The owner of the Laura Street Trio is “tired of dealing with the city of Jacksonville,” telling the city to “buy me out.”

Frustration rose Monday at City Hall between developer Steve Atkins and the city’s Downtown Investment Authority, during a special committee meeting on the future of Downtown.

Atkins has been trying to work out a public-private partnership with the city to overhaul the three buildings at Laura, Forsyth and Adams streets. Atkins has proposed a combination of restoration and new construction that would turn the Florida National Bank, Bisbee and Florida Life Insurance buildings into a hotel, apartments and restaurants.

But on Monday, the developer’s enthusiasm for the major project was clearly waning.

“Everything that we’ve been asked to do, we’ve done,” Atkins told Mandarin council member Michael Boylan. “Frankly, sir, I am getting to the point where I’m tired of dealing with the city of Jacksonville.”

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“(I) have done everything that I can do to make it happen,” Atkins said. “I have invested millions of dollars out of my own pocket.”

Boylan asked Atkins if he’s explored the prospect of finding someone else to take over the ownership of the trio.

Atkins said he had not, and Boylan replied, “Would you consider doing that in light of the fact you’re not getting where you need to here?”

“No, sir,” Atkins replied.

“So, what?” Boylan asked, “What would be your ultimate plan? To just let it lay fallow, indefinitely?”

“I’ll either sit and wait until we can make a deal with the city, or if the city wants to buy me out, they can do that,” replied the developer.

San Marco City Council member Joe Carlucci told Atkins he should come up with an offer to the city, if he were serious.

“If the city were to buy you out, work on that number,” Carlucci said. 

DIA board Chair Patrick Krechowski said the meeting Monday gave the City Council a “glimpse of what DIA staff and the board have been dealing with” since 2017.

“This is quite a saga that we’ve been going through. I think the board’s decision a couple of months ago [to stop negotiations with Atkins] is self explanatory and self evident,” Krechowski said. 

While he said the board wanted to move forward with another public incentive deal, the terms presented just didn’t work. 

“When I read the staff report, when I got it, I was eager, I was positive,” Krechowski said. “And I just kept shaking my head every other paragraph, just shaking my head.”

Committee makes recommendations

In other discussion about the Downtown Investment Authority Monday, special committee Chair Kevin Carrico read through  some of the committee’s recommendations so far, which expand the autonomy of the DIA: 

• DIA should have authority to add staff, set job descriptions and salaries and fund from community redevelopment area revenues. DIA staff should remain city employees
• Expand DIA’s authority to spend council-approved money and submit annual budgets
• The Downtown Investment Authority should be able to hire an in-house attorney. The person in that position would report to the General Counsel’s Office, be housed in DIA offices and work primarily on redevelopment agreements, negotiation, drafting and property dispositions
• Change the quorum requirement for the DIA board to a majority of those currently serving and no fewer than four
• Allow the DIA board to set priorities to use funds and include them in the annual budget request to council
• Annually submit a five-year capital improvement plan, adopted by the DIA board, to council so the board can add unforeseen projects from available funds.

“These are just kicking off what a bill from this committee would look like as far as changes to DIA,” Carrico said. 

The special committee’s task continues Tuesday with a subcommittee meeting on Downtown parking from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Don Davis Room at City Hall.