Established in 1919, the George Doro Fixture Company manufactured wood office and store fixtures, partitions, shelving and lockers, many of which can be found in buildings throughout the city today. In addition, Doro’s maze of brick buildings are a few remaining fragments of an era before stadiums, arenas, ballparks and surface parking lots replaced the surrounding community. In fact, the two-story commercial building, where the business founded, dates back to 1904 when it was constructed as a mixed-use building, featuring street level retail shops and upper floor apartments in the heart of East Jacksonville.
Doro operated their business for 97 consecutive years before selling their property in March 2016 to Iconic Real Estate Investments. After a failed attempt to reuse the century old complex for a mixed-use adaptive reuse development, a new project is now proposed for the property.
Rise, a Valdosta-based development firm, is proposing to construct a new eight-story, 247-unit mixed-use apartment project on the property. The project would include a roughly 6,100 square feet open plaza at the intersection of A. Philip Randolph Boulevard and East Adams Street. A 4,875 square foot ground floor retail space would be situated at the intersection of East Forsyth Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. In addition, a 2,065 square foot, outdoor/indoor amenity space would face A. Philip Randolph Boulevard.
In order to develop this proposal, the entire block of historic buildings would be razed. Despite their age, according to the Planning and Development Department’s Historic Preservation Section, the property is not a part of the Downtown National Register District, nor was it deemed eligible by the State Historic Preservation Office for individual designation.
Rise Properties is now seeking conceptual approval of its proposed project from the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) at its March 12, 2020 meeting. Here is a look at the conceptual plans designed by Niles Bolton Associates.
