Welcome to another week of Building Up Jax! Obviously, the big news this week was the announcement of the Publix-anchored East San Marco project finally coming to fruition, but we’ve also got a few other bits of news to note today.

A Regency Renaissance

The long-suffering Regency Square Mall seems to be getting a new lease on life. According to multiple sources, International Decor Outlet will open as many as 80 storefronts within the aging mall by the end of this summer. The company had been negotiating with the mall since the latter part of 2015. The storefronts will be mostly international manufacturer outlets pertaining to home decor, but at least one restaurant (Captain’s Catch Seafood Restaurant & Sports Bar) will be included in the 200,000 square feet the outlets will occupy.

This comes a little over a month after Impact Church announced that they would take over the former Belk in the middle section of the mall. Combined, these announcements indicate that Regency will be able to survive for at least a little while longer as a multi-use center. National anchor tenants Sears, JCPenney, and an outlet/clearance version of Dillard’s still remain, along with the remaining mix of national and local tenants on the east end of the mall.

Goodbye O’Brothers, Hello Five Points Tavern

According to multiple sources, the owners of the popular Riverside bar O’Brothers Irish Pub have sold their building and will shut down. In its place, a new American-style tavern called Five Points Tavern is expected to open in May. The new bar/restaurant will focus more on culinary aspects but will also feature a collection of beer taps.

Say Cheese!

Popular Jacksonville food truck Happy Grilled Cheese will open its first brick-and-mortar location at 1029 Park St. in Five Points this summer, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal. Owner Anthony Hashem had originally signed the lease for the location in 2014, but setbacks in zoning and construction led to a lengthy delay. Hashem says the food truck is expected to continue even with the brick-and-mortar location’s opening.

Notes

• Preferred Growth Properties (PGP) has officially closed on the Skinner family owned land on which their project at the St. Johns Town Center will be constructed, according to Jax Daily Record. The project will include both retail and residential elements; so far, expected tenants include Hobby Lobby and an apartment complex (Ravella at Town Center).
• GATE has been approved for its plans to open a new gas station/convenience store at the corner of Park St. and Forrest St. in the Brooklyn area of Riverside, according to Jax Daily Record.