Last week RADO, LISC, some architects, and Bill and Barbara Cesery took a tour of the giant John Gorrie Junior High School, which has long sat abandoned, right in front of our office. We look at it every day, often wondering what it could become. As I described to one of the architects, it is negative space in the composition of the neighborhood. Nobody even sees it anymore. Furthermore, it's a huge amount of negative space, which just makes its potential that much more exciting.
Cesery has made daydreams like ours come to life before. The company beautifully renovated a similar space in San Marco, now known as
The Lofts. These historic school buildings are in perfect locations for promoting dense, healthy urban growth. Before we were quite as reliant on automobiles schools were located within walking distance of the children who attended them. The buildings have decayed beyond the capacity of the school district to repair them affordably, and risk being torn down. Thankfully, historic preservation rules prevent such a fate for John Gorrie. Still, the Duval County School Board is faced with selling off the immense property to the highest bidder this fall.
With the cheerleading support of RADO and the backing of LISC, we hope Cesery, or a developer with similar experience and local roots will lead the way. The building would likely be converted into condominiums, with a good portion being affordable and administered by RADO, with a bit of commercial space to boot. The school is just fraught with exciting potential.
Take a look through the
photos I took while attempting not to pass out in the dozens of stuffy, dusty rooms. It's funny that the space is so inhospitable at the moment, given that John Gorrie's claim to fame was no less essential an invention than the
air-conditioner.
Imagine the lovely hardwood floors restored, the walls repainted, and the whole space bustling with life. Imagine activity on College Street between Stockton and Barrs, instead of a wall of yellow-brick emptiness. Imagine the auditorium renovated and hosting concerts! Imagine shady trees in the courtyard...
We don't know what will develop here yet, but we can't wait to see it.
