Berkman II developer is mum on its future

[thelakelander]

It’s been almost three years since work came to a sudden halt on the Berkman II condominium tower downtown on Bay Street. It still stands gaping and incomplete, and apparently there’s nothing the city can do about it.

Ron Barton, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, said that by state law, the developer still has an active building permit for the construction that was stopped in December 2007 when an adjacent garage collapsed.

“We’d love for it to be built,” Barton said. “But it’s a private matter. The city is not involved in any way. You can’t make them demolish it and you can’t make them finish it.”

Barton said his office has been in discussions with the property owners to clean up the ground-level debris around the building. But he also said that he hasn’t heard from the developer, Harbor Companies, in several months.

“We’ve got a phone call into them,” he said.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-08-29/story/works-progress-berkman-ii-developer-mum-its-future

[buckethead]

ANd yet private citizens owning historic springfield homes are routinely seeing their structures demolished.

The city has no authority to act? Balderdash.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Wow you cant make them finish it or demolish it, whats wrong with that picture.

[Captain Zissou]

There is NOTHING the city can do??  I'm sure the city has hassled or bullied countless builders with an 'active building permit'.  Why can't they do that here??  Are they scared or dos a GOB have a stake in the property?

[Bativac]

There is NOTHING the city can do??  I'm sure the city has hassled or bullied countless builders with an 'active building permit'.  Why can't they do that here??  Are they scared or dos a GOB have a stake in the property?

I think you hit the nail on the head there. Must be that Good Ol' Boy network at it again. I don't think the city should be involved in the tearing down of private property, but if they can do it in Springfield, surely they can do it to a far more visible black eye on the Downtown skyline.

The only difference between this and the Park View Inn is that this is NEW blight.

[buckethead]

How long before the permit is not valid. I believe there are time limits on construction permits.

[Seraphs]

Come on there has to be a loophole somewhere.  This could become an attractive nuisance.  If kids start hanging out here and someone gets hurt, eventually, this limbo status will end. 

[duvaldude08]

I dont care what happens, either finish it or demolish it and clean up the grounds and put a park there or something. Im just sick of looking at it......

[Coolyfett]

Wow you cant make them finish it or demolish it, whats wrong with that picture.

I had to read that line twice....thats some real backward stuff right there. Someone needs to feel the pressure but who? Has it been almost 3 years since that man was killed in there? And they wont even finish the job? Can the mans family get a finished unit? Im just saying....

[CS Foltz]

Wow you cant make them finish it or demolish it, whats wrong with that picture.

I had to read that line twice....thats some real backward stuff right there. Someone needs to feel the pressure but who? Has it been almost 3 years since that man was killed in there? And they wont even finish the job? Can the mans family get a finished unit? Im just saying....

What is the OCG doing? It would seem to me that there is a time limit on any permitted work and if they refuse to finish the job, the City needs to step up, tear it down and bill the developer! IMHO! A few shape charges at the correct points and down it would come............so whats the big deal?

[tufsu1]

folks it is really simple...the City doesn't own the property....unless it is physically dangerous, demolition is out of the question

[904Scars]

Just spoke with a close friend last night who works on some downtown development projects, I ran this subject past him and even though he or his company have nothing to do with it, he said the building is a fairly common topic on the lips of developers. Apparently a lot of developers aren't too happy about it.

[arteest]

folks it is really simple...the City doesn't own the property....unless it is physically dangerous, demolition is out of the question

it's an abandoned building site. of course it's dangerous. demo it before the football seasons starts so we don't look like fools when the rest of the country's watching for that one game that's not blacked out.

[904Scars]

folks it is really simple...the City doesn't own the property....unless it is physically dangerous, demolition is out of the question

it's an abandoned building site. of course it's dangerous. demo it before the football seasons starts so we don't look like fools when the rest of the country's watching for that one game that's not blacked out.

Not really sure anyone is watching the game is as much concerned about the incomplete building on the riverbank, unless these out-of-towners are watching every Jag game and start noticing the lack of progress throughout the season...

This point does however lead me to wonder if any other larger citys are in this same boat with unfinished development issues? And what are they doing, if anything?

[reednavy]

I do know Las Vegas has a incomplete condominium tower adjacent to the Palazzo/Venetian resort, directly on the Strip!