• Additional funding has been identified for improvements along Hendricks Avenue. Though the bulk project won’t get started until after the Super Bowl, Council member Art Shad said approximately $200,000 will be allocated from the City’s Tree Protection and Related Expenses Trust Fund to help pay for landscaping between Mitchell Avenue and Prudential Drive. Street resurfacing will be covered by a separate source.
• A last-minute change on the City Council’s Public Health, Safety and Utilities Committee. Glorious Johnson will replace Suzanne Jenkins, who said she would be unable to serve on the committee.
• It’s official, the Famous Amos restaurant in Atlantic Beach at the intersection of A1A and Atlantic Boulevard has closed permanently. The site is being considered for an office complex.
• Community leaders, City Council members and other local celebrities will serve lunch to summer campers at The Bridge of Northeast Florida Tuesday from noon-1 p.m. The event is part of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission Summer Lunch and Summer Campership programs.
• Mudville Grille opened its doors July 1 in the Schultz Building on West Adams Street and it received “best wishes” from the Amsterdam Sky Cafe, which welcomed “the Grille to the downtown restaurant community.”
• The Willie Gary Classic will host a reception July 15 at Alltel Stadium from 5:30-7 p.m. to promote the Sept. 11 football game between Edward Waters College and Shaw University.
• There’s been a lot of different numbers floating around regarding how many housing units have been built and how many are under construction. Numbers reviewed by the JEDC’s Downtown Advisory Committee show 1,265 units already built, with 3,915 on the way.
• Downtown Vision, Inc. thanked Sheriff John Rutherford in a June progress report for helping keep downtown safe. According to the report, more police have been patrolling the area on bike, horseback and in cars. Additionally, the sheriff’s office has made 185 nuisance arrests downtown for panhandling and other misdemeanor crimes. DVI called that “a huge increase” over one year ago.
• Mongo’s Flat Hot Grill, the Landing’s newest restaurant, started taking applications this week. The restaurant should open by the end of the month.