The unfinished Berkman Plaza II high-rise Downtown could be headed for implosion.
The city is reviewing a permit application from developer Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization LLC to demolish the 18-story structure at 500 E. Bay St. along the St. Johns River.
Jim Bergman, who is the principal Berkman II owner through 500 East Bay, said Sept. 10 that the shell structure and property is under contract with the Jacksonville-based management company to be sold.
Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization intends to redevelop the property with mixed-use retail, a 300-unit residential development and public park space.
The total demolition cost is $1 million, according to an application submitted to the city Building Inspection Division.
Arwood Inc. is the demolition contractor. Subcontractor Controlled Demolition Inc. of Phoenix, Maryland, would execute the implosion, according to an Oct. 23 letter from Arwood filed with the permit application.
Controlled Demolition was one of two implosion contractors that brought down the old City Hall Annex Building in January 2019. It would need a city permit before it can implode the structure.
Bergman gave his consent for the developer and Arwood to proceed with the demolition in an Oct. 5 letter to the city’s Code Enforcement Division.
Bergman said the developer is targeting implosion after the Nov. 7 Florida-Georgia football game and before Jan. 1.
He said the implosion will be engineered to drop the Berkman debris to the east on the city-owned Shipyards property.
Bergman said an application has been filed with the Downtown Investment Authority for conceptual approval for the debris drop. The city owns the Shipyards property and the DIA reviews projects.
The city-owned right of way that provides access to the Downtown Riverwalk from Bay Street would be temporarily closed and landscaping removed during implosion and cleanup, according to Bergman’s letter.
He told city code enforcement that debris processing and removal would take three to six months.
Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization is managed by JRR Management Partners led by Brian Wheeler, the owner of GGI Tapestry LLC and a former Genesis Group partner; Park Beeler, F3 Global Solutions managing member and a former executive at The Charter Co.; and Chris Young, president of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Biotech Restorations Holdings LLC.
Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization has a separate group of unnamed investors that Beeler said will not be announced until after the sale closes.
Beeler said Sept. 9 that he anticipated closing on the Berkman within 60 days.
The Berkman has been incomplete for nearly 13 years.
Duval County Property Appraiser records show that 500 East Bay bought the Berkman Plaza II for $4.75 million from Atlanta-based Choate Construction Co. in July 2018.
Choate acquired the property in a foreclosure sale in 2014, and Beeler said his management group is completing an agreement to assume responsibility for a promissory note the construction company has on the Berkman Plaza II.
Choate also has consented to the implosion, according to Bergman’s letter to city officials.