Building Up Jax, 12/31: Plans brewing for Florida Baptist Convention building

It’s been a quiet couple of weeks for city development news, with the end of the year coming in just a few hours. Nonetheless, there have been a few items worth noting such as the possibility of redevelopment for a sizable portion of land along Hendricks Ave.

We’ve got it all for you in this week’s Building Up Jax.

Florida Baptist Convention building to be redeveloped?

The Florida Baptist Convention building at 1230 Hendricks Ave. could be getting redeveloped in the near future, according to Jax Daily Record.

Jax-based Block One Ventures plans to purchase the property and construct a 345-unit apartment building with ground floor retail on the site.

The building will soon be unoccupied, as Florida Baptist Convention will move their operations to a new building off of Belfort Rd. in the spring.

The project would add to what’s becoming a busy area for development in San Marco. Recent years have seen the addition of Aardwolf Brewing Company, Panera Bread, and others along Hendricks Ave., and the Publix-anchored East San Marco project will break ground in 2017.

Spliff’s and 1904 Music Hall to combine

The owner of downtown’s Spliff’s Gastropub and 1904 Music Hall plans to combine the two businesses, according to Jacksonville Business Journal.

The resulting combination will bring the gastropub’s capacity up to 120, allowing them to secure a liquor license.

As part of the renovations, shared space behind the building will be converted into an outdoor seating area complete with an additional bar.

The city’s Downtown Investment Authority will kick in $15,000 for the project.

Noted projects

• The Silver Cow will relocate from Riverside to Murray Hill, and its owner will also open two new establishments next door to its new location, according to The Florida Times-Union. The Annex, a bar, and Jeux de Jax, a comedy and live music venue, are the other two businesses coming in at 927 and 929 Edgewood Ave. respectively.
• Kmart will officially exit the Jacksonville market in 2017 with the closure of its Normandy Blvd. location.
• Permits were issued this week for the upcoming East San Marco project. The long-awaited development will feature a Publix.