Farewell River City Brewing: Demolition secured and begun for endeared Southbank restaurant

Drew Dixon
·3 min read
The River City Brewing Co. complex, decaying on Jacksonville's Southbank of the St. Johns River in this February photo, was approved for demolition that began Tuesday.
The River City Brewing Co. complex, decaying on Jacksonville's Southbank of the St. Johns River in this February photo, was approved for demolition that began Tuesday.

It’s been a long time coming and a source of consternation for downtown Jacksonville’s Southbank, but the River City Brewing Co. site on the St. Johns River is finally being demolished.

City building inspectors signed off on the permits for the demolition at 835 Museum Circle to make way for apartments. The building is near the current Museum of Science and History which will be relocating to the Northbank.

Elev8 Demolition began the $110,000 dismantling of the iconic restaurant Tuesday.

The Related Group is the development company that paid $10 million for the property and is planning an apartment complex with more than 300 units that will also include a small restaurant.

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Demolition began Tuesday on the former River City Brewing Co. restaurant complex on the Southbank of the St Johns River in downtown Jacksonville. The iconic restaurant is being torn down to make way for a new apartment complex and restaurant.
Demolition began Tuesday on the former River City Brewing Co. restaurant complex on the Southbank of the St Johns River in downtown Jacksonville. The iconic restaurant is being torn down to make way for a new apartment complex and restaurant.

River City Brewing was operational at the site for 27 years before closing about a year ago.

The new restaurant won’t be as big as the River City Brewing operations, but it is key to the new development. The addition of the restaurant would boost the city's incentive package by paying a $500,000 grant when it is completed or 50 percent of the actual construction cost, whichever is less.

New hotel for Riverside area

A  six-story hotel is in the works for Jacksonville’s Riverside area near the Interstates 95 and 10 interchange.

The Home2 Suites hotel will enclose 62,483 square feet on property owned by Kelco CL Park LLC, according to recently approved building permits. The site is currently occupied by a vacant, one-story building.

The hotel will cost $13.3 million to build and is slated to have 100 units. Pinkerton& Law Construction of Orlando Inc. is the contracting firm.

JU upgrades STEAM building

The Lazzara STEAM building at Jacksonville University is about to undergo a major renovation.

The building, which houses science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics studies, is slated for a substantial overhaul that will cover much of the first floor. JU officials secured permit approval from the city's Building Inspection Division for the work.

The work at 2800 University Blvd. N., Unit 1000, already features film school classes and equipment and other media features along with robotics studies and math spaces among other disciplines, according to the university’s website.

The project is estimated to cost $1.1 million and will be handled by Stellar Group Inc., according to the permit.

Additional building permits

7900 Lone Star Road, new walls and fixtures for Parkwood Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Building B, $3 million. East Coast Construction Services.

1700 Imeson Road, foundation for a single-story warehouse for Inlight at Commonwealth, $1.9 million. Dana B. Kenyon Co.

6767 103rd St., alterations and repairs including remodeling sales areas and replacing signage for Walmart store, $1.6 million. FMGI Inc.

4489 Town Center Parkway, interior renovations for Fifth Third Bank branch at Town Center, $1.3 million. Open Ventures Group LLC.

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800 Prudential Drive, interior renovation of existing area to modify it to become an interventional radiology suite for Baptist Health, 1,300 square feet, $1.1 million. Batson-Cook Co.

11600 Old St. Augustine Road, interior renovation for a multi-purpose space and creating new storage areas for St. Joseph’s Catholic School, $365,795. KBT Contracting Corp.

10751 Deerwood Park Blvd., Unit 140, reinforced contact for tenant buildout for Fortegra HE legal office, $331,158. Tenant Contractors.

1965 San Marco Blvd., tenant buildout for Burr Investments Inc., $280,000. Keith B. Sheets.

936 Dunn Ave., tenant buildout to include new walls, mechanical, plumbing and electrical for Hibbett Sports, $255,280. KMA Project Developer LLC.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Demolition begun for River City Brewing Co. in downtown Jacksonville