Ruth Moore Berry
Imagine a time in Ortega without U.S.17/ Roosevelt Boulevard or when traffic consisted of a trolley running across the Grand Avenue Bridge. Ruth Page Moore Berry remembers it well. Growing up in Ball Cottage on unpaved Baltic Street with neighbors Honesta and James Willis of Sunshine House right next door, Berry had plenty of freedom […]
Southbank’s Riverplace Boulevard: Creating a streetscape for the future
The city of Jacksonville is one step closer to building a better road for its “urban village” on the Southbank. The Downtown Development Review Board approved a plan Feb. 18 to reconfigure the lanes on Riverplace Boulevard so it can become more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly. Public meetings to discuss the Riverplace road diet project took […]
Plans materialize for East San Marco
Long awaited mixed-use project coming to fruition After several attempts to finance and bring one of the largest projects in San Marco’s history to fruition, its time has come. East San Marco, planned for several vacant lots on Atlantic Boulevard at the intersections of Hendricks Avenue and Mango Place just a block east […]
San Marco Preservation looks to put teeth in neighborhood plan
The balance between urban development and preserving the character of an historic neighborhood has always been tricky. In an effort to preserve San Marco as the unique and special historic community it is, the San Marco Preservation Society intends to legislate its neighborhood action plan, San Marco by Design, in order to give it some […]
Despite vocal local opposition, Roost gets one more approval closer to plan
A recent unanimous decision to approve The Roost, a 150-seat, late-night bar and restaurant on Oak Street, has frustrated nearby residents who wonder whether city planners are considering business opportunity over the letter of the law. Based on action by the City of Jacksonville’s Planning and Development Department and by the Planning Commission, many opposed […]
Former nursing school building to be demolished
With a thoughtful nod to its surrounding residential and business neighbors, St. Vincent HealthCare is undertaking a piece-by-piece demolition of Seton Hall, a Riverside building which housed nursing students for two decades. Although an implosion or wrecking balls would take it down much faster, the careful approach by Brasfield & Gorrie LLC will minimize dust […]
New ownership, new outlook for Commander, St. Johns Village
The Commander Tower Apartments and the St. Johns Village shopping center in Avondale have been sold to Chance Partners, an Atlanta real estate firm specializing in development and management of mixed-use communities. The new owner, which paid $5.8 million for the 55-year-old apartment building and the 29-year-old shopping center, is evaluating the future use of […]
Innovative project temporarily transforms Jacksonville Landing
The concrete steps in front of the Jacksonville Landing may not seem like a typical park location to most, but one local nonprofit thought otherwise. TransForm Jax, founded in 2011 to improve the vitality and quality of life in Jacksonville’s downtown and urban core neighborhoods, partnered with the Jacksonville Landing and Downtown Vision Inc. to […]
