Roosevelt Square’s conversion into Ortega Park continues as the city issued permits May 5 for almost $5 million in renovation and construction.
One of the new buildings at the West Jacksonville shopping center is designated for First Watch, The Daytime Café.
First Watch would occupy a new building near the corner of Roosevelt Boulevard and San Juan Avenue.
The University Park-based restaurant company has six locations in Northeast Florida and more under development, including in Nocatee, Oakleaf and Baymeadows Park.
First Watch, which did not respond to an email or call by deadline, operates for breakfast, lunch and brunch.
It would join other breakfast and casual cafes, including Metro Diner and Panera Bread, at the 29-acre Roosevelt Square.
Owner Dewberry Group of Atlanta is renovating the 59-year-old center that it bought in 1997.
Dewberry Group completed two renovations and the transformation into Ortega Park is the third.
Dewberry representatives could not be reached May 6. RLH Construction LLC of Oviedo is the contractor and referred questions to Dewberry.
David S. Ware of Atlanta is the architect. A representative could not immediately provide a comment.
The city approved permits May 5 for:
Building A, anchored by Publix Super Markets Inc., demolition of a vacant part of the multitenant building and a facade renovation of the rest, including the grocery store, at 4495 Roosevelt Blvd. at a cost of $690,940.
Building C, a 4,565-square-foot shell building for First Watch at 4407 Roosevelt Blvd. at a cost of $1.2 million.
Building D, a 4,703-square-foot shell building at 4411 Roosevelt Blvd., near the First Watch building, at a cost of $1.5 million.
Building F, a shell structure at 4495 Roosevelt Blvd., to the immediate east of the Metro Diner-anchored building, at a cost of $1.5 million. That structure, identified at 24,077 square feet, is designed as part of the Ortega Alley retail plaza within Ortega Park.
The latest permits follow others.
The city issued construction permits April 9 for a new building and the facade renovation of another.
RLH Construction is building the 11,667-square-foot multitenant Building G next to Chick-fil-A at a cost of $1.75 million and renovating the facade of the building whose tenants include Metro Diner and Chase Bank, at a cost of $424,150.
On March 24, engineer Mark Dowst & Associates Inc. filed construction and updated civil site plans with the city.
Plans show Roosevelt Square comprises 311,220 square feet.
Dewberry is removing 100,536 square feet of space, including retail space to the south of Publix, and building 53,275 square to create a floor area of 263,959 square feet.
A year ago, Dewberry Group filed plans with the city to demolish and rebuild space at Roosevelt Square.
Dewberry demolished the closed Belk store in 2018.
Other new construction is shown around the site. The city is reviewing permits for the project.
Dewberry Group intends to rebrand the shopping center as Ortega Park, add apartments and develop the Ortega Alley retail shops.
Dewberry renovated the property in 1999 and 2003. Ortega Park is the third redevelopment.
Dewberrygroup.com says Ortega Park will grow to nearly 700,000 square feet and include shopping, dining and Class A multifamily units.
Dewberry Group has not commented about the project, but it appears to be an investment of at least $70 million.
