Downtown is working on the upside of infill.
A pair of infill projects won Downtown Development Review Board approval Thursday that will bring housing and entertainment — including bowling — to the Northbank.
On the eastern end of Downtown, Iconic Real Estate Investments LLC plans to transform a vacant industrial building at Forsyth Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard into a commercial and entertainment complex called The Doro District.
On the western side, Vestcor received the green light to move forward with another affordable housing project in LaVilla.
Both approvals follow the news Tuesday that the Downtown Investment Authority chose Shad Khan as master developer for riverfront Metro Park and Shipyards property, which Farley Grainger said would tie in nicely with his nearby Iconic projects.
“They’re making a huge investment here in Jacksonville, and we’re happy to be doing our part as well,” Grainger said.
Iconic previously redeveloped the building next door, home to Intuition Ale Works and Manifest Distilling.
Phase one of the new project includes 44,500 square feet of commercial, retail, and entertainment space along with 10,000 square feet for offices.
Developer Paul Grainger, Farley’s son, said a 13,300-square-foot section of the structure along East Adams Street will be demolished to make way for a temporary parking lot.
Renderings show a bowling alley, bar and restaurant on one side, and a large outdoor space on the other. In addition to traditional retail, Grainger envisions the building to feature temporary events like pop-up shops and street fairs.
“We see a space where you can come down and experience 10 things all on the same block,” said Grainger.
“We think there’s a really good opportunity, especially on big event days, to harness a lot of people within one central location,” he added.
Grainger expects the first phase will take 12-18 months to complete.
The second phase will include a multistory residential project or boutique hotel, replacing the temporary parking.
“We’ve been approached by both types of users,” Grainger said of potential partners for that second phase.
Before they can begin phase two, the Downtown Development Review Board would need to provide separate approvals.
Grainger said the next step for phase one is securing development rights from the Downtown Investment Authority.
Vestcor intends to add housing on the other side of Downtown.
The five-story Lofts at Monroe will add another 108 affordable homes to the Downtown neighborhood. The business model for the project is to offer the apartments at affordable rates to attract people who make $29,000 a year or less for a single person, about 60 percent of the Florida median income.
Designs show a four-story L-shaped building. It would also include a mix of covered and exposed parking for 114 on-site spots, with an additional 11 off-street spaces available.
Ryan Hoover, president of Vestcor subsidiary TVC Development Inc., said the project will offer mostly one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with a few studios, filling a growing need for affordable housing in the area.
“There’s a lot of people who work Downtown who need affordable housing, and right now there’s really not a lot of options,” he said.
He estimates construction will cost around $20 million.
Not far from there, Vestcor already is working on another affordable housing project called Lofts at LaVilla, which is expected to be completed this year.
Hoover said the company owns more land in the area, and will begin looking at developing those sites after the first two projects are completed.
“We’ll see what the market does and take it one step at a time,” he said.
When Vestcor came to the DDRB for conceptual approval, members asked developers to add coverage for roof-top air conditioning units and to provide a more urban design for street-level landscaping.
Because of financial limitations, Hoover said only so much can be done to alter the design before the project isn’t affordable.
Now that DDRB has signed off, he said the company will begin submitting permits and as well as final approval for financing.
The board also took steps toward approving two more infill projects.
BAM Investments received conceptual approval for Burlock & Barrel, a whiskey distillery in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
The concept converts an existing structure at 417 Magnolia St. into a 3,500-square-foot distillery, along with a 3,400-square-foot tasting room and point-of-sale.
Board members praised the idea as the perfect example of fighting blight in an up-and-coming neighborhood.
The proposed San Marco Apartments on the Southbank at 1444 Home St. also earned conceptual approval.
Plans show a four-story, 143-unit rental property facing Home Street, with additional frontage on Kipp Avenue.
According to architectural firm Fisher Koppenhafer, plans include a three-story, 214-space parking garage behind the building facing Louisa Street.
The project also would include a pair on enclosed courtyards with a pool and other amenities.
Both of those projects will seek final approval at the DDRB meeting in May.
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