A summary of downtown area projects as provided by Downtown Vision Inc.
1. 11 E. Forsyth
11 E. Forsyth St.
Living development
The Vestor Company is currently renovating the former American Heritage Life Insurance Building at Main and Forsyth streets into 127 loft-style apartments with 4,400 square feet of commercial and retail space. The one-bedroom units will start in the $700-per-month range, while the two bedrooms start in the $900s.
2. 841 Prudential Drive
Private development
Ocwen Asset Investment Corporation spent $15 million renovating Jacksonville’s first skyscraper. Built in 1955, 841 Prudential Drive was the original South Central Home Office of the Prudential Insurance Company. The building has the largest contiguous block of available downtown office space and features 11 acres of riverfront terrace and an 1,100 space parking garage.
3. Alltel Stadium
1 Stadium Place
Cultural & Entertainment
Development
Alltel Stadium will undergo over $33 million in improvements that will be completed prior to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.
4. Baseball Park
Cultural and entertainment
development
As part of the Better Jacksonville Plan, a new Baseball Stadium will be constructed to replace the 45-year-old Wolfson Park stadium. The plan includes up to 10,000 seats with dugouts, locker rooms and training facilities. It will be completed for the 2003 baseball season. Total project cost = $34 million.
5. Berkman Plaza
400 E. Bay St.
Living Development
Located along the St. Johns River on 400 East Bay St., Phase I of this residential community will include a 22-story, 198-unit high-rise apartment tower, 20 town homes, a swimming pool and a private parking garage with rooftop tennis courts, sun deck and gardens. The community will feature Mediterranean architecture, lush landscaping and resort-quality amenities.
The tower consists of 198 units, available as one, two and three bedroom apartments, ranging from 770 to 1,800 square feet. Apartments start at $850 per month for a one bedroom and $2,095 for a three bedroom, with river view and higher-level apartments priced at a premium. The high rise also offers eight exclusive two-story penthouse units with more than 2,280 square feet of living space, starting at $3,800 per month. Berkman Plaza also has 20 riverfront homes, each offering a minimum of 1,900 square feet of living space and private garage parking, priced at $595,000. A majority of these homes have already been reserved.
Berkman Plaza offers all residents a wide array of amenities such as 24-hour concierge service, a fitness center and spa, a business center with meeting facilities and an indoor squash court. The tower’s grand lobby will also include a gourmet grocery, a 2,100-square-foot Daryl Powers Salon & Day Spa, and DeLuxe Cleaners. The southwest corner of the plaza will feature a waterfront restaurant to be operated by Matthew Medure, co-owner of Matthew’s restaurant in San Marco. Berkman Plaza opened in April 2002. Total cost for Phase One = $40 million.
Berkman Plaza Phase 2. In the future, Harbor Companies plans to add a second phase to the plaza, adding another 198-unit apartment tower, swimming pool and parking garage as well as seven more town homes. Total cost for Phase Two = $36 million.
6. Coffman, Coleman, Andrews & Grogan
Private development
New headquarters in the LaVilla area. Phase 1 is construction of an approximately 20,000 sq. ft. building and parking for its 36 employees. Anticipated growth needs will determine the pace at which the second phase of this project will occur. Total project cost = $2.1 million.
7. Community Connections
Private development
Community Connections (formerly known as the YWCA) plans to relocate its headquarters from Church and Shields streets to the 500 block of W. Adams Street in LaVilla. Plans are underway to develop an older building into a 14,000 sq. ft building with retail space on the first floor. Total project cost = $1.2 million.
8. Duval County Courthouse
Public development
As part of the Better Jacksonville Plan, the Duval County Courthouse will be relocated from its current location adjacent to the St. Johns River to a site west of City Hall. The new Courthouse will include over 1 million sq. ft of office space (up from the existing 341,000 sq. ft. of space) covering over two city blocks plus a 600 space-parking garage. It is anticipated that the project will begin in 2003 and be completed in 2005. Total project cost = $211 million.
9. Educational Community
Credit Union
Private development
Educational Community Credit Union completed construction of its new 57,000 sq. ft headquarters in LaVilla in May. The building contains executive offices, operations functions, mortgage department and related support facilities. Total project cost = $8.3 million.
10. Federal Building Renovations
Public development
Construction is currently underway on a two-year renovation and modernization project for the Federal Building. Work includes overall modernization, wiring improvements, asbestos abatement, elevator improvements and improvements to the exterior of the building. Total project cost = $20 million.
11. First Baptist Church Welcome Center
Private development
Bounded by Ashley, Laura, Beaver, and Main streets, the First Baptist Welcome Center is 120,000 sq. ft. and includes a 100-foot walkway connecting the existing pre-school building with the new children’s building.
12. Florida Ballet
123 E. Forsyth St.
Cultural and entertainment
development
The Florida Ballet has started a capital campaign to raise funds for the renovation of their building located on Forsyth Street. The renovated building will contain a visual arts gallery, a small intimate theatre that will provide rehearsal space for the Florida Ballet as well as performance space for chamber music, jazz ensembles, and small theatre productions. A small café, with windows overlooking the Jessie B. Smith Memorial Plaza, will also be constructed and will serve patrons of the Ballet as well as the Florida Theatre. The Brooklyn Center for the Arts is located on the first floor of this building. Total project cost = $3 million.
13. Friendship Fountain
835 Museum Circle
Public development
Situated at the west end of the Southbank Riverwalk and adjacent to the Museum of Science and History is Friendship Fountain. Dedicated in 1965, it is one of the largest self-contained fountains built, pumping 3,500-6,500 gallons of water per minute to a height of 100 feet with 265 lights molding the water into a sparkling mist. It is undergoing continuing maintenance.
14. Fuller Warren Bridge
Public development
The completed bridge will contain eight lanes with four emergency lanes and no pedestrian walkway. On and off ramps at Park Street will open with the completion of the bridge. The current projection is completion in October. Total project cost = $97 million.
15. Historic Snyder Memorial
226 N. Laura St.
Cultural and entertainment
development
Plans are in place for an $800,000 renovation to the interior and exterior of Snyder Memorial, the home of the St. Johns River City Band. Plans include cleaning the exterior of the building, repairing the roof, restoring the interior of the building and adding more classrooms for music and dance. When completed, the St. Johns River City Band intends to sponsor over 100 events a year in the building. Total project cost = $800,000
16. Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art
222 N. Laura St.
Cultural and entertainment
development
JMOMA is renovating the Western Union Telegraph Building across from Hemming Plaza,into a 60,000 sq. ft. museum that will house the museum’s permanent collection of significant 20th century art, traveling exhibitions and extensive educational facilities. Included in the proposal are plans for a Museum Shop, lobby and café with outdoor seating on the first floor. The basement will be renovated for an auditorium for lectures, films and performances. The second and third floors of the building will house the main exhibition space. The administrative offices will occupy the fourth floor and the fifth floor will contain art education classrooms and a children’s interactive center. When completed in the fall, it is anticipated that the museum will be open six days a week and some evenings for art exhibitions and other special events. Total project cost = $ 8 million.
17. LaVilla Professional Office Building
Private development
40,000 sq. ft of office space will be built in LaVilla for physicians, an imaging center and the professional offices of an architect. All building tenants in this phase are being relocated due to the FDOT Riverside Avenue widening project. Total project cost = $4.9 million.
18. Lee and Cates Glass, Inc.
Private development
Lee and Cates Glass will construct a new 12,000 square foot, two-story corporate headquarters facility and a 5,000 sq. ft. warehouse. They will renovate the existing warehouse space at its current location bound by Adams Street to the north, Madison to the east, Davis Street to the west and Forsyth Street to the South. Total project cost = $1.5 million.
19. New Downtown Library
Cultural and entertainment development
As part of the Better Jacksonville Plan, the City of Jacksonville is building a new public library to be located across from Hemming Plaza, adjacent to the new JMOMA building. The new library will be constructed in the block bound by Main, Laura, Duval and Monroe streets. With their new building, the Library will increase in size from 110,000 sq. ft. to 300,000 sq. ft. Areas to be expanded in the new Library include the business center with more electronic databases, a new technology center, larger space for the Florida History and Genealogy Collections, a storytelling room for children and a literacy center. Also included will be a public auditorium and a conference center. Another component is the construction of a 600-plus space parking garage across the street. It is projected to open at the end of 2004. Total project cost = $95 million.
20. Parks at the Cathedral
256 E. Church St.
Living development
Phase I, a 51-unit residential housing plan at Market and Church streets, should be completed by August. This three-story, $5.9 million complex will have 63-two bedroom, two-and-a-half bath town homes with prices starting at $136,500. Sizes will range from 1,500 to 2,000 sq. ft. Primary residents of Parks at the Cathedral will be exempt from property taxes for 10 years. Phase II will be located on the other side of Market Street.
21. One Shipyard Place
E. Bay St.
Living development
As Jacksonville’s largest downtown development project, One Shipyard Place is a 10-year, $860 million waterfront development plan that’ll stretch along 44.7 acres of the St. Johns River in the heart of downtown. It will have residential, office and commercial space, a hotel, marina components and a major new public riverfront park connecting the downtown to Alltel Stadium. The overall plan includes a 16.8 acre park, 11.6 acres of open water, a 260-slip marina, 662 luxury residential condominiums and a hotel with commercial and retail units.
22. The Strand at St. Johns
Living development
The first phase of the project includes a 32-story apartment tower with 362 apartments over a 622-space parking deck. The next phase will consist of a 36-story apartment tower consisting of 346 apartments. Also, there will be a seven-story, 85,000 square foot office building built over six levels of 258 parking spaces. There will be about 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor of the office tower. The proposed project is planned to be built on 3.78 acres of land between the Riverplace Tower building and the Radisson. Construction should begin later this year.
23. Federal Courthouse
Public development
The 14-story courthouse, located on Hogan Street between Duval and Monroe streets, will open in the fall and will employ 400 people, up from the 200 people currently employed at the present Federal Courthouse. The new Courthouse, which will increase its size from 250,000 sq. ft to 400,000 sq. ft. and include eight district courts, four magistrate and bankruptcy courts and a circuit court, is expected to bring many more agencies into the building to create more efficient operations. Total project cost = $80 million.
24. Villas of St. Johns
2041 Riverside Ave
Living development
Then apartments are in a four story building with four levels of attached parking. (More, see page 4.)
25. W.A. Knight Building
113 W. Adams St.
Living development
Built in 1923, the features “soft lofts.” Major appliances, satellite television and security systems are available to all tenants. These 705 to 962 sq. ft. residential rentals run from $725 to $1,090 per month and will be ready for occupancy by August.