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Adaptive Use
American Bankers
Building Jacksonville
Older office buildings can be a challenge to reuse, particularly in
smaller communities where the demand for office space has waned. From the
1920s through the 1990s, this two-story, limestone-clad structure was
occupied by a bank and, later, an insurance company. The insurance
company relocated in 2000, and the 40,000 square-foot building sat vacant
for two years.
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Older office buildings can be a
challenge to reuse, particularly in smaller communities where the demand
for office space has waned. From the 1920s through the 1990s, this
two-story, limestone-clad structure was occupied by a bank and, later, an
insurance company. The insurance company relocated in 2000, and the
40,000 square-foot building sat vacant for two years. In 2002, it was
purchased from bankruptcy court by an owner with ties to the community who
converted the upper floor into a three-room banquet facility (known as
Hamilton’s 110 North East) and secured a variety of commercial tenants for
the stores at street level.
As part of the interior
renovations, two former bank vaults were adapted for use as a liquor
storage room and a smoking lounge. This venue has quickly become the
community’s most popular facility of its kind. The conversion of this
potential white elephant into a thriving business has become a major
impetus to the continued redevelopment of downtown Jacksonville. Plans
are underway to reopen the nearby town square, which was marred in the
1970s by a misguided urban renewal effort.
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