The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-20
NEW BUILDING TO Be
ERECTED ON SITE OF
THEFLORENCE HOTEL
The New Structure Will Be
for Commercial Purposes.
Negotiations Pending
PRESENT LEASE
EXPIRES IN 1916
Big Retail Dry Goods Houses Said
to Desire Location for Store.
Property Will Not Be
Sold by Owners

The Florence hotel building, corner
Second avenue and Nineteenth street,
is to be destroyed. 1t will be sue
ceeded on that valuable corner by a
commercial building. Information to
this effect has been quietly circulated
during the past few days, and agents
for the four owners of the property
yesterday while declining to make an
official announcement, did not deny
that negotiations were in progress
locking to this end. From what can
be gathered negotiations are pending
now with one or two large wholesale
and retail dry goods houses one of
which is said to be the John B. Claflin
company, for the erection on that cor
ner of a building ranking second to
ncne in the city as a department store
1t is stated that the entrance of the
Marshal Field interests into this sec
tion has caused other firms of SINH
lar rank to look with ambitious eyes
toward Birmingham. Not only are ne
gotiations pending with outside inter-
ests, but it is stated that local inter-
ests, seeing the value of a lease on
property Slludteu dS the FlOrenCe DullQ-
ing is are trying to get long term
agreement on that property. The own
ers of the property or at least agents
for the property are at this time very
rcticent about the outcome of the ne
gotiations.
Lease Expires in 1916
The present lease on the building ex-
pires in April. 1916, so that only two
years remain within which negotiations
can be carried on for the old structure
or for a new building. 1t is said that
the owners of the building have been
approached, and that frequent inter-
views are being held in which the
future of the property is freely dis
cussed.
The site occupied by the Florence ho-
tel is said by many experts to be worth
about 100000. The lot is 100 feet on
Second avenue by 140 feet on Nine
tcenth street. 1t takes in the Nunnaly
place on Nineteenth street, the Florence
cafe, the Florence cigar store, the Flor
ence hotel offices barber shop,
wholesale liquor house and a retail
liquor house. The latter is subleased
W pptll N hlOlHifldn.
The hotel was leased by r. d. Bur-
nett a few years ago, at which time
II was contemplated to build a new
structure for retail purposes. However
Mr.. Burnett agreed to spend 100000 In
improvements of a permanent nature,
which was done, and he was given a
lease on the place. He subsequently,
leased the hotel and retired from that
business. He retains the lease on the
cigar store at this time
Will Be Five Stories
only by reason of the heavy. expen-
ditures for permanent improvements
were the betterments that are now con-
templated postponed. 1t is stated on
excellent authority that some of the
owners of the building. there being
four, would rather see two-story
building. on that site for commercial
purposes than to have the site remain
without a new structure. However. it
is stated there will not be any two
story affair placed on the site, but that
probably five-story building with ev-
cry modern idea will be erected and
will be for commercial purposes only.
1t Is even suggested that one concern
might take the whole space.
The building is owned by Mrs Fan
ME e. Jordan, Mrs. J. Rivers Carter,
Mrs. Hill Ferguson and Joseph Walker.
Their interests are being cared for by
the agents handling the property for
the past several years.
1t was stated yesterday that an an
nouncement will be made during the
next few weeks as to what will be
oone with the Florence site. 1t was
asserted positively that the site would
rot be sold by the present owners
under any circumstances, and that it
would be the present owners who would
provide for the permanent betterments
IL was further learned that 1t is safe
TO assume that the Florence. which has
Ter years been land mark here, will
have very short life