Florida 9B to open Thursday
A portion of Florida 9B from Philips Highway/U.S. 1 to the Interstate 295 East Beltway is scheduled to open Thursday. Northbound lanes are scheduled to open at 10 a.m., with the southbound lanes opening Thursday evening after rush hour to repaint traffic lines. The $75 million roadway is intended to alleviate traffic congestion for people traveling between Duval and St. Johns counties. In preparation for the opening, nighttime lane closures between U.S. 1 and Baymeadows Road are scheduled 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday. A brief ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Taverna expansion
San Marco-based Taverna will be expanding over the next couple of months into the unoccupied space next to its existing 1986 San Marco Blvd. location. When complete, it will have 158 seats and 3,904 square feet. A grand opening is scheduled for November. To make the renovations, the restaurant will temporarily close twice for about five days each. The first period will be Sept. 23-27, with a reopening for Friday dinner. The second is tentatively set for October. More information about the interruptions and renovations can be found on the restaurant's Facebook page, TavernaSanMarco, or its website, tavernasanmarco.com.
Balch & Bingham expanding
Balch & Bingham's Jacksonville office has expanded with the addition of a commercial litigation practice and office space. Geremy Gregory, previously in the Atlanta office, has joined the Jacksonville office to add to its commercial litigation practice. His experience includes trial and appellate matters, financial services litigation, loss share, products liability, real estate and more. In addition, the Jacksonville office is undergoing construction to add almost 2,000 square feet to its Prudential Center location.
Brink, Wygonik sign agreements with Pearle Vision
Pearle Vision has signed an agreement with two local optometrists to assume ownership of corporate-owned locations in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach. Drs. Ted Brink and Edward Wygonik now own and operate the Pearle Vision eye care centers at 4413-207 Town Center Parkway in the St. Johns Town Center and 359 Marsh Landing Parkway in Jacksonville Beach. Wygonik began working with Brink in 2009 and the two recently decided to purchase the corporate-owned locations.
Hulsey to enter Heritage of Leadership Society
Former Florida Bar President Mark Hulsey will be posthumously inducted into the Heritage of Leadership Society during a 3:30 p.m. Friday ceremony in Gainesville. Hulsey was a longtime Jacksonville attorney, namesake for the Hulsey-Gambrell annual moot court competition between the University of Florida and University of Georgia and served on the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission from 1972-84. The Heritage of Leadership Society honors notable alumni of the University of Florida Levin College of Law and their contributions to the state and university. The event is closed to the public.
Pardee takes interim building role
Christian Eric Pardee, a Jacksonville city employee since 1989 and a former Neptune Beach City Council member, was named building official manager to serve as the interim city building official after the retirement of Jim Schock. Pardee, 49, remains mechanical inspection supervisor, a position he's held since 2001. Pardee has been backup city building official since 2010. Monica Landeros, public communications officer for Mayor Alvin Brown, said the interim title could extend for 60 days. She did not have a timeframe for a permanent replacement. She said the position has been advertised.
Event to benefit Child Cancer Fund
Engine 15 Brewing Co. and Burrito Gallery are teaming up from 2-6 p.m. Saturday to host a beer and food truck event that will benefit the Child Cancer Fund. The event is in the Burrito Gallery lot Downtown at 21 E. Adams St. and will have six to eight beers (including one specially brewed for the fund), food trucks, artist and vendor booths, a bike raffle and more. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.
DIA meeting Monday
The next meeting of the Downtown Investment Authority is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday in the Lynwood Roberts Room of City Hall. No agenda has been distributed. For more information, visit coj.net.
WomenUp! Forum scheduled Oct. 10
The Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women is seeking participants to join the commission board and local women's organizations for the inaugural WomenUp! Forum from 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 8. The event will be held in the Lynwood Roberts Room at City Hall. The forum will focus on issues of importance for local women, with the goal to connect with women's groups and find out how the commission continues to educate and advocate on issues important to women in the area. For more information or to RSVP, call (904) 630-1618 or visit the commission's webpage at coj.net.
Coastal Cleanup needs volunteers
The city's Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission is seeking residents and volunteers to participate in the 2013 Florida Coastal Cleanup event Saturday. The cleanup is part of the 28th annual International Coastal Cleanup day, when thousands of volunteers spend a few hours removing trash and debris from beaches, lakes and rivers. More than 21,000 pounds of litter were collected in Duval County last year. Sites will be at Beach Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard, 16th Avenue South and the Jacksonville Beach pier, all at the ocean, from 7-9 a.m. Fifteen other sites around the city will have their cleanup from 9-11 a.m. For more information, visit the commission's webpage at coj.net.