The Chamber’s Downtown Council’s annual Hard Hat Tour will present a showcase of six downtown living spaces April 26 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
“This is an exciting time for downtown,” said Travis Rigdon, president of the Downtown Council. “We’re happy to play a part in encouraging people to see the kinds of living spaces that are now available for those wishing to call downtown home.”
The tour stops are all within walking distance of each other, and extra trolleys will be running to avoid the problems last year, when over twice the anticipated number turned out for the tour.
Tickets for the tour are $5 and may be obtained from Downtown Council members, the Landing or at One Shipyard Place. Additional information is available by calling 366-6600, ext. 7609, or at the Hard Hat Loft Tour Web site at www.hardhattour.com.
Trolleys will make continuous trips between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Guides will be on hand at each stop for building tours.
The sites:
• 11 E. Forsyth. Erected in 1926, the building, which formerly served as American Heritage Life Insurance’s headquarters, is undergoing a complete makeover by the Vestcor Companies Inc. to convert it to 126 loft-style apartments.
• Berkman Plaza/Townhomes. Rising 22 stories on 400 E. Bay St., there are 198 apartment units and 20 townhomes.
• Parks at The Cathedral. Phase One of this new residential construction at 256 E. Church St. includes 51 three-story townhomes facing Church, Liberty, Ashley and Market streets. Phase Two will consist of nearly a dozen more townhomes on the west side of Market Street.
• One Shipyard Place. The largest downtown development project in Jacksonville, this project involves redevelopment of a 44.7-acre parcel along the river. Over the next decade, the $860 million mixed use waterfront development will contain a 16.8-acre park, 11.6 acres of open water, 150-slip marina, 662 residential units, 100,000 square feet of retail space, 1 million square feet of commercial space and a 350-room hotel.
• W.A. Knight Building. There are residential loft apartments in a renovated 1923 building at 113 W. Adams St.
• The Warehouse. Built between 1907 and 1910, this 20,000 square foot building was the original warehouse for the Hutchinson Shoe Company. Purchased by the Suddath family in 1931, they have retained its use as a warehouse throughout the years, hence the name. There is a circa 1910 working elevator in the building, which is across from the courthouse.