JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Neighbors are saying “no way” to plans to build a storage facility in historic Murray Hill, speaking out against the project in a meeting Monday with the Murray Hill Preservation Association.
The storage facility would go where the former Jones College location was on Edgewood Avenue South, near Plymouth Street. Thousands of people have signed a petition against the project they believe does not belong in the neighborhood.
With its small businesses and historic buildings along Edgewood Avenue, Murray Hill gives off a quaint but hip vibe. Preserving that feel is important for many neighbors like Murphy Griffin who say a storage facility simply goes against the area's historic feel.
“I think it’s really, as I’ve heard other people say, it’s sort of a middle finger to Murray Hill’s development. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I really don’t like it,” Griffin said.
He would like to see something else in this space.
“It’s one of the few places here in Murray Hill that has a parking space to accommodate a grocery store. We really need one here in Murray Hill. That would be awesome. Practically anything that wasn’t a storage facility would be preferable,” Griffin explained.
Others have said they feel the facility will be an eyesore.
Steve Orman, the commercial broker whose company is overseeing the project disagrees. He wants to add more than 48,000 square feet of new retail space and more parking, with the storage facility in the back. Orman believes this will not detract from the neighborhood’s character.
“It is going to be a nice-looking building. This is not going to be a metal building with a chain link and barbed wire. This will be a nice-looking facility. It’s going to look as nice or nicer than what is there now,” Orman said.
Karl Hanson, with Silverfield Development Company, said his team plans on meeting with the Murray Hill Preservation Association on June 3, which is when the company plans to present a detailed building rendering.