Six months after approval for city incentives, Breezy Jazz House is starting work toward opening a club Downtown.
Landlord 327 E. Bay LLC, an area ownership group, applied to the city for a permit to demolish interior walls and equipment in the 3,500-square-foot space at 337 E. Bay St., which appears to have been offices in the street-level strip of restaurants and clubs a block off the St. Johns River.
Dajis Construction Inc. of Jacksonville is the contractor for the estimated $8,000 demolition project.
The Downtown Investment Authority board approved $132,662 in city incentives Sept. 17 for Breezy Jazz House to move from San Marco south of the St. Johns River back to the Downtown Northbank.
The BreezyJazzHouse.com site says “Jacksonville’s Premier Jazz Supper Club” has closed in San Marco to move to the new venue in the Elbow entertainment district Downtown in May.
The site also refers to it as the Breezy Jazz House and Restaurant.
The establishment, owned by Thea Jeffers, previously operated Downtown along East Adams Street in 2016 before moving to 1402 San Marco Blvd. in 2020.
The jazz club plans to use the incentives to renovate the Bay Street space, which is expected to cost $301,736.
The DIA grant is structured as a forgivable, no-interest loan that will be amortized at 20% at the closing date of each of the next five years, provided the club is still operating in the Downtown location.
According to designs attached to a DIA staff report, the club plans to put a bar and dining space, a stage, a kitchen, restrooms and an office in the new location. Breezy will occupy 3,649 square feet.
The club will be on the first floor of 337 E. Bay St., a two-story building, amid a block of nightlife entertainment. Also operating on the 300 block of Bay Street are Myth Nightclub, Element bistro + bar and Decca Live.
Keane’s Irish Pub, which opened in October 2025, and the Besa Bakery and Tea Room Speakeasy also have been granted DIA incentives, with $200,000 for the pub project and $215,000 for the bakery.
The DIA board vote constituted final action on the Breezy incentive. It did not require approval by the Jacksonville City Council.
The building at 327-345 E. Bay Street was developed in 1909 and was designated a local landmark in 2022. It was bought by its current ownership group in 2020.
The DIA staff report said the building’s landmark designation did not affect the staff’s funding recommendation.
The staff report said the jazz club plans to retain its two full-time, management-level employees and 10 part-time staff members from its San Marco club, and it expects to hire additional workers for the Downtown location.
The club’s menu will include shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, crab bites, cheesesteaks and more. Breezy will target local music enthusiasts, tourists, college students and young professionals, according to the staff report.
“Their proposed location in the Elbow district, joining other live venues with diverse music specialties, will also be a great draw for new customers to experience Breezy’s offerings,” the DIA staff report reads.
The club will also feature live music performances with artists from Jacksonville and around the country.
That block also is near the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville and is not far from the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences under construction.