Speaking to Florida lawmakers from the loading dock of the Union Terminal Warehouse on Jacksonville’s Eastside, Columbia Ventures LLC Development Manager Ryan Akin said the building’s $72 million mixed-use renovation will be a win for the neighborhood and local historic preservation. 

“All right, I’m going to take you back in time a little bit,” Akin said. 

The Atlanta-based developer coordinated the Feb. 27 tour with the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, a statewide nonprofit that works to preserve Florida historical sites. 

The groups hoped the Union Terminal project would be a showpiece as the Florida Legislature considers bills in the 2023 session that would create a state-level historic tax credit program to provide more financial incentives for preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse projects. 

Columbia Ventures purchased the 110-year-old historic warehouse at 700 E. Union St. through an affiliate in December 2018 and started work in 2022 to preserve and convert it into mixed-income residential and commercial space.