Former maritime museum demo at $50,000
A high-profile piece of the Southbank Riverwalk is slated to come down, marking the eventual demolition and redevelopment of the riverwalk.
The City is reviewing a building-permit application to demolish the former Jacksonville Maritime Museum building at a cost of $50,000 to prepare for the riverwalk replacement along the St. Johns River.
The former museum building, at 1015 Museum Circle, is owned by the City. The Haskell Co. is the contractor for the demolition as well as the riverwalk redevelopment. Subcontractors might also participate.
The 28-year-old wooden riverwalk is decaying and will be replaced with a mostly concrete structure.
Now called the Jacksonville Maritime Heritage Center, the museum celebrated its grand opening in April 2011 at its new location at the Jacksonville Landing on the Northbank of the St. Johns River and the old building has been vacant.
David DeCamp, director of communications for Mayor Alvin Brown, said Monday construction and preparation will start Sept. 3 and demolition for the riverwalk will start the week after.
DeCamp said the cost to rebuild the riverwalk is not to exceed $15 million. He said most of the project will be concrete while the frontage at the Crowne Plaza will be replaced with wood "due to the owner's unwillingness to accept the improvement to concrete pile construction."
He said the bid provides for riverwalk construction from Friendship Fountain to midway into the Wyndham hotel property.
"Extension and further enhancement will be based on available funding," DeCamp said.
South Shore Group Partners renovating Aetna Building space
South Shore Group Partners LLC is moving its management office within the Aetna Building it owns on the Southbank Downtown and the 22-story structure is fully leased for the first time in 15 years.
Betsy Reichert, vice president of operations and property manager, said Monday the management offices are relocating because its existing space is being leased by an expanding tenant.
The move fills the building.
"I've been here since 1998 and our building is 100 percent leased," she said.
The City approved a $91,305 build-out for Adams Interior Contractors to renovate 1,224-square-feet of space on the second floor of the riverfront building at 841 Prudential Drive.
Documents show a new floor plan for the South Shore Partners offices, including conference rooms, a meeting room, a workroom, a reception area, balcony, individual offices and a dock master office.
Reichert said the management office was moving from a 4,070-square-foot space that will be used by MSC Care Management, which then will lease about 127,000 square feet of the building.
Reichert said the building has about 515,000 square feet of space to lease among 19 office floors, a full basement and storage on other floors.
The Prudential Insurance Co. of America developed the building in 1955.