Squatters living in vacant Arlington office buildings

News4Jax finds evidence of people staying inside former Jacksonville FBI HQ

JACkSONVILLE, Fla. – Three vacant office buildings in Arlington, including one that used to house the area's FBI headquarters, are now attracting squatters, vandals, runways and crime.

After receive tips of what was happening, News4Jax visited the site Thursday and went inside one of the buildings on the south side of the Arlington Expressway, just west of Southside Boulevard. 

Boards are missing off a broken-out window, giving access to the inside. The place is a mess, and there are empty bottles of liquor and Coke cans. 

The inside has been ransacked and vandalized. We stayed on the first floor for safety reasons, but it was enough to show people had been living inside.

The other two buildings also sit abandoned. The windows and doors are boarded up, but that is not keeping people out. People said that the homeless hang out there every night. Last March, police found a missing Arlington woman and her five children living in one of the buildings.

City code inspectors have visited numerous times and have cited the owners for not securing the property.

City Councilwoman Joyce Morgan said it’s an example of the growing homeless problem in Jacksonville. She has addressed her concerns with one of the owners.

"He talks about his level of frustration even as he boards up these buildings, and then he comes back and it’s damaged and windows are broken," Morgan said. "It’s a constant battle and it’s a vicious cycle, and we’re working on it as hard as we can."

Records show it appears the three buildings are owned by two people, both located in South Florida. News4Jax asked them for comment, but neither has responded. 


About the Author:

Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.