Firestone Building Honored by Florida Trust for Historic Preservation

(Gainesville, FL) – Phoebe Cade Miles (daughter of the late Dr. James Robert Cade, inventor of Gatorade) and her husband Richard restored the 4,000 sq. ft. Firestone Building in Gainesville, Florida last year. On Friday May 8^th, 2015, the project was recognized by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation (FTHP), receiving an Honorable Mention for Adaptive Reuse at the organization’s annual awards ceremony held in Miami, Florida. Additionally, father and son team, Richard and Ryland Wagner of Joyner Construction in Gainesville – contractors for the restoration – were also honored for their work on the project.

The FTHP’s mission is, “to promote the preservation of the architectural, historical and archaeological heritage of Florida through advocacy, education and historic property stewardship.” Accordingly, the Firestone was acknowledged to be, “a proper rehabilitation of a structure to a new use with consideration for the high level of creativity to the adaption.” Adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation was weighed heavily.

The restoration brought together many local building specialists. Goodwin Company, who has worked on several projects that have received recognition by the FTHP, milled the River-Recovered® and reclaimed Legacy Vertical Heartpine which surrounds a rectangle of brilliantly positioned reclaimed pine from the original building and an inlay of a fan medallion in the center.

According to Sarah Vidal-Finn, Manager of the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency, “The Firestone Building is a model example showcasing the ability to find incredible worth in historic building stock and sensitively reusing it to support modern commerce and businesses.”

For a full list of FTHP award winners, visit: http://www.floridatrust.org/preservation-awards/2015-award-winners.