Jacksonville’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods are dotted with historic warehouses that once powered the city’s rail, shipping and manufacturing economy. Today, those same structures are being transformed to meet modern needs while preserving a tangible link to the city’s industrial past.
West Beaver Street: A&P’s Coffee Legacy
At 1775 W. Beaver St., the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. opened an Eight O’Clock Coffee roasting plant in 1925 and added an industrial bakery in 1932. The complex remained a key food‑production hub until A&P began moving operations in 1968, with the coffee plant operating until 1990. In the 1980s, Beaver Street Fisheries (now BSF) acquired much of the former A&P site, continuing the property’s long association with Jacksonville’s food industry.
Dennis Street: From Clark & Lewis to Global Impex
In 1947, Clark & Lewis Co. relocated its wholesale grocery business to 2481 Dennis St., taking advantage of nearby rail lines and major transportation routes. The building still serves commercial and distribution purposes today under the ownership of Global Impex Jax.
North Market Street: Groover‑Stewart Drug Co. to Modern Workspace
Founded in 1900 by Flavius Christie and Frank Groover, the Groover‑Stewart Drug Co. grew into Florida’s largest wholesale drug company. To accommodate growth, the company erected a reinforced‑concrete office and warehouse at 25 N. Market St. in 1925. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, the structure has been rehabilitated as Expansive Workspace, offering modern offices, suites and conference rooms.
Cantee Street: Heinz Warehouse Becomes Peanut‑Butter Hub
The H.J. Heinz Co. opened a 13,000‑square‑foot warehouse, office and shipping facility at 57 Cantee St. in 1948. Designed by Jacksonville architects Marsh & Saxelbye, the plant distributed Heinz products throughout most of Florida. Today the building houses Sunshine Peanut Co., the state’s only peanut‑butter manufacturer, which supplies the Florida Department of Corrections.
East Bay Street: Maxwell House’s Enduring Presence
Jacksonville’s coffee heritage continued with the Cheek‑Neal Coffee Co. establishing a barge‑accessible roasting plant on East Bay Street in 1910. In 1924 the company opened a five‑story plant at 735 E. Bay St., eventually expanding to roughly 400,000 sq ft. When closure loomed in 1990, a local “Keep Max in Jax” campaign helped save the facility. The plant remains an active, round‑the‑clock coffee‑roasting operation, producing Maxwell House and other brands and employing nearly 200 workers.
King Street: From Woman‑Owned Soft‑Drink Bottler to Mixed‑Use Space
From 1933 to 1946, 648 King St. housed Thomas Beverage Co., a woman‑owned soft‑drink bottler run by Lois H. Thomas. The building later became the Pepsi‑Cola Bottling Co. of Jacksonville (1946‑1957) and subsequently a cold‑storage warehouse for Deal‑Warren Refrigeration. Today the former bottling plant is divided among small businesses such as Blue Buddha Exotic Foods, Cool Stuff Vintage and Flaire Antiques.
Union Terminal Warehouse: A Century‑Old Mixed‑Use Project
Completed in 1914, the Union Terminal Warehouse at 700 E. Union St. was Jacksonville’s largest industrial building at the time. Conceived by businessman C.B. Gay, it offered shared space for wholesale firms with convenient rail access. After decades of varied use, Columbia Ventures rehabilitated the landmark into a mixed‑use development featuring apartments, retail, offices and a makerspace.
West Beaver Street: The Winn‑Dixie Origin Site
Built in 1919, 1357 W. Beaver St. became a hub for the grocery chain that evolved into Winn‑Dixie, Florida’s first Fortune 500 company. After Winn‑Dixie moved out, the building served as the headquarters of Load King Manufacturing and now stands vacant, listed for sale.
These warehouses illustrate how Jacksonville’s industrial roots continue to shape its economy. While some structures remain active in food production and distribution, many have been thoughtfully adapted for modern office, residential and small‑business uses, ensuring that the city’s heritage remains a living part of its future.
Original reporting: Jacksonville Today — read the source article.
