(Source of image: Florida Collection, Main Public Library, Jacksonville)
CLICK HERE for more peeks at
Park Lane
CLICK HERE
for Park Lane under construction
You might
not believe it now, but this
laid-back building caused quite a stir in 1926. When the 16-story Park
Lane Apartments was constructed, it seemed all out of scale with the neighborhood's stately
residences -- although it isn't atypical in this part of Riverside anymore.
Park Lane still stands near Memorial Park and the Publix shopping center on
Riverside Avenue. It now houses condominiums.
No doubt Park Lane
proved novel during its early days. It featured "setback construction,"
a first for Jacksonville's tall buildings. This arrangement meant that the
upper apartments could boast open terraces & sun parlors, allowing up to 25
miles of the St. Johns River to be seen.
Another unusual idea came from New York via Francis Mason, Park Lane's
developer. He originally built the establishment as co-op apartments,
with each apartment to be a home of its own, and the whole
governed by the co-op residents.
His venture proved to be a forerunner of Florida's high-rise
condos. By the way, the lowest priced units at
Park Lane went for $12,000. Any idea how much would this be in today's
currency? About $117,000.
Fifteen thousand people attended a two-day open house, which included
inspections of two of the 32 apartments. That year, 1926, also saw the
construction of several other Jax landmarks: the magnificent Florida Theater
(still in operation),
the 18-story Barnett National Bank Building (still used for
offices),
the Elks Club (used for offices and commercial space),
the 13-story Carling or Roosevelt Hotel (being renovated into loft apartments),
the 17-story Lynch Building (today's 11 East Forsyth Building, with offices
having been converted into apartments), the 14-story
George Washington Hotel (demolished), the classically-designed police station at
711 Liberty Street (gutted and rebuilt for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's
regional crime lab), the Scottish Rite Temple (an Egyptian Revival style
structure still in use), and St. Vincent's Hospital (heavily renovated and in
use).
HIGH-RISE RUCKUS