by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Mark Jackson wants you to know: the Amsterdam Sky Cafe is available for lease when the Super Bowl comes to town . . . to the highest bidder.
Jackson said he’s been heavily marketing the restaurant, located in the Sports Complex, for some time and now it’s starting to pay dividends.
Aside from maintaining a running dialogue with the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Super Bowl Host Committee, Jackson said he has mailed marketing packages to several potential corporate sponsors.
“I also was in Houston during the Super Bowl and I saw a lot,” he said. “So now I have a better idea of what to do and what not to do when it’s our turn.
“Basically, our goal is to lease space to a corporate client for anywhere between one to two weeks during the Super Bowl.”
Jackson said a segment of the restaurant would be open to the public during that time.
However, until a corporate contract is signed, Jackson will continue to encourage competitive bidding between interested parties, which have included ESPN and Cadillac.
“We’re really excited about our options because we’re in such an excellent position here,” he said. “We’re actually about to get started on phase two of our development plans which, when we’re finished, will give us about 13,000 square feet of heated space to lease out.”
Phase two, said Jackson, includes opening the Sky Cafe’s second floor, which is now empty shelled space. Jackson said it could be open by as early as July.
“We’ve worked very hard to make this a success,” he said. “Now that we’re getting closer to the Super Bowl, it’s looking pretty good for us.”