Recent posts

#1

History / Re: 6 buildings Jacksonville s...

Last post by jaxlongtimer - Today at 11:43:35 AM

I was told that they did try to salvage the building for conversion into a library but that the cost ended up being too significant to overcome.

I was wondering if the library could go somewhere else and this building could be repurposed for something that it would be more feasible for.

#2

Science and Technology / Re: Wordle?

Last post by Charles Hunter - Today at 09:33:05 AM

Wordle 1,865 2/6

🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜  8
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Wordle in 2 x49
Sea of Greens x108



Connections
Puzzle #1143
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟨🟦🟦
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨



Strands #877
"Leave nothing out"
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵



PIPS
Pips #345 Easy 🟢
0:28

Pips #345 Medium 🟡
2:10

#3

Riverside/Avondale / Re: Five Points: First Ben and...

Last post by jcjohnpaint - Today at 07:27:41 AM

Yep, MH for sure. Lots of new stuff popping up every week.

#4

History / Re: 6 buildings Jacksonville s...

Last post by thelakelander - Today at 06:37:47 AM

I was told that they did try to salvage the building for conversion into a library but that the cost ended up being too significant to overcome.

#5

History / Re: 6 buildings Jacksonville s...

Last post by jaxlongtimer - Today at 12:41:04 AM

I don't know if this school building has special meaning (hard to believe it doesn't given how many may have attended school there) to anyone, but it was built in 1915 and looks, based on the picture, to be salvageable, even in excellent shape from the outside.  That said, the City is demolishing it for a new library.  One by one, this is how historic buildings disappear.  I get the need for a new library in this area, but is this really the only option?

#6

Science and Technology / Re: Wordle?

Last post by jaxlongtimer - Today at 12:04:23 AM

Wordle 1,864 4/6

⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Connections
Puzzle #1142 - Just in time! Had trouble sorting blue and purples.
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟪🟪
🟦🟪🟪🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦

Strands #876
"Let the journey begin"
🟡🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🔵

Pips #344 Easy 🟢
0:27
Pips #344 Medium 🟡
2:01
Hard - timed out but I was running at least 30 minutes, including a bathroom break, before the clock struck midnight!

🙂 Daily Quordle 1645 - Total = 29
8️⃣9️⃣
5️⃣7️⃣
m-w.com/games/quordle/

#7

Downtown / Re: Bellwether Closing

Last post by acme54321 - Yesterday at 10:16:23 PM

I'm confused... Bellwether with a speakeasy sushi room?  Seems odd.

#8

Downtown / Re: Bellwether Closing

Last post by MakeDTjaxGre@tAgain - Yesterday at 08:49:56 PM

Not so fast. This is good news.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2026/07/27/pearl-hospitality-group-will-revive-bellwether.html?csrc=6398&link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6a67cc7ced7387000131a93d

After a recent closure, one of Jacksonville's best-received restaurants is coming back with a new ownership group.
Pearl Hospitality Group announced Monday that it will reopen Bellwether — while adding some twists.

According to a release, the revised Bellwether will introduce a refreshed menu, a planned expansion of the restaurant's daypart program and a "renewed focus on the warmth, generosity and community connection that defined Bellwether for nearly a decade."

One of the most significant additions will be the debut of the Temaki Room, a speakeasy hand-roll bar concept developed by Pearl Hospitality Group's Norikase team.

Bellwether opened in 2017 and closed in March 2026. Jon Insetta, the founder of Black Sheep Restaurant Group and creator of Bellwether, told the Business Journal in March that he was impressed with what the team built and disappointed that the financials just didn't add up to success.

"Like pioneers, you don't always make it through the end," Insetta said. "You don't always get to be there when things turn around. But I do believe the work we put in has contributed to this moment that's coming for downtown."

Pearl Hospitality Group intends to honor that history while introducing the restaurant to an even broader audience.

Rather than reinventing what made Bellwether special, the release says the team is focused on strengthening it.

The dining room created by Insetta and designed by Design Cooperative will be preserved, honoring the choices and atmosphere that gave the restaurant its identity. The menu will pay tribute to Bellwether classics while adding new dishes reflecting Pearl's culinary point of view.

Breakfast and a broader lunch program are also planned as the restaurant's next chapter develops.

"Bellwether was never just a restaurant to me," Insetta said in the release. "It was my second chance at downtown. I'm proud of what we built at 117 W. Forsyth, and even prouder that it gets to keep going."

New life for a beloved brand

When Bellwether closed the 117 W. Forsyth St. location, the loss was felt well beyond its walls, Pearl Hospitality Group said. It approached the rejuvenation project with the idea that such a well-built restaurant should not be erased.

That meant walking the venue with Insetta, understanding what worked and what he had learned over nine years and building the next chapter on top of that foundation. It also meant respecting the original design work of Design Cooperative instead of replacing it for the sake of change.

According to Pearl Hospitality Group, Bellwether transition would not be possible without the support of Eddie Farah and Chuck Farah of Farah & Farah, the landlords at 117 W. Forsyth and longtime advocates for downtown. Their support helped create a path for Bellwether to return under its original name while making room for a new Asian dining experience.

Ownership brings experience

Pearl Hospitality Group knows about revitalizing established restaurants, including Izakaya Ko and Purple Roots. The approach, according to the group, is consistent: Respect the identity guests already have with a place, strengthen the operation and hospitality around it, and grow deliberately rather than reinventing what people already love.

"Bellwether represents the kind of growth we believe in: preserve what already has meaning, then build a stronger and more versatile business around it," said Raymond De Padua, partner at Pearl Hospitality Group. "Expanded dayparts and the Temaki Room create more reasons for downtown to gather under one roof."

As part of the new Bellwether experience, the Temaki Room will offer a chef-driven counter experience centered on temaki, sashimi and a curated selection of Japanese pours. The room is designed as a discovery — a quieter, more intimate destination for guests seeking a different kind of night out under the same roof.

"Our focus is the daily execution — supporting the team, refining the menu and service, and creating consistency across every daypart," said Jeremiah Carolino, Pearl Hospitality Group partner. "Guests should recognize the Bellwether they loved while feeling a renewed level of hospitality."

In addition to the breakfast program, Bellwether's expanded lunch will introduce faster, more accessible options alongside the sit-down menu. Details and timing for those expanded dayparts will be announced as operating plans are finalized.

A soft opening is expected to be announced within six months.

#9

Downtown / 2 tenants advance to fill Vist...

Last post by thelakelander - Yesterday at 07:32:39 PM

Vista Brooklyn's two new tenants that will boost its retail occupancy to 100% are closer to opening.

The city issued a permit July 27 for Skyline Construction Inc. of Jacksonville to build out 1,205 square feet of space for The Vital Stretch at a project cost of $225,000.

Vista Brooklyn is at 200 Riverside Ave. The Vital Stretch is in Unit 7.

In Unit 1, the city is reviewing a build-out permit application for the "Brooklyn Pizza Bar" in 1,714 square feet of space at an estimated project cost of $100,000. Premier American Construction Inc. of Middleburg is listed as the contractor.

Property manager NAI Hallmark announced in March that Brooklyn Pizza and The Vital Stretch are expected to open this year at Vista Brooklyn, bringing retail space at the mixed-use center in Downtown Jacksonville to full occupancy.

Brooklyn Pizza and The Vital Stretch will join Degree Wellness, The Greenhouse Bar and NAI Hallmark in the ground-floor commercial space.

Full article: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/jul/27/2-tenants-advance-to-fill-vista-brooklyns-retail-space/

#10

Riverside/Avondale / Re: Five Points: First Ben and...

Last post by Aristocles - Yesterday at 06:31:35 PM

That's just what I was thinking - Edgewood Ave in MH.