Jacksonville-based Corner Lot wants to rezone property it owns around its Riverside building near Downtown to accommodate up to a 125-room hotel that CEO Andy Allen said July 16 would be flagged either a Marriott or Hilton.
Through CCL Land I Downtown LLC, Corner Lot wants to rezone 1.9 acres at 1000 Riverside Ave. from Planned Unit Development to another PUD to permit a mixed-use retail and hotel building.
The project is described as west of the Riverside Avenue and Post Street intersection. The hotel is at Post and May streets.
The application states that the PUD and accompanying land use amendment has a purpose:
“To meet the growing tourism and commercial needs of the Riverside and Brooklyn neighborhoods.
The Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow law firm of Jacksonville is the applicant. A rezoning ordinance number is not assigned.
EnVision Design + Engineering is the project engineer and kasper architects + associates is the architect. Both are based in Jacksonville.
Hotel footprint
Corner Lot wants to develop the “hotel program” behind its nine-story, 78,080-square-foot Corner Lot Tower, whose ground floor features the River & Post restaurant.
The hotel footprint is 14,200 square feet and the building height 85 feet.
A project description, dated April 24, 2025, for the 1000 Riverside PUD says the applicant proposes to rezone the property to permit infill development at 1000 and 860 Riverside Ave. and 1049 May St.
The property comprises three parcels at Riverside Avenue and Post and May streets. It is in the Urban Transition Area of the Riverside Avondale Zoning Overlay.
The plan also indicates a parking garage of at least 271 spaces along May Street next to the hotel. It will have a loading dock.
The hotel and restaurant entrances may directly front May Street.
Corner Lot Tower was built in 1963. It features the ground-floor restaurant along with a rooftop lounge. The eight floors in between feature office uses, including Corner Lot’s headquarters.
Surface parking now serves the development. As part of the infill development, the parking garage will increase the amount of parking on the site to accommodate the existing tower and proposed hotel. It also will provide additional public parking.
The 860 Riverside Ave. site will continue to serve as a surface parking lot until it is developed consistent with the PUD.
The description also addresses design guidelines, circulation, signage, landscaping and other development elements.
JEA availability request
On April 21, Corner Lot requested service availability determination from Jacksonville municipal utility JEA for what was called a mixed-use project at 1000 Riverside Ave.
JEA issued the service availability letter April 28 to outline service connections and conditions.
The property comprises three parcels at Riverside Avenue and Post and May streets.
Corner Lot Tower sits on more than 1.17 acres at 1000 Riverside Ave., at Post Street.
An almost 0.591-acre parking lot is at 1049 May St., next to the tower property.
A 0.128-acre parking lot is across Post Street at 860 Riverside Ave.
Corner Lot acquired all three properties for $11 million on June 21, 2022.
In the JEA application, CLL Land I LLC, led by Corner Lot executives, referred to a 115-room hotel and 30 restaurant seats at the site. No outline of plans was included.
A JEA request means a project is being considered and not that any deal is done or any plans solidified.
Allen said then that the plans were preliminary and that Corner Lot was working through due diligence for a planned unit development filing.
A PUD is a special zoning district that allows for a mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses within a single district.
“We are working through a PUD and look forward to adding another hotel for the downtown area,” he said by text April 22.
Corner Lot is a partner in the 100-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Jacksonville Downtown that opened in April 2024 at 600 Park St. in the Brooklyn area of Downtown.