The Fund In The Community

 

Over the last decade, the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension fund has made a commitment to the downtown urban core of Jacksonville.

As many of the architecturally significant buildings lie empty, the City of Jacksonville approached the Police and Fire Pension Fund about taking on some projects to help repair.

Since 2001, The Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund has used nearly $30 Million of its own money to renovate several structures in down town Jacksonville.

 

The W.T. Grant Department Store

The first project tackled by the Police and Fire Pension Fund actually became its downtown headquarters. With renovations topping $7 Million, is located at 1 West Adams Street and includes a giant parking garage.

 

 

THE LAURA TRIO

The Police and Fire Pension fund also contributed to the re-development of the Laura Trio, a series of run down buildings located at the intersection of West Forsyth Street and Laura Street. These buildings consist of The former Florida Life Building, The Bisbee Building, and the Old Florida National Bank, also known as the two story Marble Bank Building.

All of these buildings are an important part of Jacksonville's architectural history. From 1912-1915, The Florida Life Building was the tallest building in Florida. The Bisbee Building, at 10 stories, was Florida's first true skyscraper and first of the Chicago-style construction used int hat era. And the Old Florida National Bank was built in 1902 and was the center of the Alfred DuPont banking Empire.

The Police and Fire Pension Fund gained control of the buildings and committed to over $10,000,000 in renovations, most of it being hazardous waste removal and environmental remediation. Work was also done on the skylights in the Marble Bank Building. The Police and Fire Pension Fund sold the Trio to developer Cameron Kuhn.

 

 

THE JAKE GODBOLD ANNEX

The Police and Fire Pension Fund also renovated the old Haverty's building on behalf of the city and re-named it "The Jake Godbold City Hall Annex" after Jake Godbold, the second Mayor of the Consolidated City of Jacksonville. At the cost of almost $13 million, the building now serves taxpayers as extra office space for support of City Hall.