• The City will be taking over the old federal courthouse within a month or so in exchange for 104 parking spaces in the Water Street Garage for the next 20 years and the City is coming out ahead in the deal. The spaces are worth $875,000 but the underlying land value of the courthouse is $1.75 million. Although the value of the building itself isn’t known, City officials estimate by renovating the old courthouse and incorporating it into the new $211 million county courthouse complex they will save $12 a square-foot.
• Coliseum implosion changes: a 500-foot perimeter (it was originally 1,000 feet) and none of the surrounding buildings have to be evacuated. The building is slated for implosion June 26.
• Tax Collector-elect Mike Hogan has asked City Council auditors to do cash counts of the office. The counts will take place June 30-July 1, when Hogan takes over for Lynwood Roberts.
• There’s a new face at the law firm of Marks Gray, P.A. Paul E. Bueker has joined the firm as an associate.
• Attorney Kenneth B. Jacobs, the managing shareholder of Becker & Poliakoff, has been installed as president of the Jewish Community Alliance.
• A Karaoke Party, featuring a James Taylor song contest, is the highlight of this month’s FridayFest in Hemming Plaza. It begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
• Mayor-elect John Peyton wasn’t the only big name local to get married over the weekend. Dignity-U-Wear founder Henri Landwirth also tied the knot and held the reception at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. Lots of friends on hand, including former U.S. Sen. John Glenn. TV legend Walter Cronkite — he, Glenn and Landwirth are longtime buddies — was supposed to attend, but couldn’t make it because of illness.
• Former Jags season ticket holders are finding a full-color 2003 ticket guide in their mailboxes these days. The brochure details the varied ticket plans, premium seats and stadium improvements.
• In the June issue of Jacksonville magazine, Super Bowl Host Committee president and COO Michael Kelly says 2012 is his best guess to when the city will host another Super Bowl.
• The new library at the University of North Florida may have hit a design snag. Local wind ordinances require a 120 mph impact design criteria and Joseph Noll of UNF’s facilities planning department says that requirement will “severely impact” the library’s design.
• Speaking of UNF, current athletic director Richard Gropper is being wooed by Florida Atlantic University, but has said no thanks. Gropper is excited about Mayor John Delaney taking over as UNF prez and wants to remain an Osprey.
• There’s a bill working its way through Council that affects what Council members have to declare as gifts. The amended ordinance would change the threshold for gift reporting from greater than $100 to greater than $25.
• The City and Iron Mountain, Inc. have reached a $182,500 settlement in Iron Mountain’s suit against the City. The suit was a dispute over fees for storage of public records.
• There are only 300 items left on the punch list for the new Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Not too bad considering the original punch list had 3,500 items.
• Better Jacksonville roadwork update: approximately 1,064 miles of streets have been resurfaced and 58 miles of sidewalks completed.