Authoritarian Amateur Hour: SJC Press Release lacks the name of the author or contact person or indicia of reliability. SJC canned our Cultural Resources Coordinator, Trey Alexander Asner, for doing his job too well. Now our County had been publicly pilloried for its incompetence on Historic Preservation. There are eight (8) full-time equivalent employees in the St. Johns County PR department. All have names. Check out the third-rate press release (from a sixth-rate County government) ineptly trying to hide their tracks. A demolition contract was signed without ever taking the matter to the Cultural Resources Review Board. Racism alert: This St. Johns County proposed demolition of the historic jail was an unforced error by County Administration, reflecting its white supremacist roots and authoritarian orientation. Pitiful St. Johns County press release, February 4, 2025:
SJC Reviewing SJSO Request to Demo the Detention Center Annex
St. Johns County Continues the Review of SJSO Request to Demo the Detention Center Annex, and the review by CRRB will be set to a Later Date.
Jail is viewed as a significant cultural resource, and the item has been removed from the Feb. 10th CRRB agenda
St. Johns County will review the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) application to demolish the detention center annex (old jail), 4025 Lewis Speedway, at a yet-to-be-determined meeting of the Cultural Resource Review Board (CRRB). The item has been removed from the Feb. 10th board agenda to allow for more time for the CRRB to review the Cultural Resource Management Plan and further community engagement. No new date has been set for the review of the proposed demolition.
St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews released a statement:
“St. Johns County understands the significant cultural resource of the detention center annex as it relates to the local and national civil rights movement. I commend our staff for recognizing the importance of this upon receiving the application. They are following our Cultural Resources Review Process and Land Development Code. We will carefully weigh preservation options alongside the SJSO’s operational needs. We are committed to proceeding thoughtfully, guided by a forthcoming consultant’s analysis, CRRB recommendations, and continued robust community dialogue.”
The SJSO submitted the demolition request for the former jail, which was constructed in 1952. The reason for the request was maintenance costs, employee health concerns, and the need for site security.
2 comments:
I see no historical value in the structure. Other structures around town maybe but this is really pushing it. 1952? Gimme a break. It's not even good architecture. This is the sort of mentality that has this place stuck in a block of ice. This is why large portions of the town are left to rot and not rezoned as to maximize tourism and small business success.
With all due respect, I disagree. The law and the facts will protect this historic structure., thank God!
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