J Magazine Spring 2018

“The city needs to move this thing
forward and activate it ASAP,
while the economic cycle is still
strong. We should stop waiting.”
Oliver Barakat, DIA BOARD MEMBER
In Downtown Jacksonville, location is what tempted local
businessman Jacques Klempf to convert the Bostwick, a historic
bank circa 1902, into a high-end steakhouse. The building, which
sits at the corner of Ocean and Bay streets, is one of the first things
commuters see driving into town across the Main Street Bridge.
From Cowford Chophouse’s rooftop bar, customers can take in
Jacksonville’s Southbank skyline, bridges and the St. Johns River.
“That location, the visibility, gave credence to us moving forward
to do what we did,” Klempf said.
Snyder’s location at Jacksonville’s civic square excites Klempf
less. There’s the Museum of Contemporary Art nearby that could
help draw customers for a trendy shop or restaurant. But with
larger buildings all around, there’s no scenic view.
“It’s hard to get people to want to come Downtown,” he said.
“You’ve really got to create a good experience, something they’re
not going to get anywhere else.”
Historic renovation doesn’t come cheaply, either. Klempf
figures it’s about three times the cost of new construction. And
there are always surprises. The Chophouse’s foundation turned
out to be so compromised contractors had to erect a new steel
frame structure within the building and attach the historic walls
to it.
Still, Klempf says he would do it all over again. “I really feel
really good about preserving this for Jacksonville,” he said. “The
building is beautiful. I’m very proud of it.”
Snyder Memorial isn’t nearly as challenged by its condition as
the Chophouse was, said DIA Board member Oliver Barakat. And
he believes it’s at a marquee and underutilized location.
“The city needs to move this thing forward and activate it
ASAP, while the economic cycle is still strong. We should stop
waiting,” Barakat said.
The city can offer two programs to tempt a private investor:
an enhancement grant for retail stores and creative offices, and
a historic trust fund. But Snyder isn’t waiting on incentives or
inspections, really.
It’s waiting for a creative vision of what a beautiful old church
can become if it’s never going to be a church again. On this, the
city comes up short, sidling its hoped-for private partner with the
larger portion of risk. That’s a shame. The church which, through
the ups and downs of Jacksonville’s history, cared for so many
others perhaps deserves a similar fate for itself.
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CAROLE HAWKINS is a freelance journalist. She lives in Murray Hill.
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J MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018