Looking to ditch the drab cubical farms with their drop ceilings and fluorescent lights? Ever dream of spending your days in creative workspaces like these? Maybe you remember our article on photographer Tiffany Manning working Downtown.
Creative, quirky and customizable office space is in high demand these days. And luckily, Downtown you’ll find just such gems – often tucked away in historic buildings, and walkable to the river for moments of meditation, numerous dining options to keep your palate guessing, and cultural venues to spark that next big idea.
Take the Flagg Design Studio space, pictured right. Cradled in the heart of Downtown’s entertainment district, The Elbow, the studio capitalizes on the bones of the historic 1906 “Livery Building,” the same building that is home to Tiffany Manning Photography.
About the “Livery Building:
“This building is a pleasant reminder of the days when horses and carriages were the primary means of transportation in Jacksonville. The McMurray Livery, Sale & Transfer Company was established in 1880 by Thomas McMurray, an Irishman. He came to Jacksonville as a Union soldier in 1864, and he remained here as Chief Deputy U. S. Marshall, a post that he held for eleven years. His original livery stable was on the corner of Forsyth and Newnan Streets, where he had a lively trade renting and selling carriages and horses. This business burned in the 1901 Fire, and a new stable was rebuilt on the same site. The livery business prospered with the post-Fire building boom in this city; and in 1905 McMurray Livery, Sale & Transfer Company purchased this present site for expansion purposes. This building was constructed the following year, serving as a carriage showroom, blacksmith shop, and stable for horses.
Over the years, as the increasing number of automobiles in Jacksonville helped bring about the demise of the livery business, this property was sold and was variously used as a plumber’s shop, a printing company, a gas station, and a garage. In 1972 architect William Morgan purchased the former livery stable and restored its facade to the original configuration. Its interior now houses professional offices and a parking garage. The east wall of this structure marks the approximate location where Jacksonville founder Isaiah D. Hart built his log cabin when he came to Cow Ford in 1821.”
– Excerpt from Metro Jacksonville.
For more information on available space in the Livery Building, contact Bob Ascher, Guardian Commercial at 904-880-5656. If you’re looking to bring your office or retail business Downtown, we’d be happy to work with you to locate spaces to fit your needs or connect you with a local realtor. Contact Terry Lorince at 904.634.0303.
We also offer a number of resources on our website under “Doing Business,” such as: Demographics & Statistics, Economic Incentives and Legislation, Available Retail Space and Downtown Sustainability information.