Intuition Ale Works Moving Downtown

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

This is a telling comment regarding your view of things, MTrain, so I took the liberty to edit it the way I understood it after reading...

Or are the Eastside non-white folks going to support $5, $6 and $7 pints?

[GatorShane]

I think it is a great addition to the Sports Complex. Another piece of the Bay Street puzzle.

[jaxcpa]

No doubt in my mind that Intuition will be successful downtown. It will be a destination in and of itself and a reason for people to come downtown who otherwise wouldn't. No different than Bold City. The first time I drove to Bold City as I was driving I kept thinking this can't be right, I must've missed a turn.

I don't think foot traffic will be an issue. Between the sports complex and Metro Park, there is literally something going on downtown every weekend in that general area. And I think it will serve as motivation to the other downtown bars to up their game. Specifically those that market themselves as upscale.

[Noone]

I think it is a great addition to the Sports Complex. Another piece of the Bay Street puzzle.

+1

[thunnus]

For the longest time, back in the late 80s, Wynkoop Brewery in Denver was in an area that had little foot traffic and lots of warehouses. It was a destination and over the period of the 90s "LoDo" grew up around it, Coors Field and all.  I'm not saying Hickenlooper and Wynkoop started the cycling of Lower Denver, but they were a major anchor.

[IrvAdams]

For the longest time, back in the late 80s, Wynkoop Brewery in Denver was in an area that had little foot traffic and lots of warehouses. It was a destination and over the period of the 90s "LoDo" grew up around it, Coors Field and all.  I'm not saying Hickenlooper and Wynkoop started the cycling of Lower Denver, but they were a major anchor.

That's a cool area in Denver. Someone was telling me a few years back when I was visiting that the breweries and local pubs were huge in this revitalization.

Let's see the same thing here!

[PeeJayEss]

What if the entire shipyards site gets purchased and developed by that cranky neighbor currently across the street from Intuition? Wouldn't that be juicy! He'll be calling in noise violations on the machinery at Maxwell House.

[MusicMan]

Walked to the Jags game yesterday, and of course went right past the building. Excellent location.

You can't help but notice there is a totally "Dead Zone" on Bay Street the entire block where the Police station and jail are. That is a massive roadblock to ever getting that area really hot. I think it will have to be moved in order to achieve the fullest potential of the Shipyards area. Having the vacant Berkman II directly across the street only exacerbates the problem. I understand there is a plan in place to turn that into a rental building, which would be a big improvement and is much needed downtown.

Can anyone update the progress (or lack of) in getting that project started?

[downtownbrown]

Walked to the Jags game yesterday, and of course went right past the building. Excellent location.

You can't help but notice there is a totally "Dead Zone" on Bay Street the entire block where the Police station and jail are. That is a massive roadblock to ever getting that area really hot. I think it will have to be moved in order to achieve the fullest potential of the Shipyards area. Having the vacant Berkman II directly across the street only exacerbates the problem. I understand there is a plan in place to turn that into a rental building, which would be a big improvement and is much needed downtown.

Can anyone update the progress (or lack of) in getting that project started?

As of about a month ago, City Council has been putting pressure on the DIA, which has been meeting regularly with the contractor and developer. Meanwhile, the Liberty Street hole fix has been stalled because of the moratorium on any budget transfers until next FY budget is settled, which hopefully is about to happen.

[thelakelander]

[tufsu1]

^ from the package sent out ahead of tomorrow's DDRB meeting

[I-10east]

The city gave IAW unanimous approval the move forward with the plans at Bay St.

http://members.jacksonville.com/business/2014-10-02/story/city-board-oks-intuition-ale-works-bay-street-plans

[acme54321]

Intuition Ale Works is a step closer to moving to downtown. Through 929 East Bay Street LLC, Iconic Real Estate Investments paid $2.2 million for the former Noland Building at 929 E. Bay St.

Ben Davis, owner of Intuition, is going to lease 21,000 of the building's 36,000 square feet for a new brewery and taproom with a rooftop beer garden.

He said he hopes to begin construction next month and open in September.

At the corner of Bay and A. Philip Randolph streets, the building is one block from Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena and the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, three blocks from Metropolitan Park and four blocks from EverBank Field.

Farley Grainger of Iconic Real Estate Investments said he is talking to potential tenants about the rest of the space but said he can't say yet who they are.

The building is structurally solid, he said, but he'll be investing in a new sprinkler system, landscaping, parking and a new roof. He expects to have close to $3 million in by the time he's done.

Davis said he has $1.5 million worth of brewing equipment ready to go into the building.

It's been vacant since Noland, a plumbing and air-conditioning products distributor, moved out in 2002. In 2004, a group paid $1.5 million for it with intentions to move the Dalton Agency there. But before they could do that, a South Florida investor offered them $3.25 million for it.

The developer announced plans for a 36-story condo tower, but that fell through and the property was foreclosed. Iconic bought the building from a New York owner.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2015-03-03/story/sale-downtown-jacksonville-building-paves-way-intuition-ale-works-new

[finehoe]

Intuition is going to lease 21,000 of the building's 36,000 square feet

Is anything happening with the other 15,000 sf?

[tufsu1]

^ the owner is actively trying to lease it