Plans have changed for the Jacksonville Salvation Army and their ongoing effort to replace their aging citadel facility.
The local Salvation Army chapter has been fundraising since about 2007 with the intention of building a new facility on a lot across the street from the current citadel located at 331 West Douglas Avenue.
Major Charles Pinskton says that after recent reviews of the current building, the Salvation Army territorial headquarters has decided to take a different approach.
“Over the last year, our headquarters has had us do an assessment on our current building to see if it would be viable for a renovation or not. We received the report back from the engineers and there are a lot of systems that would need to be completely replaced, but in the summary there was one sentence that said the building has good bones.
So looking at the reality of what it would cost to prepare the site across the street as opposed to altering the site we are on, our headquarters has instructed us to move forward with an extensive renovation.”
Major Pinkston said that the remodel now planned for the citadel will have to be very extensive.
“It would be a complete gut and remodel of the building, new roofs, new heat and air conditioning systems, new plumbing, pretty much new everything. So in essence it will still be a new building, and we are looking at an addition as well to make it larger and more effective for our purposes.”
Major Pinkston said that work on the plans for the renovation will begin soon after the close of this seasons Red Kettle Campaign.
“We are hoping to start line drawings right after the first of the year, we are going to be working with Graham & Hyde Architects in Springfield. Jamie Cosgriff who is a resident of Jacksonville will be working with us and we will be getting together here in the very future to start putting some plans together.”
Plans for what to do with the building site lot across the street from the existing citadel will be determined as the planning for the renovation moves forward. Pinkston says that the lot will be included in considerations by the architects and the city as part of the total overall plan.