The Bread & Board Restaurant and Provisions Market

An example of clustering complementing uses within a compact setting, Estrella Cocina is one of several dining and retail businesses headed to a VyStar Credit Union corporate campus. Already home to a Peterbrooke Chocolatier and Tossgreen, the restoration of 100 West Bay Street also involves the $1.34 million interior build-out of The Bread & Board Restaurant and Provisions Market.

According to a previous Jaxson article, the restaurant will occupy approximately 5,000 square feet of the retail space on the ground floor, with the remaining 2,200 hosting the marketplace. The markeplace will combine elements of a public market and a food hall, creating a new option for Downtown residents, workers and visitors. Announced retailers include Good Dough donut shop, Alewife Craft Beer Bottle Shop, Bee Friends Farm honey, Layered: Cakes & Sweets, Martin Coffee, local produce purveyor Saturiwa Trading Company, and Bark Urban Dog Boutique.

The Bread & Burger

In addition, construction continues on the conversion of an alley adjacent to The Bread & Board Restaurant and Provisions Market into a pedestrian breezeway. Intended to accommodate outdoor seating, the $1.62 million project will include planters, sidewalk and landscaping, along with a new craft burger concept called The Bread & Burger. Situated in a shipping container, The Bread & Burger will focus on specialty burgers, fries and milkshakes and open this spring.

Forsyth Parking Garage

Construction on a 780 space parking garage at the intersection of Forsyth and Laura streets will begin soon. This $23 million project will support the expanding VyStar Credit Union campus and the proposed Laura Street Trio redevelopment. Anticipated for completion in fall 2021, the 285,000-square-foot structure will include 13,200-square-feet of ground floor retail space.

Overall, the new businesses are a part of a larger strategy by VyStar to increase its Downtown footprint and contribute to the vibrancy of the area. “As we continue settling into our new home downtown and building out our VyStar Campus, we are committed to finding creative ways to bring the community together,” said VyStar President and CEO Brian Wolfburg.

While serving as a significant anchor towards the revitalization, the VyStar Credit Union campus is just one of several adaptive reuse projects that are likely to dramatically change the Northbank atmosphere and image of downtown before 2025.

In the meantime, on Cinco de Mayo, Estrella Cocina will offer a special preview with a night of select menu items, house craft cocktails and live music. Visit https://www.estrellajax.com/ for more information.

Development update by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com