BUSINESS IN JACKSONVILLE IS GROWING THIS INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN
AREA SO IN COLLABORATION WITH
OUR NEWS PARTNER THE JAX
DAILY RECORD WE’RE DIVING
DEEPER INTO THE PROJECTS
UNDERWAY IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA.
THIS WEEK.
THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE
CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS FOR THE EAST
BAY STREET ROOFTOP BAR AND
LAURA STREET
TRIO RENOVATION JOINING ME NOW
IS STAFF WRITER MIKE MENDENHALL
MIKE
WELCOME BACK. COULD TO BE HERE
WE HAVE SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT
THIS WEEK AS THERE HAVE BEEN SO
MANY DEVELOPMENTS, LET’S START
WITH THE PROJECT 3.23.
>> YES
PROJECT IS MIAMI BASED
DEVELOPMENT GROUP BY BE
PURCHASED THE PROPERTY FROM THE
INSTEAD OF FAMILY
IT DID
A THE SET OF FAMILY THE GROUP
HAD BEEN TRYING TO SELL IT FOR
ENTERTAINMENT VENUE FOR QUITE A
LONG TIME.
THE DOWNTOWN INVESTMENT DAVID
CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL WHICH IS A
PRELIMINARY APPROVAL FOR THIS
AS YOU SAID AT THE TOP IT’S A
ROOFTOP BAR AS BOTH
COVERED AND UNCOVERED THEY’RE
HOPING TO HOPING TO HAVE A LIVE
CONCERT AS
THE COVID-19 SAYS EVENTUALLY
WAYNE’S YEAH, I KNOW THE
DEVELOPERS ARE HOPING
TO GET.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: THE BUILDING
DESIGNATED TO BE A LOCAL
HISTORICAL LANDMARK. WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN. >> SO WHEN A BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE IS
DESIGNATED HISTORIC MAKE THEM
ELIGIBLE MAKE THE PROPERTY
ELIGIBLE FOR CERTAIN
TAX CREDITS AS WELL AS
FORGIVABLE LOANS TO THE
DOWNTOWN INVESTMENT
STRATEGY PROGRAMS. SO SO SO IT WILL REDUCE THE COST OF THE DEVELOPMENT FOR FOR THE
DEVELOPERS AND MAKE THE PROJECT
MORE
FINANCIALLY VIABLE.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: YOU KNOW WITH
THAT WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE
LAURA STREET TRIO WITH THAT
DOES THIS PROJECT HAVE
THIS DESIGNATION.
>> THEY THEY ARE WORKING IT
THAT THE WORST TEACHER IS A
PROPERTY AND THEY’RE ALSO
WORKING WITH THE OTHER
DEVELOPERS RING WITH THE
NATIONAL PARK TO MAKE SURE IT’S
ELIGIBLE FOR HISTORIC TAX
CREDITS AS WELL
THIS
HAD PREVIOUSLY WAS AWARDED A
HISTORIC TAX CREDITS.
BUT THERE IS A HICCUP IN THE
WHEN IT FIRST HOUR AFTER FIRST
WENT THROUGH 2018 SO THE
DEVELOPERS WORKING. AGAIN WITH
THE CITY TO TO TRY TO TO
TRY TO. TO TRY TO INCREASE THE
LEVEL OF AHEAD OF A HISTORIC
TAX INCENTIVES FORGIVABLE LOANS
THAT WILL GET THROUGH
THE CITY AND THIS IS US THIS IS
A 70 MINUTE MILLION DOLLAR
PROJECT SO. IT TO IT WILL IT
WILL TAKE A LOT OF LIFT TO GET
IT TO GET IT
GOING FINANCIALLY.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: AND AS WE KNOW
THAT’S BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE
MAKING THAT PROJECT. MOVING ON
TO FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH FRIDAY I BELIEVE
WE GOT THE FIRST LOOK AT THE
EXTERIOR FACELIFT OF
THIS CHURCH.
>> YES, SO THEY’RE THE FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH IS DOING A 1.7 8
MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION OF
DYLAN LINDSAY
MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM. SO THAT’S
THEIR MAIN WORSHIP CENTER
IN DOWNTOWN AND WHAT THEY WANT
WHAT THEY WANT TO DO THE
OUTSIDE IS JUST GIVE IT A
REFRESH GIVE OF A FRESH METAL
CLADDING CAN BRIGHTEN IT UP.
NOW THIS IS ACTUALLY REDUCE
PROJECT FROM WHAT THEY
ORIGINALLY PROPOSED FIRST
BAPTIST BACK IN 2019 IT STARTED
AND STARTED ON A PRETTY
AMBITIOUS GOAL TO SELL OFF THE
MAJORITY OF ITS
DOWNTOWN FOOTPRINT WHICH IS
ACTUALLY WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONE
0.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET
OF PROPERTY. THAT THEY WERE
THEY WERE ON TRACK TO
DO IT. AND THEN THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC HIT WHICH REALLY A
KIND OF HURT THE FINANCIAL
ABILITY TO RAISE THE MONEY TO
DO WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE A
30 MILLION DOLLARS PROGRAM TO
RENOVATE TO RENOVATE THE
HISTORIC HOPSON AUDITORIUM AND
BUILD A NEW WELCOME CENTER
THERE. THE REAL TEAM THERE
ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST THAT THEY
HAD SCRAPPED THOSE PLANS AND
WE’RE MOVING ON
TO A MORE MODEST RENOVATION OF
THE
LINDSAY AUDITORIUM.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: YEAH, A LOT TO
TALK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO
THAT PROJECT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN
FOLLOWING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
FOR PEOPLE TO FOLLOW YOUR
REPORTS WHERE CAN THEY GO TO
FIND
YOUR ARTICLES.
>> YOU CAN GO TO JAXDAILYRECORD
DOT COM. YOU CAN ALSO A FALL OF
THE JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD
ON TWITTER
AND FACEBOOK. AS WELL AS MYSELF
MY MENDENHALL AND ALL OF MY
COLLEAGUES ARE ON THOSE