by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
The opening of Fuddruckers — the Landing’s newest restaurant and one with national recognition — has been delayed for various reasons and for several months now. However, Landing spokeswoman Rachel Kaltenbach says the restaurant famous for its burgers will open in March.
Kaltenbach said the configuration of the space at the eastern end of the Landing has created the most delays.
“This is not going to be a cookie-cutter Fuddruckers,” she said. “The restaurant would like for them all to look the same.”
Once Fuddruckers opens, Landing owner Toney Sleiman is looking at a busy year. Last year, City Council approved the sale of the property the Landing sits on, as well as the east parking lot, to Sleiman.
He has owned the riverfront mall since Aug. 31, 2003, when he bought it from Baltimore-based Rouse Companies. Less than two months later, Sleiman held an “It’s about time” ceremony and rolled out his plans to renovate the Landing, move stores around and create a pedestrian walk-through from Laura Street to the river. Those renovations were contingent on Sleiman getting City help with parking, an issue the Landing has dealt with for well over a decade.
The parking lot deal has been passed by City Council, but Sleiman has not closed on the lot. Until that happens, and the City helps arrange parking while a garage is built on the east lot, Sleiman will not begin the renovations.
“We will not do anything until there is parking,” said Kaltenbach. “We have not closed on the lot and a date for closing has not been set.”
Once the parking issue is resolved, Kaltenbach said Sleiman will do what he’s done at all the other properties he has developed and renovated in Jacksonville: create a space that retailers want and that attracts business.
“He will make the Landing exactly what he wants it to be, but there is no set plan for that,” she said.
This is not the first time Sleiman and a government entity have worked together. Several years ago, he was asked by the City of Jacksonville Beach to help restore and breath new life into its blighted downtown area. Together with The Haskell Company, Sleiman helped build an oceanfront hotel, a Walgreens, Sneakers, City Hall, an amphitheater, landscaped open space and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks. The entire project took five years, including infrastructure work, but Jacksonville Beach City Manager George Forbes says the time and money were well spent.
“Looking back, there’s no doubt it was all worth it,” said Forbes. “For the 10-12 years before that, there was really no downtown Jacksonville Beach. It was just a bunch of boarded[-up buildings] or shells for buildings. “We jump-started the project with $7 million worth of streets, sidewalks and drainage... We (city government) sold the property to Sleiman to build on. We wanted a hotel and we got it. We wanted an entertainment district and we got a Carrabba’s and Sneaker’s. Sleiman did come through.”
Kaltenbach said changes similar to those Sleiman created at Jacksonville Beach will be easy to make at the Landing.
“When he did the renovations of Jacksonville Beach, it took a few years,” she said. “People said he couldn’t do it. You can actually compare this project to that one. We will work through this like we did in Jacksonville Beach.”