WEDNESDAY July 25, 2018
Public legal notices begin on page 3
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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
THE MATHIS REPORT
Metro Square office park along Philips in foreclosure
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
Former Southbank Morton’s to become a women’s clinic
Property will be auctioned off Aug. 30.
Daily Record Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
BY JAY SCHLICHTER
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
JACKSONVILLE
Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
The closed Morton’s The Steakhouse on the Southbank will be converted for Faben Obstetrics and Gynecology.
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Group led by Faben Obstetrics and Gynecology buys property for $1.71M.
Closed since 2012, the former Morton’s The Steakhouse building on the Southbank was sold Wednesday to a group led by the CEO of Faben Obstetrics and Gynecology. Arztpraxis LLC, based at Faben’s office and led by Brian Thorn, paid $1.71 million for the property, including a parking lot, according to a deed recorded Friday with the Duval County Clerk of Courts. Mel Valiquett, a partner with Jacksonvillebased Murphy Land and Retail Services Inc., said he represented the seller, Landry’s Restaurants. Morton’s is a Landry’s brand. Valiquett said Faben will renovate the building this fall into a women’s clinic associated with Baptist Health. Compass Bank issued a $2.8 million mortgage. The city is reviewing a building permit application for a $1.18 million build-out of the property at 1510 Riverplace Blvd. for Faben.
Dav-Lin Interior Contractors is the contractor. The roughly 8,000-square-foot restaurant was built in 2000 on 1.5 acres, including the parking lot. Morton’s The Steakhouse closed there in early 2012. The restaurant returned Downtown to the Northbank, opening in June 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. The Faben practice has offices at 836 Prudential Drive, Suite 1506, in the Women’s Pavilion in the Baptist Medical Center Downtown Southbank campus and at 4181 Southpoint Drive E., Suite 300, according to Fabenobgyn.com. Florida corporate records show Arztpraxis LLC is based at Faben’s Prudential Drive address. Faben Obstetrics and Gynecology says it is SEE MATHIS, PAGE 2
Metro Square, the large office park along Philips Highway at Emerson Street in Jacksonville, is being foreclosed on and will be sold to the highest cash bidder Aug. 30. According to Duval County Circuit Court filings, co-defendants Metro Park Holdings LLC, Hart Advisors Group LLC, Michael Fischer and unknown tenants failed to make payments on a $48 million mortgage, secured in 2007. Court documents show the loan’s maturity date of March 11, 2017, passed without being paid off. As of May, the claim increased to $57 million due to the full unpaid principal of $48 million, accrued and default interest, late fees, attorney’s fees and other associated costs. On July 12, Duval County Deputy Clerk Jordan Burge filed a notice that the seven buildings, totaling about 375,000 square feet on four parcels, will be sold on the county’s foreclosure website – duval.realforeclose.com – at 11 a.m. Aug. 30. The property, at 3563 Philips Highway, has a varied history. The land was developed and opened for business in November 1960 as Philips Highway Plaza. It was renamed several times, taking on the monikers Philips Mall and Market Square Mall. The enclosed shopping mall featured Montgomery Ward and Woolworth’s. Current tenants include office users, an ice rink, a climbing gym, a nondenominational church and more. SEE METRO SQUARE, PAGE 2
COMING THURSDAY
Analyst sees more potential gains for CSX Plus: Cawton Report, Mathis Report and more. VOLUME 105, NO. 176 • ONE SECTION