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Rail Yard District / Durkeeville
48. Railyard Commerce Park
The Michigan City, Indiana based Christopher Jordan Land Company is in the process of redeveloping a vacant warehouse complex on Beaver Street into the Railyard Commerce Park. When complete, the adaptive reuse project will offer spaces ranging from 850 to 17,000 square feet for brewery, studio, retail, industrial and/or office uses.
49. Forest Street Classical School 391
A dream of Vestcor Companies chairman John Rood, construction efforts continue at the former Forest Park Elementary School brownfield site in Mixton Town. Now owned by the Vestcor Family Foundation, the end result will be a new urban charter school called the Jacksonville Classical Academy. With an anticipated fall 2020 opening, eventual plans call for a kindergarten through twelfth grade facility with 1,000 students. In addition, a portion of the former school (closed due to desegregation in 1971) and waste incinerator site will become a new public park and a historic building with ties to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune will be preserved.
50. The 2100 Block Collective Co-LAB
The 2100 Block Collective Co-LAB will occupy a portion of a former paper products manufacturing plant being renovated into the Lemonstreet Brewing Company.
51. 546 Myrtle Avenue
546 Myrtle Avenue is being converted into an indoor soccer training facility. Originally completed in 1950, the 13,000 square foot building will contain three fields, exercise and locker rooms and a clubhouse area.
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Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Davis is a certified senior planner and graduate of Florida A&M University. He is the author of the award winning books “Reclaiming Jacksonville,” “Cohen Brothers: The Big Store” and “Images of Modern America: Jacksonville.” Davis has served with various organizations committed to improving urban communities, including the American Planning Association and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. A 2013 Next City Vanguard, Davis is the co-founder of Metro Jacksonville.com and ModernCities.com — two websites dedicated to promoting fiscally sustainable communities — and Transform Jax, a tactical urbanist group. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com