Jacksonville Daily Record 7/20/18

Page 1

FRIDAY July 20, 2018

PUBLIC

jaxdailyrecord.com • 35 cents

LEGAL NOTICES BEGIN ON PAGE 3

Daily Record JACKSONVILLE

Big plans for Berkman Plaza II

Daily Record JACKSONVILLE

Buyer envisions 312-room hotel, water and amusement park. BY JAY SCHLICHTER ASSOCIATE EDITOR

the developer but said he is working with a partner in Iowa. He estimates the project investment to be about $150 million and will take 18 months to complete. Ohde said 900 employees will be required to operate the resort year-round. The initial phases of cleaning and preparing the property for construction could start as early as next week, he said. Unfinished since 2007, the 18-story condominium tower was designed to reach 23 floors. Ohde said it has not been determined whether to complete those floors. Atlanta-based Choate Construction Co. is financing the deal with 500 East Bay with a $3.25 million mortgage. Odhe said he and others will be able to disclose more in the coming weeks after the final commitment paperwork has been filed. “This is definitely going to be a go-to destination,” Odhe

C Daily Record h o a te Construction Co. sold the vacant and unfinished Berkman Plaza II Downtown for $4.75 million Monday to 500 East Bay LLC. Registered agent Robert Odhe, listed at an address in Daytona Beach, said 500 East Bay LLC’s plans are to convert the 2-acre Northbank riverfront site into a 312-room hotel, an amusement and water park, bars, restaurants and parking. “It will have a family entertainment center with a water park and amusement rides,” said Odhe, whose company has been brought on as the general contractor. “The amusement park will be like a Dave & Buster’s on steroids,” he said. The LLC is based in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and registered with the state Feb. 26. Ohde declined to identify

JACKSONVILLE

Daily Record JACKSONVILLE

The Berkman Plaza II at 500 E. Bay St.

Photo by Karen Brune Mathis

Berkman Plaza II Location: 500 E. Bay St. Description: • 312-room hotel • Water park • Amusement park • Several restaurants • Couple of bars

SEE BERKMAN, PAGE 2

• 900 year-round employees • Parking lot Acreage: 2 acres Built: 2006 Seller: Choate Construction Co., Atlanta Buyer: 500 East Bay LLC, Rhinelander, Wisconsin

Deed price: $4.75 million Mortgage: $3.25 million Mortgage holder: Choate Construction Co. Development cost: $150 million

THE MATHIS REPORT

Two Dudes Seafood Restaurant taking over Il Desco site It will be the third location for the fresh seafood “super casual” restaurant concept.

KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR

Two Dudes Seafood Restaurant operators and owners Tom and Jennifer Corsano intend to open their third location late this summer when they take over the former Il Desco space in Riverside. Corsano considers the Park and King street corner area a “cool little district” for their casual sea-

food restaurant concept that lists its fresh catches daily on a large central chalkboard. The 2665 Park St. location served as a former longtime drugstore before conversion into Pele’s Wood Fired Grill in 2012 and then the Il Desco Italian restaurant in November 2015. It closed in January. It will be the third Two Dudes location for the Corsanos, who are seasoned owners and opera-

tors with years of experience in the area’s fine-dining industry. The Corsanos took over the original Two Dudes restaurant in Atlantic Beach in April 2014 and opened the second a year ago in Ponte Vedra Beach. Their strategy includes taking over second-generation space. “We don’t have millions of dollars in our back pocket to build something from the ground up, so we just stick with you serve the

best food possible and give good service,” Corsano said. “We’ve been rolling with that model for many years.” Tom Corsano said the Riverside location will seat 120 patrons, including about 20 at the bar. There is private dining space available. He expects to open at 11 a.m. daily and will offer Sunday SEE MATHIS, PAGE 2

COMING MONDAY

Small law firm serves small business Plus: Marbut Report, Mathis Report and more VOLUME 105, NO. 173 • ONE SECTION


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