JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The historic Drew Mansion in Springfield was built more than a century ago, and has seen better days.
A collapsing façade, broken windows and an overgrown yard are just some of the issues the property faces.
Frustrated neighbors thought the once-condemned mansion would be fixed after a contractor bought it more than two years ago, but that hasn’t happened.
“The roof is failing, and the most important part of a historic structure is its roof,” Kim Pryor said.
Drew Mansion was purchased by the Bouree Construction Group in 2015, with the intent of fixing it up.
The property has been hit with code violation after code violation, even since 2015.
An inspector was even at the home Thursday, issuing a violation for the overgrown yard.
All of these safety and structure violations have added up to a hefty fine.
City Code Enforcement sent us this statement:
"MCCD condemned this Historic structure in 2011 and referred the case to the Special Magistrate for a hearing. The Magistrate issued an Administrative Fine in the amount of $ 250.00 per day from 4/25/2012 until the unsafe structure violations are complied. As of our last inspection on 5/2/17, the property remained in violation for structural/safety issues and the fine continues to accrue."
With this in mind, the fines add up to $458,250, as of Thursday.
“Is this our property? No, it is not,” Pryor said. “But there were many, many promises made. And this particular structure is iconic and is extremely important to the Springfield district.”
Property owner Michael Bouree did not agree to be recorded, but spoke with Action News Jax over the phone.
Bouree said he’s petitioning for a grant through a nonprofit that would help pay for the repairs, which are estimated at close to $1 million.
He said he’s also considering selling the mansion entirely, and would know his decision in the next month.
Cox Media Group
