ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Now there are new questions about whether other eyesores at the intersection of State Road 207 and Interstate 95 will get fixed.
There's an old gas station which also used to have a fruit stand. Next to it, there's another empty building. What makes the area different from others is its visibility. It's why leaders want these buildings either fixed or gone.
The walls are so old that the paint is coming off. In some areas, roots and branches have found a way in or out. What was once a working gas station is now an eyesore.
Just a few steps away is what used to be Fortune Cookie Café, but is now a campsite for the homeless.
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On the other side of the interstate, there's an empty lot.
"I've been noticing those buildings since 2000. Cafe Erotica was closed in 2005 and the old gas station closed soon after that," said Bill McClure, county commissioner for District 3.
Action News caught on camera the demolition of Cafe Erotica last week, a moment almost 10 years in the making.
It's all part of a beautification plan led by county commissioners.
McClure, who represents the area, said the biggest challenge is the lengthy process to get the improvements accomplished. By law, property owners must be given a chance to bring the buildings back up to code.
"They'll set a hearing, they'll want to tell us that they've got plans for that building; we will be happy to listen to that," McClure said.
Some progress has been made, including Coquina Crossing and Cypress Lakes, newer housing developments about a mile from I-95.
But there is still more work to be done.
"I think it could take another two years for that area to really develop some economic activity, and we will be excited about it," McClure said.
There's a RaceTrac and a Burger King just across the street from these abandoned buildings. McClure said those businesses have really helped the area. Once the county gets to the point where it has the option to demolish, it means that the owners have no intention of bringing a building back up to code, but the demolition bill goes to the property owners.
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