Furchgott’s was considered a long time Jacksonville institution. Furchgott’s was founded by Leopold Furchgott in 1868. Its flagship store opened on October 8, 1941 at the intersection of West Adams and Hogan Streets. Designed by Marsh and Saxelbye, the five-story, 65,000 square foot store at 128 West Adams Street, was the first in Jacksonville to have elevators. Its first floor was said to be as American as cheese and apple pie. Furcgott’s was one of many department store chains to abandon downtown during the 1980s. Promising to eventually reopen a smaller one-story store in the space, Furchgott’s closed its flagship store for good on March 31, 1984. Those plans failed to materialize by the time the signature Jacksonville chain closed for good on May 8, 1985.
Designated as a Local Jacksonville Landmark, developer Lotus Commercial USA intends to renovate the structure into forty (40) one and two-bedroom apartment units on the upper floors, retail, office, and amenity spaces at ground level, and amenity and storage facilities in the basement. Plans submitted to the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) also illustrate the addition of outdoor seating along Hogan Street and the proposed Emerald Trail system. With Brooke Robbins serving as the project applicant, the development team is seeking DDRB Conceptual Approval on January 13, 2022. Here is a look at the upcoming DDRB project presentation.
