Our Meaningful Monday series highlights the character and integrity of the beautiful old buildings in Downtown Jacksonville. This week’s highlight is 100 East Adams Street. The building was built in 1926 as one of twenty-six corner lots that were purchased throughout the city by the United Cigar Store. According to Wayne Wood’s book, Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage-Landmarks for the Future, each building contained nine retail storefronts, with the corner spaces reserved for the cigar stores. This particular building, built in the Mediterranean Revival architectural style, is the best example of the old cigar shops. 

In recent history, the property has been home to several other establishments, including London Bridge and Burro Bar. Currently, owners Elias Hionides of and Tim Hoal are doing a total renovation to the property, which will soon become Hardwicks Bar, the first LGBTQIA+ bar to open in Jacksonville in 20 years. 

Avant was hired by Hionides, of Petra – a boutique real estate and development firm, to do the complete renovation.

Our Meaningful Mondays series honors the beauty and integrity of the beautiful old buildings in Downtown Jacksonville, and highlights projects we are, will be, or have been involved with.

The Jones Brothers Furniture building was built in 1926. According to @thejaxsonmag, the building was constructed out of reinforced concrete and features Mediterranean Revival detailing at its upper level, as well as originally having a suspended canopy over the main entrance. It also features prism glass above the street-level entrance, and a decorative wrought-iron staircase visible from inside the lobby.

In Its hay day, Jones Brother Furniture became one of the largest family-owned businesses and continued into the 80s. Sadly, it has sat empty and neglected for many many years.

Utilizing a combination of new construction and preservation of the existing structures, the project will transform the entire block into an urban mixed-use development consisting of residential and retail tenants. Current plans include 103 apartments, two retail storefronts, and a parking garage. In addition, the development will feature co-work office spaces, a fitness facility, tranquility rooms, and a terrace overlooking Downtown Jacksonville.

Corner Lot Development Group will soon be starting construction and renovation on the property. A new eight-story building will be constructed and an amenity deck connecting the new and historic buildings will be accessible for residents and the public through separate entrances. The two buildings will accommodate 103 apartments, two retail storefronts, and a parking garage. The development also has plans to feature co-work office spaces, a fitness facility, tranquility rooms, and a terrace overlooking Downtown Jacksonville, and will face the #EmeraldTrail, when completed.

The project will be a fantastic example of adaptive reuse and how to bring old and new together, in a unique and impactful design.

Avant Construction Group will be doing the renovation of the existing building.

Bold Line Design and Robbins Design Group are the architects.

We commend Corner Lot and the other developers who are committed to making Jacksonville a world-class city.

The old Lawton Pratt funeral home is a perfect example of adaptive reuse. The funeral home, which will be called LaVilla Place, as a nod to its location, will become a chic short-term rental complex with a tapas and wine bar and a swimming pool. Completed in 1916, the existing building may be one of the last surviving commercial structures designed and constructed by noted Black architect Joseph Haygood Blodgett, according to The Jaxson.

The building had living quarters upstairs and a funeral parlor downstairs, along with stables for horses and later, a garage for automobiles, which gave the customers a choice of a horse-drawn or motorized hearse. The building has several interesting details, which will be saved, where possible, and used in the new design.

Avant was hired to work with the owner, Eric Adler, owner of Silver Street Management, to complete the renovation. Avant has extensive experience in adaptive reuse, as well as working with the city on historic renovations.

According to CEO Alan Cottrill, “This project is the type of thing we love to do. Not only is it restoring an old building, but it’s breathing new life into an area that has been forgotten over the years.”

Our Meaningful Mondays series honors the history and integrity of the beautiful old buildings in Downtown Jacksonville. The series will highlight a project that we’ve been involved with, are currently involved with or will be involved with.

( Much of the historic information was taken from and inspired by Wayne Wood’s newly-released book, Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage-Landmarks for the Future, available at Jacksonville Historical Society )

In today’s Meaningful Monday series, we are highlighting the Seminole Club, most recently known as the Sweet Pete’s Building. The building has a fascinating history and was Jacksonville’s oldest men’s social club. Built in 1903, it originally had a rooftop garden and was only two stories high. In 1907 the roof was removed and the third floor was added. Through the years there were other alterations, which can be seen in the picture. For over a century, it was a gathering place for civic and business leaders, including a presidential speech by Teddy Roosevelt (hence posting on President’s day).
The building was empty from 2004 until 2104 when it was purchased by Marcus Lemonis of the TV show, The Profit, who spent $2 million to bring it back to its former glory.

Our involvement in this historic renovation is two-fold. We were first hired by Marcus Lemonis to do the initial renovation after the building had been empty for a number of years. Two years ago, JWB Real Estate Companies purchased the building and we came back to do additional renovations and add a balcony to the third-floor event space.

The beautiful building, on the corner of North Hogan and Duval, sits next to the old Federal Reserve Building, which is also being renovated by JWB Real Estate Companies to create a fantastic live-work-play section of Downtown in a once unused and run-down area of Jacksonville.

Our Meaningful Mondays series honors the beauty and integrity of the beautiful old buildings in Downtown Jacksonville. The series will highlight a project that we’ve been involved with, are currently involved with or will be involved with.
( Much of the historic information was taken from and inspired by Wayne Wood’s newly-released book, Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage-Landmarks for the Future, available at
Jacksonville Historical Society )

#dtjax#historicrenovation#jacksonville#adaptivereuse

In today’s Meaningful Monday post, we are highlighting The Porter House mansion.
The Klutho-designed house was built in 1902 and was located on the corner of Julia and Church Streets. The original structure had a veranda that wrapped around three sides and had a widow’s walk on the roof. These were removed when it was purchased in 1925 by The First Christian Church when it was moved to its current location.
It was purchased by KBJ Architects in 1981, and by JWB Real Estate Companies in 2020. Opus Group was brought in to renovate and bring the interior offices up to code while leaving the beautiful staircase and other existing historic features, as well as put the infrastructure in the basement for plans for a possible future restaurant.

Our Meaningful Mondays series honors the beauty and integrity of the beautiful old buildings in Downtown Jacksonville. The series will highlight a project that we’ve been involved with, are currently involved with or will be involved with.
(Much of the historic information was taken from and inspired by Wayne Wood’s newly-released book, Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage-Landmarks for the Future, available at Jacksonville Historical Society)