Demolition of collapsed warehouseDemolition of collapsed warehouse
Construction equipment from the ELEV8 company tear apart a warehouse that partially collapsed Monday night. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today

Demolition begins on collapsed warehouse in Springfield

Published on March 18, 2025 at 3:12 pm
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Demolition has begun on a section of a former warehouse that partially collapsed on Main Street in Springfield during rush hour Monday evening.

Questions remain as to why part of the roof and outside wall of the former Solomon’s Auction House collapsed at North Main and East 14th streets, showering the street with bricks and debris as other parts of it bulged out over the sidewalk.

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The building collapsed about 5 p.m., and firefighters initially found the structure too unsafe to enter to check for anyone trapped, Fire Chief Keith Powers said. A police drone later checked the building and found that the roof had rotted and collapsed. A fire department dog did not find anyone inside, Powers said. 

“The building is unsafe for occupancy or for the neighborhood,” fire department spokesman Eric Prosswimmer said at the scene Tuesday morning. “We have turned it over to the city’s building compliance so they can do what they needed to do for the safety of the citizens.”

Officials from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department look at the remains of the brick wall that collapsed onto North Main Street on Monday afternoon, March 17, 2025. | JFRD

The 74,500-square-foot building was built in 1925, according to city records. Miami-based Future of Cities bought it in 2021.

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Future of Cities is developing 8 acres of what is known as the Phoenix Arts and Innovation District in that part of Springfield into affordable housing, markets and other uses. Those properties, including the former Solomon warehouse, are along Market, Hubbard, Main, Liberty and East 15th streets.

City spokesman Phil Perry said Future of Cities is paying for the demolition of the parts of the building that pose the most immediate threat of further collapse. The demolition began about 8 a.m. Tuesday. The closed sidewalk and northbound Main Street were to be reopened later Tuesday, Perry said.

Demolition of collapsed building
Demolition began on Tuesday morning on a warehouse that partially collapsed the night before at North Main and 14th streets. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today

Future of Cities did not respond to requests for comment. Phoenix Arts officials did issue a statement saying it had been working closely with the city to prepare for the demolition of the “unoccupied and secured property” at 2301 N. Main St.

“We believe the recent high winds caused the building’s accelerated collapse before the scheduled demolition could be completed,” the statement said. “We are grateful that nobody was hurt.”


author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with almost 40 years of experience in radio, television and print reporting. He has worked at various stations in the Northeast and Jacksonville. Dan also spent 34 years at The Florida Times-Union as a police and current affairs reporter.

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