The porches of historic homes in Springfield will be the stage for the PorchFest music festival.
A new multiuse development is in the works for Springfield. GNP Development is in the early stages of its plans for property it has at Third, Silver and Pearl streets.
What’s been talked about so far are 78 apartments and some retail.
Christina Parrish, executive director of Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, said GNP plans to tear down a former federal building and a dental office on the property that have been closed for some time, buildings she called “really hideous modern structures.”
None of the historic properties would be torn down, she said, and the project would wrap around the historic Drew Mansion. She’ll be meeting with developers this week and there are more discussions planned with the community.
“I’m just excited about the way they’re engaging the neighborhood,” she said. “They seem to be starting this off in a really thoughtful way.
REGENCY
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet will open its first store in the Jacksonville area this summer. It’s going into the Regency Park Shopping Center on Atlantic Boulevard, in a 40,000-square-foot space that’s been vacant since Babies R Us left in 2010.
The center will be 70 percent occupied once Ollie’s moves in.
The store describes itself as a seller of “closeouts, excess inventory and salvage merchandise.” That sounds a bit like Big Lots, which Northeast Florida shoppers are more familiar with, and Jerry Altland, vice president of real estate, said there are some similarities.
But he said that Ollie’s has two departments — floor coverings and books — that Big Lots doesn’t and the merchandise changes more often.
“It’s more of a treasure hunt,” he said. “People like to come in and browse to see what’s there.”
Altland said the store will hire 40 to 55 people and is expected to open at the end of June. The closest Ollie’s to Jacksonville is in Waycross, Ga., but the first in the state will open next month in Orlando.
The Pennsylvania-based chain has 207 stores, about 30 more than a year ago.
DINING
As I reported last week, The Bank Barbecue and Bakery is planning a June opening at 331 W. Forsyth St. downtown. The Bearded Pig barbecue restaurant has opened at 1224 Kings Ave. in San Marco.
Flavor Palette has opened at 880 Florida A1A N., Suite 9, in the Ponte Vedra Pointe Shopping Center at A1A and Palm Valley Road.
Meanwhile, Maple Street Biscuit Co. opened its first Gainesville restaurant Thursday in Butler Plaza on Archer Road. It’s the eighth location for the Jacksonville chain.
And … the state recently gave licenses to these new restaurants:
Waffle House, 11839 San Jose Blvd.
Pei Wei Fresh Kitchen, 11200 San Jose Blvd.
Crispy’s, 1735 N. Main St.
Waffle House, 1537 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, 380 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park.
Hokkaido, 11043 Crystal Springs Road.
YULEE, ST. AUGUSTINE
Shopping centers in St. Johns and Nassau counties are getting new tenants.
Corningware, Corelle & More will open Friday in St. Augustine Premium Outlets, at Interstate 95 and Florida 16. The store will sell a variety of kitchenware by brands such as CorningWare, Pyrex, Corelle, Revere, Chicago Cutlery and others.
The grand opening celebration will be Saturday.
Meanwhile, four new stores are opening in The Villages of Amelia Island in Yulee this July: Ulta Cosmetics, Dunkin’ Donuts, Mattress Firm and Tropical Smoothie. They will be the first locations for Tropical Smoothie and Ulta Cosmetics in Nassau County.
The Publix-anchored shopping center opened in 2012, but these are newly constructed spaces.
ETC.
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront has completed its multimillion-dollar renovation of all 951 rooms and just about everything else. Reports put the cost at more than $8 million.
Nocatee is opening three communities in its Twenty Mile development: The Hammock, from the mid $900s, The Ranch from the high $500s and The Vista from the high $800s.
MarineMax at Beach Marine will hold its grand opening next Saturday. The national chain closed its Arlington Expressway location and moved to Beach Marine, where it will handle sales and service.
The Cannabis Professional Advancement Series kicks off with a full-day seminar in Miami on April 27, followed by another in Tampa two days later. It doesn’t have anything to do with Jacksonville, but it just sounded funny.
PERMITS
10910 San Jose Blvd., emergency center, $5 million, 10,820 square feet, Charles Perry. Memorial Healthcare Group paid $2 million for the former Mandarin Mill Family Golf and Games property last year and plans to build a free-standing, 24-hour emergency center.
4453 Shirley Ave., convert use from single-family home to business, $6,400.
10401 Deerwood Park Blvd., tenant build-out for Cannon, $150,000, 3,906 square feet, Dav Lin Interior Contractors.
3006 Post St., remodeling interior of Blue Martini Liquors, $22,500, Prism Design & Construction.
Kids Expanding the Kingdom LLC paid $430,000 for the 4,448-square-foot former day-care center at 3968 Sunbeam Road, where it will move its day-care center from Crown Point Road.
418 Starratt Road, repair grocery store wall where car hit it, $8,000, Wallace Contracting.
11825 Central Parkway, two-story expansion of Marco Ophthalmic, $924,000, 7,700 square feet, Fickling Construction
4567 River City Drive, renovations to Target, $168,757, Williams Co. Southeast.
9717 103rd St., addition of classroom building at Westside Family Worship Center, $118,000, 1,600 square feet, Daniel & Daniel Construction.
3627 St. Johns Ave., interior renovation to Berkshire Avondale, $132,592, 2,408 square feet, The Angelo Group.
1200 Riverplace Blvd., interior renovation to Stein Mart offices on seventh floor, $397,641,13,309 square feet, Dav Lin Interior Contractors.
800 Prudential Drive, renovations to central prep and sterile areas at Baptist Health, $3,491,200, Batson-Cook.
5953 St. Augustine Road, new Goodwill store, $1 million, 25,272 square feet, Bush Construction. Goodwill Industries of North Florida paid $925,000 for 3.3 acres there across the street from Publix. It tore down the existing buildings and is building a store, donation center and job training facility.
1 Shircliff Way, renovate four cath labs at St. Vincent’s Health, $973,970, Batson-Cook.
3162 W. Gerona Drive, new building for Coastal Veterinary Hospital, $1,187,620, 5,675 square feet, Auld & White Constructors. Coastal paid $300,000 for the property just off Beach Boulevard last year.
10133 Atlantic Blvd., interior alterations to 4 Wheel Parts, $50,615, 7,000 square feet, C. Harrison Construction.
5290 Norwood Ave., interior renovations for new Wing Stop, $213,000, 4,800 square feet, DG Development of North Florida.
SALES
Triangle Capital Group paid $4,092,307 for almost two vacant acres on Edgewood Avenue, between Cleveland and Bagley Roads.
James and Heather Creel paid $1,439,000 for the 4,500-square-foot single-family home at 4118 Ortega Forest Drive on a 1.3-acre lot on the river. It was built in 1960 and sold for $2,275,000 in 2006 and $950,000 in 2013.
Chadbourne I LLC paid $6,275,000 for 12.9 vacant acres on Gate Parkway at Burnt Mill Road.
Circle K Stores bought three convenience stores, paying $1.9 million for 4115 Sportsman Club Road, $1.7 million for 11869 Pulaski Road and $1.5 million for 2688 Old Middleburg Road North.
Solomon Properties of Jacksonville paid $750,000 for the 3,684-square-foot shopping center at 695 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach. It was built in 1960 and last sold for $380,000 in 2010.
First Fidelity Financial Group LLC of Troy, Mich., paid $6.5 million for the 167-room Radisson Hotel at 4700 Salisbury Road. It was built in 1989 and last sold for $4,550,000 in 2004.
roger.bull@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4296
