Entrepreneur Craig Van Horn is
renovating this Springfield building next to the Klutho
Apartments into space for artists, retailers and
restaurants. Van Horn with artist Joyce Haynes in front of
the building.
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by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Creativity is the
core of artistic expression, but having money doesn’t hurt
either.
Craig Van Horn, CEO of Symbiosis Investments, a
real estate development company, is putting his money where
his interest in art is through his still-in-the-works
enterprise at the corner of Ninth and Main streets in
Springfield.
Once a condemned building, Van Horn is
renovating the 8,000 square-foot property adjacent to the
historic Klutho Apartments into space for artists, retailers
and restaurateurs. The grand plan is to subdivide the lot
into three sections.
The northern quadrant of the
facility will be reserved for a 3,000 square-foot local
eatery. In the middle, there will be space for different
events such as a farmer’s market, an antiques show or
corporate parties. The rear of the building is intended to
be a 60-seat theater for live performances or vintage or
independent films. Behind the building there will be an
courtyard with outside seating and available access to all
of the tenants and their customers.
“I want all three
pieces to work together in a symbiotic relationship,” said
Van Horn, which explains the name of his business and the
puzzle-like motif on the exterior of the building. “My
mission is to invest in communities in order to promote a
more sustainable future — balancing social, economic and
environmental concerns.
“I want to make money, but I
want to do it the right way. Ultimately, you’ll have better
projects because of it.”
Formerly an Atlanta resident,
Van Horn saw the potential in Jacksonville and moved his
operations here. In the fall of 1998, he began buying
property north of downtown.
“In December 2000, they
passed a zoning overlay for Springfield,” he said. “That was
an important reason why I’m investing there. They got rid of
the building setbacks and parking restrictions. I like
Springfield because it’s a nice, contained area with nice,
natural barriers. The housing stock with all these
beautiful, turn-of-the-century houses is unbelievable.”
Neighborhood planning has allowed him to obtain a liquor
license for his venture even though it is two doors down
from a church.
Van Horn is banking on the improvements
to Main Street’s appearance and the 2005 Super Bowl to
propel his endeavor to success. The Main Street project
kicks off in November with the summer of 2003 as the
anticipated completion date. Infrastructure upgrades such as
new wiring for street lighting and the resurfacing of the
roadway are part of the scheduled enhancements. Aesthetics
such as decorative lighting and landscaping are also
included in the plan.
“Obviously, the Better
Jacksonville Plan will affect Springfield a lot,” he said.
“It will give us money and the Super Bowl gives us a
time frame. It could take six years, but I think it will
happen sooner because of the Super Bowl.”
According to
Van Horn, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission
approved him for a $40,000 loan in mid-September.
“The
challenge of operating in Springfield is there is so much
you have to buy and renovate with cash,” he said. “If you
look at Jacksonville as a whole, it has so much land that
we’ve got to gain control of, otherwise we’ll have the same
problem with sprawl as Atlanta or Dallas.”
A far cry
from suburban strip malls, Van Horn’s vision is to build a
pedestrian-friendly neighborhood where people can both live
and work. In addition to his work at Ninth and Main streets,
he is also putting together plans for loft space
“Jacksonville doesn’t really have a developed in-town
area,” he said. “I don’t like going to Regency and seeing
the big box commercial centers with the big parking lots and
no trees. I want this to have a local, organic flavor.”
Exploring the artistic component of the project also
tweaked Van Horn’s attention. A mural depicting the area’s
former silent film era is being painted along the back wall
of the development.
“The arts are important to the
revitalization of Springfield,” he said.
Instead of
installing traditional storefronts during renovations, Van
Horn had garage doors inserted in both the front and back of
the building to add flexibility.
“I didn’t want a fixed
space,” he explained. “We’re still going to have our anchors
but I want this to be a fun place to go. This setup is more
lively.”
Glass will be going in next week and concrete
is ready to be poured. Landscaping in front of the venue
remains. Construction on the structure is scheduled to be
complete by December.
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