Overcoming concerns among some Jacksonville City Council members about payments coming due for incentives for Downtown redevelopment projects, the owners of a long-vacant property near City Hall prevailed May 27 in obtaining a grant to revive the building.
Council voted 14-4 in favor of Ordinance 2025-0183, which provides a $2.56 million incentive package to transform the three-story building at 225 N. Laura St. into a ground-floor restaurant with eight short-term rental units on the top two floors.
The building’s majority owners are Alan and Ellen Cottrill of Avant Construction Group. Rafael and Carmen Godwin, who purchased the property in 2022, maintain a minority interest. Avant, which specializes in historic renovations, is the general contractor for the project.