by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Berkman Plaza developers want the City to help pay a $1.3 million repair bill to fix a leak in the bulkhead supporting their Phase 2 Riverwalk.
DB Holdings president Alan Travis notified the City of the leak after one of his engineers noticed soil leaking from the bulkhead into the river. According to Assistant General Counsel John Germany’s written response to Travis, the developer suggested that the City should pay for the repair.
Germany said DB Holdings, under the original agreement’s terms, accepted the land as is. He said it was the developer’s duty to examine the soil before signing the agreement, which calls for the land to be conveyed back to the City once the Phase 2 Riverwalk is complete.
Having already given Travis $2.4 million to build the Riverwalk, Germany said he would meet in the next two days with Chief Administrator Officer Sam Mousa and representatives from Public Works and the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission to decide whether to further fund the unexpected repair.
In an e-mail to Mousa, JEDC chief Ray Newton said Public Works expected the developer to build the Riverwalk from Washington Street to Catherine Street, including repairs to the bulkhead, without additional City funds.
Germany said an engineering decision could ultimately decide who will pay for the repairs.
“If they build something that’s unsafe, that’s obviously outside of the original agreement,” Germany said.
If, on the other hand, the leak does not endanger the Riverwalk or pedestrians, the repair may be unnecessary.
Germany said the developer’s lawyer invited the City to evaluate the bulkhead. Germany said in an e-mail to Mousa, the developer indicated that his engineer offered the estimate unsolicited and therefore may have been merely trying to drum up more business.
Germany said the City will also decide whether to allow the developer to convey the Phase 1 and 2 Riverwalk separately back to the City. The original agreement called for the City to accept the conveyance only after the entire property was complete. Germany said Travis requested to convey the completed Phase 1 now and Phase 2 following its completion.