Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Members of the Jefferson County Commission met recently with the architect overseeing the restoration of the historic A-Building to get a better sense of the work yet to be done and formulate a plan for moving forward with the completion of the project, which has been ongoing for about 20 years.
After getting a brief tour of the building, hearing about the work that yet remains to be done, and learning the different options available to accomplish the desired end, commissioners instructed architect Bill Douglas to finalize the design plans for the completion of the renovation/restoration. This was after Douglas explained that with a final plan available, a construction manager could estimate the total cost to complete the project within 10 percent accuracy.
The commissioners' go-ahead decision stems from their concern that at the present pace of work and doing the project piecemeal, there is no end in sight to its completion, all the while that the cost continues escalating.
Douglas told commissioners that they had three basic decisions to make going forward: How did they plan to utilize the building, as that would determine the design and cost; what method did they want to use to accomplish the work, by hard open bids or construction management; and how long were they willing to extend the completion, understanding that the longer it went, the costlier it would become.
Of the two methods of construction, Douglas recommended the construction manager, saying it would give the commissioners more control of the outcome and also allow for greater flexibility in the event that funding constraints or unforeseen events caused delays or reductions in scope of the work.
But the very first step, he said, was for the commission to decide the use of the building, so that the space could be rightly configured and designed, and the final drawings made. After which, he said, he and the commission could sit down with a construction manager and the latter could well estimate the project's total cost.
Commissioners are also contemplating how to finance the completion of the building. One idea mentioned was to approach the Legislature and seek funding. A second, to be pursued in conjunction, was to explore local revenue streams to see if any could be dedicated to the project.
The A-Building restoration effort dates from the 1990s, when the school district vacated the building because of its deteriorating condition.
The very first grant to restore the structure, secured in 1999, was for $370,000 and largely went to remove the building's asbestos and pigeon infestation.
Subsequently, with help from then Congressman Allen Boyd, two additional grants were secured from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The first, in 2000, was for $370,000, and a second, in 2001, was for $299,000. These two grants largely went to replace the roof, install a sprinkler system and accomplish other repairs.
In 2011, the county acquired the building from the school district and picked up the restoration work.
Since, more grants have followed, mostly from the Florida Legislature and Florida Department of State, Division of Historic Preservation, bringing the total to the current $3.8 million.
Dating from 1852, the two-story building enjoys the distinction of being Florida’s first brick schoolhouse and one of the oldest still standing in the country, with its original bricks fashioned by slaves.
In 1915, the two wings were added to the original structure and columns were installed at the north and south entrances. The building functioned as the community’s high school and then the high school’s administration building until 1992, when it was it was vacated.