by David Ball
Staff Writer
For the first time since 2005, a long line formed at the check-out counter at the old Main Library on Monday night.
But instead of the patrons asking when a certain book would be returned or if late fees could be waived, the workers behind the counter instead heard, “two Heinekens, please.”
The libations flowed as an eclectic group of guests ranging from Downtown business owners to urban dwellers gathered at the building at 112 Ocean St. to see how a group of developers plan to convert the historic site into Downtown Jacksonville’s newest mixed-use project.
The DJ in the corner spinning dance music and the gourmet buffet complete with fresh-shucked oysters and sushi rolls juxtaposed the 1960s-era library walls. The effect is just what Mark Rinaman, part of the group Main Branch LLC that owns the building, wanted to convey.
“We want to put the town center back in Downtown,” said Rinaman, repeating a quote often used by project architect Sam Taylor. “This will be a dynamic project, but we are going to keep the exterior and look of the building and what makes it significant for Downtown.”
Rinaman said the project will include renovating the interior to add street-level cafes and businesses, a grocery story on the main level and commercial offices on the second and third floors.
Residential units were also planned, but Rinaman said that idea has been scrapped at least until the housing market rebounds. However, he said basic infrastructure will be in place to possibly add as many as two additional floors of residential space above the current building.
The plan keeps to the original proposal Main Branch submitted to the City when it asked for bids to redevelop the site after the library was moved to its new location at Hemming Plaza.
Negotiations with the first two highest-ranked bidders, The Atkins Group and Peterbrooke Chocolatier, fell through, and the City for a while proposed it would continue to use the facility for storage or staff offices.
However, ownership finally went to Main Branch, a group that includes Rinaman, Jack Shad, Bill and Barbara Cessery, Holland Bois, Bill and Melanie Bishop and Tony Allegretti.
Rinaman guided guests through the building from the inviting patio view on the top floor to the ground level, where murals had been painted on the walls to show how patrons will step below the street-level to enter into businesses along Forsyth Street.
“We are going to get rid of the retaining wall and create almost 30 feet of an outside cafe environment,” he said. “It’s a type of feel environment that really doesn’t exist now in Downtown.”
Many of the guests were impressed with the proposed floor plans that maximize the type of unique spaces possible in the existing building shell.
“The graphics, the floor plans all look great,” said Paul Crawford, deputy director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. “This is the kind of project, the mixed use, that happens in downtowns across America, and we are now seeing it in Jacksonville.”
Rinaman said he expects the core renovations to be complete by the summer, with tenants beginning to move in by the fall. Some of those tenants include City Market and Folio Weekly, although Rinaman said the list is quickly growing.
“We’re probably 30 percent leased up or heading that way,” he said. “But just because of this event, my expectation is that by the first of year we’ll be about 50 percent pre-leased.”