building under construction nearby, Holly Hepler, marketing manager for Vestcor, told the Times-Union. There will be 20 studio apartments, 74 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units plus 26 two-bed, two-bath apartments.
"Lofts at Cathedral is a workforce housing community with 84 units reserved for individuals who make less than 80% of the area median income or below, and 36 units are at 100% of the area median income or below, Hepler said.
Hepler said amenities at The Lofts at Cathedral will include a fitness center, Internet cafe, resident lounge and a community garden.
The total development cost is estimated at $39 million, according to the Downtown Investment Authority.
Vestcor specializes in multifamily and workforce housing. The Lofts at Cathedral will join the developer's similar apartment communities including Lofts at Monroe, Lofts at LaVilla, Lofts at Jefferson Station and Lofts at Brooklyn—all in Jacksonville.
Historic building Built in September 1950, the former Community Connections/YWCA building was "a haven for small-town girls in the big city," according to a 2016 Times-Union article.
The four-story red-brick building has a basement, spacious lobby, TV room, laundry room, exercise machines and a cafeteria, which was later replaced with a kitchen on each floor, the article states.
Community Connections closed there in 2016. The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission designated the building a historic landmark in 2017.
New lease on life
"The renovation of the YWCA building will transform a dilapidated building into a beautifully restored building with the historic design and features incorporated," said Hepler. "Most importantly, Lofts at Cathedral provides the opportunity for those working downtown to be able to live affordably downtown."
Vestcor, via its affiliate VC Cathedral LLC, bought the property in two transactions recorded in 2019 and 2020, Duval County property and court records show.
The developer paid $1.38 million for the tract at 327 E. Duval St. in a sale recorded on Sept. 10, 2019, and paid $20,000 for the site at 325 E. Duval St. in a sale recorded on Feb. 17, 2020, according to the records.
General contractor Summit Contracting Group of Jacksonville is leading the construction. The architect is Group 4 Design, also of Jacksonville.
Hepler said the total construction cost is estimated at $27 million.
The project is expected to be completed in Summer 2024, she said.
Teresa Stepzinski reports for The Florida Times-Union.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
- 1'I'm Staying Everything': Texas Bankruptcy Judge Halts Talc Trials Against J&J
- 2What We Know About the Kentucky Judge Killed in His Chambers
- 3Ex-Prosecutor and Judge Fatally Shot During Attempted Arrest on Federal Corruption Charges
- 4Judge Blasts Authors' Lawyers in Key AI Suit, Says Case Doomed Without Upgraded Team
- 5Federal Judge Won't Stop Title IX Investigation Into Former GMU Law Professor
Who Got The Work
Burr & Forman partner Garry K. Grooms has entered an appearance for 4M Acquisitions and Wallace D. Tweden in a pending environmental lawsuit. The action, filed July 22 in Tennessee Middle District Court by the McKellar Law Group and Mark E. Martin LLC on behalf of Tennessee Riverkeeper, contends that the defendant's violated the Clean Water Act and Tennessee Water Quality Control Act by allowing for the discharge of pollutants into waters of the U.S. without obtaining a National Pollutant Discharge permit. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger, is 3:24-cv-00886, Tennessee Riverkeeper, Inc. v. Tweden et al.
Who Got The Work
Ramsey M. Al-Salam, Gene W. Lee and Stevan R. Stark of Perkins Coie have entered appearances for R-Pac International in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The case, filed Aug. 12 in New York Southern District Court by PinilisHalpern LLP and Friedman Suder & Cooke on behalf of Adasa Inc, asserts a single patent related to wireless sensors used for tagging products. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, is 1:24-cv-06102, Adasa Inc. v. R-Pac International LLC.
Who Got The Work
Walmart has tapped lawyer Nicole M. Wright of Zausmer PC to defend a pending product liability lawsuit. The action was filed Aug. 12 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Wolfe Trial Lawyers on behalf of a plaintiff claiming burns from a defective propane tank. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman, is 2:24-cv-12100, Hill v. Ferrellgas, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Kevin Simpson and James Randall of Winston & Strawn have stepped in to represent Comcast in a pending consumer class action. The case, filed Aug. 11 in Georgia Northern District Court by Kaufman PA, contends that the defendant placed pre-recorded debt collection phone calls to the plaintiff in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee, is 1:24-cv-03553, Pond v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC.
Who Got The Work
Potter Anderson & Corroon partners Christopher N. Kelly and Kevin R. Shannon have stepped in to represent cloud computing company Fastly and its top executives in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The complaint, filed Aug. 23 in Delaware District Court by deLeeuw Law and Bragar Eagel & Squire on behalf of Mark Sweitzer, accuses the defendant of failing to disclose that revenue growth in 2023 was primarily driven by a 'consolidation trend' in which companies simplified operations by reducing the number of content delivery network vendors under management, thereby reducing competition and increasing the defendant's market share. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory B. Williams, is 1:24-cv-00969, Sweitzer v. Nightingale et al.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250