Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
Encyclopedia
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
located in downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. Opened in 1986, it was built incorporating Jacksonville's Union Station
Jacksonville Terminal Complex
The Jacksonville Terminal Complex is a historic site in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 1000 West Bay Street. On October 22, 1976, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It has been incorporated into the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center.-External links:* at * ...
as well as several thousand square feet of newly-built structure.
Located in Jacksonville's LaVilla neighborhood, the Prime Osborn contains two exhibition halls totaling 78500 square feet (7,292.9 m²), several ballrooms and meetings rooms. The City of Jacksonville is looking to replace the Prime Osborn within the next decade, with a larger 500,000+ square foot convention center in downtown Jacksonville. The Convention Center station of the JTA Skyway is located across the street.
History
LaVilla, at that time a suburbSuburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Jacksonville, was for many years an important railroad hub. The first union station in the area was built by the Savannah, Florida and Western Railway (later part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
) in 1883. The Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway
The Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railway was a railroad and steamboat network in Florida, USA at the end of the 19th century. Most of its lines became part of the Plant System in 1899 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902.-History:...
(also later part of the ACL) began to use it in 1884. Other terminals served the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad
Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad
The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was the final name of a system of railroads throughout Florida, becoming part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1900...
(later part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway), the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
, and the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway
Georgia Southern and Florida Railway
Also known as the Suwanee River Route from its crossing of the Suwanee River, the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad and began operations between Macon, GA and Valdosta, GA in 1889, extending to Palatka, FL in 1890...
.
The company was incorporated in 1894 by Henry Flagler, who owned the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
. Its first Union Depot opened on February 4, 1895, and was completed on January 15, 1897. It came to be known as the Flagler Depot.
The second Union Station opened in 1919 on the site of the original one, and was last used on January 3, 1974 (Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
now stops several miles north
Jacksonville (Amtrak station)
Jacksonville Amtrak station is a passenger train station in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is served by Amtrak's Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Thruway Motorcoach to Lakeland...
). In 1982, a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
was started, led by former CSX chairman Prime F. Osborn III. The new convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
opened on October 17, 1986.
Ownership
The original company was owned by five railroads, in the following proportions:- 25% Atlantic Coast Line RailroadAtlantic Coast Line RailroadThe Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
- 25% Florida East Coast RailwayFlorida East Coast RailwayThe Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
- 25% Seaboard Air Line Railway
- 12.5% Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (US)The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
- 12.5% Georgia Southern and Florida RailwayGeorgia Southern and Florida RailwayAlso known as the Suwanee River Route from its crossing of the Suwanee River, the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad and began operations between Macon, GA and Valdosta, GA in 1889, extending to Palatka, FL in 1890...
(later merged into the Southern)
The ACL and SAL are now part of CSX, the FEC is still independent, and the Southern is now part of Norfolk Southern.
Future
Jacksonville Transportation AuthorityJacksonville Transportation Authority
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is the independent agency responsible for public transit in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, and roadway infrastructure that connects northeast Florida. However, they do not maintain any roadways.-History:...
has plans to convert the convention center back into a railroad terminal with the re-opening of passenger travel down the Florida East Coast Railway and eventually commuter rail. This plan will rebuild the passenger platforms and restore the convention center back into a rail terminal. The convention center is to stay at the location, with a convention center and rail terminal complex.