Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 219 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
University Club to close after 48 years
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
News of the closing spread to members Wednesday night. Everrett Butler, regional vice president of ClubCorp, said in a letter to members emailed late Wednesday and dated today that the ownership and members have weathered “many ups and downs during our nearly half-century of service to the Jacksonville community.” He did not detail the ups and downs or how those led to the announcement. “We have made a business decision to close the Club. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision
– the Club has borne witness to decades of long friendships and the birth of many great ideas – but one that is necessary,” Butler wrote. The letter says after 48 years as a proud part of Jacksonville, the company is “sad to announce” the Dec. 20 closing of the club. Riverplace Tower, which changed ownership in 2014, has been adding tenants and recently signed a lease for a café on the ground floor. Gate Riverplace Co. sold the tower to Lingerfelt CommonWealth Partners of Glen Allen,
St. Vincent’s HealthCare continues making progress toward opening a new-concept health center in Mandarin in a former Walgreens store. Batson-Cook Construction is the contractor for a proposed $2 million renovation for the site at 10503 San Jose Blvd., according to a building-permit application. St. Vincent’s HealthCare spokesman Kyle Sieg said Wednesday the budget for the Mandarin location is $7.3 million, including the lease cost, renovation, equipment and furnishings. Interior demolition was approved Sept. 1 for Realco Recycling to take down interior partitions, doors, ceilings and floor systems at the 14,587-square-foot building. St. Vincent’s HealthCare said in August it would debut the centers next year in Mandarin, North Jacksonville and St. Johns County, totaling an initial investment of almost $26 million. The centers are designed to provide essential services, including urgent care, primary care, imaging, lab services and specialty care in one location. Mandarin’s center will be the first to open in the first quarter. St. Vincent’s said the location will be 20,000 square feet. Mathis continued on Page A-2
A JEA crew on Wednesday was installing a new streetlight at Ashley and Julia streets. It’s part of a $400,000 project to improve lighting Downtown.
Downtown getting brighter
By the end of the year, it will be brighter along 30 blocks of Downtown after dark. This week, JEA began a project to install 48 streetlights on Ashley, Church, Forsyth, Julia, Liberty and Market streets. The installations are the “acorn” historic style fixtures and poles, some with two lamps and some with single lamps. All the fixtures are LED lights, which use far less electricity than the old sodiumvapor lamps. The $400,000 project is funded through the city Capital Improvement Plan. One of the initiatives in the Downtown Investment Authority’s Business Investment and Development Plan schedule is
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improving the lighting in Hemming Park. But after the city commissioned a Downtown lighting evaluation, it was determined there was a need to expand the lit area in the urban core, so the city is funding the work instead of the Downtown Development Trust Fund, which is administered by the authority. “The first phase’s geographic boundary was prioritized because that’s where we have our nighttime activities, residential development, The Elbow District and where we have invested and encouraged ground floor development through DIA’s Retail Enhancement Program,” said Guy Parola, Downtown redevelopment manager. The second phase will improve lighting in the LaVilla area west of Julia Street.
legal notices begin on page
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Another priority area identified in the evaluation, along the Northbank Riverwalk in the vicinity of the former Duval County Courthouse, will be funded later due to the scheduled repair of the collapsed parking deck along Liberty Street at the Riverwalk, he said. For the safety of crews and the public, access to sidewalks around installation sites will be temporarily limited while the work is in progress. The project is scheduled to be complete Dec. 15. For questions about sidewalk closures or the project itinerary, contact JEA Project Outreach at (904) 665-7500 or email projectoutreach@jea.com. mmarbut@jaxdailyrecord.com (904) 356-2466
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Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
JEA installing 48 streetlights throughout urban core By Max Marbut Staff Writer
Va., near Richmond. The structure was built in 1966 as the Gulf Life Tower. A woman answering the phone this morning at the leasing and management office at the building said she could not comment about the closing or what would happen with the vacated space, referring questions to The University Club. ClubCorp spokeswoman Patty Jerde said late Wednesday the club has “enjoyed a positive and supportive relationship with our landlord and neighbors.” University Club cont’d on Page A-3
Permit in review for health center
Photo by Max Marbut
Staff, members and guests arrived at The University Club of Jacksonville at the top of Riverplace Tower this morning to the news that the private venue will close Dec. 20 after 48 years in business. “It’s a legacy, it’s a landmark,” said Bonnie Arnold, owner of Bonnie’s Floral Designs. Arnold, who arrived early to attend a regular meeting of the River City BNI networking chapter, said the closing saddened her.
“You hate to see the old traditional things go by the wayside,” said Arnold, a former club member. The club, operated by Dallasbased ClubCorp, occupies the top two floors of the 28-story Riverplace Tower at 1301 Riverplace Blvd. on the Southbank. Its décor of dark wood, elegant lighting and plush furniture in the lobby, main Oxford Room and other areas is enhanced by a view of Downtown Jacksonville, San Marco and far beyond. “There’s just no place like it,” Arnold said.
Work continues to turn a former pharmacy in Mandarin into a St. Vincent’s HealthCare health center.
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