The Jacksonville Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of rezoning requests for plans to resurrect the historic National Guard Armory building near Downtown Jacksonville as a mixed-use property.
On a 7-0 vote during its June 6 meeting, the commission backed requests to rezone the city owned property at 851 N. Market St. from recreational and open space to commercial community/general and from public buildings and facilities to Planned Unit Development. The rezoning requests, which now move to the Jacksonville City Council, would allow for a mixed-use development comprising a food hall and microbrewery, coworking spaces and offices, music venue and art studios and galleries in the 109-year-old building, which has been vacant for 15 years. Residential units also are included in the plans.
Attorney T. R. Hainline of Rogers Towers represents the applicant.
“It’s a beautiful building,” commission chair Charles Garrison told Hainline. “Can’t wait to see it renovated.”
In March 2024, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s office scheduled community meetings to use $7.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for the “Made at the Armory Project.”
Through Armory Redevelopment Associates LLC, REVA Development Corp. of Fort Lauderdale is pursuing the redevelopment. In 2020, Armory Redevelopment Associates entered into a 40-year ground lease for the property with the city. The lease agreement was amended in 2022 and is being amended again.
The project has been in development since 2019, when the city chose REVA as the developer based on the corporation’s response to a request for proposals issued that year. When project proposals began, REVA President and CEO Don Patterson said the corporation’s interest in the site stemmed from its location in “the doughnut hole” between Downtown, historic Springfield and the Eastside.
“We want to help Downtown and the surrounding areas grow in economic vitality,” he said when the project proposals began.
In October 2022, Council agreed to give REVA more time to start the estimated $20 million renovation by approving a restated and amended redevelopment agreement for the corporation.