It’s birds, planes, parking lots and… virtual golf?
Rumors have been circulating since April about what will become of the former Sunray Cinema space at Historic Five Points, but now that the building has been sold, there are even more unanswered questions.
This isn’t just an issue specific to Sunray, but perhaps more so for Jacksonville’s business scene in general, but the theater owners heard rumors about a potential replacement for Sunray before they even signed the contract.
Sunray, which has operated a two-screen movie theater in the building at 1028 Park St. in Historic Five Points since 2011, is set to vacate the building at the end of July following its purchase by Union South Partners, which is in “active discussions” with multiple entertainment operators about a new lease for the space, according to a news release.
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However, rumors were flying prior to this announcement in May.
First, a petition was circulated in mid-April to prevent the demolition of the theater, which is protected as a historic landmark.
The petition sparked an uproar on social media, with Sunray patrons defending the theater but also arguing it would be bulldozed to make room for a parking lot, which would set off a lengthy process to remove the city’s protection as a designated historic landmark.
This isn’t the first time rumors of a company moving out or possibly being evicted have spread quickly, and it certainly won’t be the last for Sunray.
Recent rumors regarding the theater building’s future include it being converted into a virtual golf course.
So why is the Jacksonville company garnering so much buzz about its future?
Struggles for small businesses
First, many of Jacksonville’s popular local businesses don’t own the buildings they’re housed in.
Neighborhood staples like Sunray find themselves at the mercy of their building owners when it’s time to terminate their leases, as happened to popular Riverside restaurant Southern Roots Filling Station.
In 2022, Southern Roots made waves on social media when it announced it had to vacate its space due to unsustainable rent increases after the building changed ownership.
The former Southern Roots store at 1275 King St. remains vacant nearly a year and a half after public outcry and support to keep the store in the area.
More recently, the owner of a Springfield building did not renew the leases of BobbyK Boutique and Bark on Main, forcing two more local businesses to move out of their respective spaces in the fall.
Jamie Yoakum Pittman, co-owner of Bark on Park (formerly Bark on Main), said the store opened in December 2018 as a sublease of the lease Bobby Kelly had taken for Bobby K Boutique. Yoakum Pittman, who has owned Bark on Park since 2009, said the Main Street store is “a great building, a great location and a great landlord.”
She said she was surprised that after five years, she had not received an offer to renew her lease.
“It’s a shame for Springfield and a shame for the landlords. I have no ill will towards the landlords – it’s a business – but it sucks,” she said. “This is a great little place, we work hard, and if the landlords are going to keep these spaces for themselves or charge inflated rent, there’s not much we can do.”
The storefront on Springfield’s Main Street is currently vacant.
Kelly said he intended to quit the lease but was not given the opportunity, and now he says he would not have resigned if asked again because of “the way the public interacts with businesses.”
“When we announced we were closing, and obviously it wasn’t a choice, we were met with a wave of public reaction,” Kelly said, “ranging from ‘That’s awful’ to ‘You must not be a good business owner to be forced out,’ which is nothing at all.”
This experience is not uncommon for many business owners in Jacksonville.
“We know our situation wasn’t that bad,” Kelly added. “I meet with local businesses throughout the week to catch up and chat, and sometimes I hear the craziest stories. [stories] always.”
Matt Pittman, co-owner of the Bark Store, said he was “given the opportunity to renew the lease” a few months after the store closed in May 2023. Pittman said it would have been costly to try to move everything back to its original location because the store closed and began relocating to a single location before the lease officially ended.
“[It’s] “Vacant storefronts are the worst thing for neighborhoods like Springfield and Riverside,” he said. “I hate seeing empty storefronts. It’s sad and it doesn’t help anybody. As business owners, we’re trying to build a business community with you guys. We’re happy to be there and help promote the neighborhood and showcase those businesses.”
Neither of the former Springfield staples have yet to open new locations in Jacksonville — Kelly said they’re focused on other plans for now — and Pittman said the option to expand again is always on the table, but the right opportunity hasn’t come along yet.
Five Points has seen a high rate of business turnover in recent years. Who else will be affected by the sale of Sunray’s building?
News of Sunray’s uncertain future has led other businesses in the theater building to discuss what the sale means for them in the long term, even though their leases are up for renewal or have been fulfilled.
The building also houses office space for Wingard, a marketing company that has been based in Five Points since it was founded in 2008.
“Wingard has been proud to call the historic Five Points Theatre building home for the past several years,” David Wingard, the company’s founder and CEO, said in an email.
Wingard said he has a connection to the building and the Shad family, having rented one of their offices from them to start his company 16 years ago.
“Over the years, so many iconic businesses have called Five Points and this building home,” Wingard said, adding that he hopes they’ll continue to stay here in the future.
Also in the same building is Brew, a local coffee shop that will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Five Points this July.
There has been some turnover in business at the theatre building over the last year, with Pizza Cave, which was previously owned by Sunray Cinema, closing in February and Motion Suites also set to close in late 2023.
Park Street in Five Points has also seen several business closures, including the sudden closure of Crane Ramen in late 2022 and Boger’s Shoes relocating to Orange Park in November from its original Riverside location, which has been there since the 1950s.
The theater building’s new owners emphasized that they intend to “invest significant capital to enhance and improve the theater space as an entertainment destination while preserving the theater’s historic fabric.”
But until concrete plans are announced, rumors will continue to fly.
