by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The City’s ongoing financial review of downtown’s largest residential project will push back work on a public park and the Northbank Riverwalk that are planned to be featured during February’s Super Bowl.
The City gave TriLegacy Group $36.5 million in 2001 to turn undeveloped riverfront land into a public park and Riverwalk. The grant was intended as a kick start toward the construction of the $860 million Shipyards development. The City is looking at whether TriLegacy violated the original agreement by spending some of the money to pay its mortgage on the land.
The City is planning those public spaces to be a centerpiece of the 2005 Super Bowl. The site is envisioned as a gathering spot and transportation hub for the 100,000 visitors expected for the game. However, mayor’s office spokesperson Susie Wiles said the project was likely stalled until the financial questions are answered.
“We don’t have the expectation that anything is going to happen over there until these matters are resolved,” said Wiles. “I’m not certain how much forward motion toward the public amenities there’s been in the last few weeks.”
The mayor’s office is developing a back-up plan to continue construction if TriLegacy is unable to complete the project, Wiles said. City planners are unsure how much it will cost or how long it will take to build the rest of the park and Riverwalk, she said.
Shipyards spokesperson Maria Coppola said TriLegacy would continue construction as discussions with the City progressed.
“They’re still out there working today. They’re working on this as if none of this is going on,” said Coppola. “TriLegacy’s commitment is to provide the public improvements as called for in the original agreement.”
The parties signed the original agreement before the Super Bowl was scheduled for Jacksonville. Coppola pointed out that the original language did not include a Super Bowl deadline.
Paul McCormick, president of The McCormick Agency, which is handling the Shipyards’ public relations, said it’s the City’s fault if it doesn’t know the project’s status.
“The mayor’s office has had 24–7 access to the construction site for three years, all they needed to do was come down and put on a hard hat,” said McCormick. “If the mayor’s office doesn’t know what’s going on it’s because they have failed to communicate with the inspectors and engineers that have been climbing all over this site for the past 900 to 1,000 days.”
Both sides said they were committed to finishing the improvements. Wiles said the mayor’s office was “working every day,” to get the land ready for the game. She said the City would “maintain a delicate balance,” between reviewing the project’s finances and continuing to develop the land, which TriLegacy owns.
A source close to the City’s review said the City turned close scrutiny on the Shipyards after another TriLegacy development deal fell through. The City terminated last month an agreement to develop the Cecil Commerce Center after City attorneys said TriLegacy didn’t file required paperwork on time.
“After that, we kind of said ‘I wonder how they’re doing on the other project,’ ” said the source, who dismissed the approaching Super Bowl as the impetus for the current TriLegacy review.
“Once lawyers get involved, they don’t care about anybody’s deadline and they don’t care about the Super Bowl. They just want to know where the money went and how to get it back.”