St. Mark’s Episcopal girls club wins Lemonade Stand Challenge
In late July, a group of young girls from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church’s Girls Breakfast Club held a successful lemonade stand and bake sale on St. Mark’s campus following church one Sunday. Proceeds benefited Angels for Allison, a local nonprofit dedicated to assisting with funeral expenses and other costs associated with the loss of a […]
School support group gives Stockton Elementary new look inside, out
During the summer while kids were playing with friends and staying up late, the active members of Friends of Stockton were busy working hard to spruce up John N.C. Stockton Elementary School in Ortega Forest. One of the reasons faculty and staff believe Stockton is a great school is the effort the Friends of Stockton […]
Real estate shift coming to historic areas
The face of Jacksonville – especially its historic neighborhoods – will look significantly different in a few years. In the San Marco and Southside areas alone, more than $700 million in mixed-use projects – apartments, townhouses and retail – are expected to be developed. More than 3,000 families are anticipated to move into the Southbank […]
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center’s elaborate, intentional design aesthetic enhances cancer care, treatment for entire region
With great fanfare the new Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center building, which serves as a gateway to San Marco from the north, is now open for business to serve cancer patients and their families. Although the new cancer center first opened its doors to patients Sept. 4, approximately 1,000 community members were able to tour […]
Developers of residential infill projects rise to challenge
With the historic neighborhoods almost at capacity, remaining lots are becoming increasingly scarce – yet the demand to live in these neighborhoods continues to rise. One antidote to the problem is residential infill, but it comes with its own set of challenges. It can be difficult to locate and acquire potential infill property, as owners […]
Downtown at ‘a point of change’ for commercial investments
Oliver Barakat, 48, has been a commercial real estate broker in Jacksonville since the late ‘90s. He specializes in office properties. He helps tenants find the right space and advises them through the entire process from planning and strategy, to negotiating the lease, to the purchase of a building. And he has noticed something new […]
Fishweir Creek restoration project faces several hurdles
Despite support for or grumblings against the Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed aquatic habitat ecosystem restoration project on Fishweir Creek, the project has four hurdles to overcome, each of which could stop it in its tracks. The project goals include restoring the historic estuary to healthy levels which have been reduced by decades of urban […]
DEP satisfied with RiverVue construction site environmental protections
Fairfax Manor residents concerned about silt discharges in Fishweir Creek enlisted the help of the St. Johns Riverkeeper to look into a July 4 incident which they believe came from the construction site at RiverVue, where a 228-unit apartment community is being erected. “You can see white/cream runoff from buildings across creek during July 4th. […]
Real Estate on the Rise
Real estate in the historic districts has always been interesting to watch, as the market trends and indicators seem to both start, and finish, here. From rehabilitation of older homes, to infill projects that replace vacant lots, there’s never a dull moment as smart buys in real estate are always seeking profit margins. The desirable […]
