Downtown loses perhaps it's greatest event space.
Holds a special place in my heart, as I held my wedding reception here:
http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=548335
Here's hoping an upscale, public restaurant, rather than an office, occupies the spot in the future.
Had many great times and meals up there. Watching the fireworks from there was always fun. Sad to see it go.
From the sounds of it, renegotiations for the lease with the new building owner may have fallen apart.
Quote from: KenFSU on September 15, 2016, 08:03:14 AM
Downtown loses perhaps it's greatest event space.
Holds a special place in my heart, as I held my wedding reception here:
http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=548335
Here's hoping an upscale, public restaurant, rather than an office, occupies the spot in the future.
It will become office space....
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=548342
Sad, but at least it's going to be leased and put more bodies downtown. I'm not a huge fan of places the general public can't take advantage of. I'd like to see an open to the public top floor restaurants in Jax though... Now that the one atop BoA is closed, is there anything left?
Hate to see the U Club close. Many fond memories and happy events their over the years. It thrived for many years because it accepted women members when the River Club was male only. Also, the U Club was much less "stuffy" and catered to a younger crowd with lower costs and a more open membership.
I would say a contributing factor to its demise was parking. If you wanted to meet someone there who had to arrive by car, parking in the adjacent garage could easily take 10 minutes as you wound yourself up to the rooftop parking for non-reserved spaces and then had to hunt for one. By contrast, the River Club has decent parking for patrons under its building and its only two levels down and steps to the elevator. Without this amenity, the River Club would likely suffer the same fate as the U Club, even being on the Northbank where there are more people within walking distance.
I had a friend beg the U Club to initiate valet parking, both for convenience and older people (a desirable group of customers for a club like this) who didn't want to/couldn't walk from the garage due to physical limitations and/or weather conditions (people in business suits might not want to brave high humidity and heat as they head to an important meeting over lunch) and/or the extra time to get in and out required. The U Club pursued the idea but I heard Peyton wouldn't allow it due to "liability concerns." My friend finally dropped out of the U Club over it. Don't know if the subject was ever broached with the new landlord. Just amazing how landlords and tenants can't get together for their mutual interests.
Ironic, that with the Southbank poised for its biggest building boom ever, the U Club finally goes kaput. Will miss it.
I heard their lease came up for renewal shortly after the building was sold to this out of town investment group, and the new owners wanted an astronomical rent increase and wouldn't really budge on it.
QuoteI heard their lease came up for renewal shortly after the building was sold to this out of town investment group, and the new owners wanted an astronomical rent increase and wouldn't really budge on it.
When times are good and economics are solid, landlords have the upper hand. Of course its a cycle too, and will come back around.