60-year-old Baptist hospital building to get $5.6 million facelift
In order to better reflect its cutting-edge facilities, Baptist Medical Center is giving a $5.6 million facelift to the outer façade of its main building at 800 Prudential Drive. The project involves removing the brick on the outside of the five-story structure, which was originally opened in 1955. The façade will be repaired and the […]
Neighbors rally around river access, form nonprofit
Eyesore, crime being addressed The threat of losing a century of easy access to the St. Johns River was all it took to galvanize the residents near Richmond Street and Little Van Wert. Within a month, a nonprofit organization, Friends of Van Wert Park (FVWP), was formalized and already more than two dozen members had […]
Ski club more than just a turn on the water
Enduring friendships a lasting treasure It started, perhaps, because one woman loved to waterski and couldn’t get a regular commitment for a “puller.” On the suggestion of her husband Johnny, Peggy Sue Williams asked fellow “ballet mom” Margie Fox if she was up for a weekly ski run on McGirts Creek. “Our daughters were in […]
Owners give historic Lane-Towers House ground-up renovation
Century-old splendor to return to Avondale residence John and Yvonne Hove had no inkling they’d bought the ultimate fixer-upper when they purchased the historic Lane-Towers House at 3730 Richmond Street in 2012. The couple, who moved from Sweden to Arlington 29 years ago, spent months looking for a home before falling in love with the […]
Lexington Hotel & Conference Center finds new home on Riverwalk
Since it was built in 1981, the Southbank hotel at 1515 Prudential Dr. has sported many brands – Sheraton, Radisson, and Wyndham. As of June 1, a new brand was added to that list: Lexington Hotel & Conference Center, Jacksonville Riverwalk. In early June, LexDevCoJax, Inc., an affiliate of Vantage Hospitality Group of Coral Gables, […]
Drainage fix at Landon track means public usage in future
Landon Middle School in San Marco will receive city money to pay for improvements on its playing field and surrounding track. In early June, after a joint-use agreement was signed between the Duval County School Board and the city parks department, District 5 Councilwoman Lori Boyer executed a transfer form to allocate $75,000 from her […]
Locals learn of option for traffic calming
San Marco residents who live along River Road and its adjacent streets are a step closer to having something done to calm speeding traffic in front of their homes. During a June 15 town meeting called by District 5 Councilwoman Lori Boyer, most residents agreed the proposed ordinance to lower the speed limit from 30 […]
The sky has quite the limit
As it rested on the ground, its 4k video camera whirred back and forth in a self-check sequence while red, amber, and green lights alternately flashed under the vehicle’s four arms, thus completing its pre-flight electronics check. Four electric motor-driven carbon fiber blades sprang to life, lifting the buzzing little device into a hover inches […]
Residents spearheaded fight for hen bill
The new legislation recently passed by the Jacksonville City Council to expand what has become known as the “chicken ordinance” has deep roots in the Riverside and San Marco neighborhoods. Several residents of the area were not only some of the first permit holders to have backyard chickens, but were also catalysts behind the […]
