Report: City Council OKs $3M grant for Independent Life Building
The original Independent Life building that opened on West Duval Street in 1955 will get a new life. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A $3 million historic preservation grant for the renovation of Downtown Jacksonvilleโs Independent Life Building got the green light Tuesday night from the City Council, the Jacksonville Daily Record reported. Augustine Development Group LLC has proposed a $30 million renovation to the historic 19-story tower, which would be converted to a 135-unit apartment development. The Council voted 18-0 to commit $3 million from the cityโs Historic Preservation Trust Fund to help finance the project. The building was last used from 1976 through the mid-โ90s by JEA as its headquarters and has been vacant since then.
Everyone OK after multi-alarm fire at commercial building in Mixon Town
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jacksonville Fire Rescue said it took 65 firefighters to contain a blaze that consumed multiple sections of a commercial building in Mixon Town near Riverside before dawn Friday. Shortly after firefighters arrived, they were ordered out of the building for safety. A spokesperson for JFRD said the front half of the building is destroyed, but the back half was saved from the flames. Drivers are warned and reminded to slow down and keep their attention on the road when near any fire scene. Fire officials noted this fire made for the ninth multi-alarm fire in 2020, an unusually high number for the department.