Brewery and Restraunt Proposed for Brooklyn

[edjax]

Just read an article on Daily Record that a new brewery and restaurant is proposed for Brooklyn.  The brewery would be located in a vacant church at the corner of Spruce St and  Dora St.  it would also include a beer garden.  A 5000 square foot restaurant would be built next to the brewery on Dora down at Chelsea. 

[lastdaysoffla]

Not sure how I feel about his one. I love the idea of re-purposing the church. There would be parking issues I assume with 200+ capacity. I would hope the developers would respect the historical site near by; the last Buffalo Soldier's house is on the same block. Although, I don't think that a designated historical building, sadly.

I hate to bring up ancient history, but this rings pretty true to my thread on Brooklyn 'gentrification'. This project would appeal mostly to the Riverside/Avondale set more than the west-side of Park Street locals. I can't help but wonder how many 220 Riverside/Brooklyn Riverside residents would be willing to walk to and from the brewery instead of driving. 

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,27493.msg450238.html#msg450238

Either way, a great idea and would be a catalyst for further development on the west side of Park. Interesting to read that this company holds 11 acres on the west side of park, I wonder what their other parcels are.

[benfranklinbof]

Woo!

I saw a church in Charleston that was converted into a restaurant and it looked amazing!

[Jim]

Either way, a great idea and would be a catalyst for further development on the west side of Park. Interesting to read that this company holds 11 acres on the west side of park, I wonder what their other parcels are.

11 acres is 4 full blocks back there.  That's probably half of the privately owned land west of Park.

[thelakelander]

There's not much of old Brooklyn left back there. There's probably less than 10 residential structures still standing that date back before 1950 on that side of Park now.

[Tacachale]

There's not much of old Brooklyn left back there. There's probably less than 10 residential structures still standing that date back before 1950 on that side of Park now.

Yeah. I think there's something to be said about checking the negative side of gentrification, but not here. "Old Brooklyn" is already gone, and even that's not the whole story. Brooklyn has really been in flux ever since it was turned from a plantation into a neighborhood. It's never been the same for more than two or three decades at a clip.

[thelakelander]

To be fair, a good chunk of Brooklyn has disappeared in the last five to ten years. The before and after is captured in the neighborhood tour articles I've posted here since 2006. It's a classic case of gentrification on a small scale. So much that long time residents on Myrtle in New Town and Durkeeville are worried about their own neighborhood as redevelopment moves that way. I'm personally worried that the last freedman's cottage from the 1860s will be lost, considering two others west of Park were razed in the last year or two. Revitalization without displacement will be an issue Jax will face, similiar to what our peer cities continue to struggle to deal with.

[lastdaysoffla]

To be fair, a good chunk of Brooklyn has disappeared in the last five to ten years. The before and after is captured in the neighborhood tour articles I've posted here since 2006. It's a classic case of gentrification on a small scale. So much that long time residents on Myrtle in New Town and Durkeeville are worried about their own neighborhood as redevelopment moves that way. I'm personally worried that the last freedman's cottage from the 1860s will be lost, considering two others west of Park were razed in the last year or two. Revitalization without displacement will be an issue Jax will face, similiar to what our peer cities continue to struggle to deal with.

I'm worried about the impact to that structure as well, I looked on Jax GIS and the developer owns everything on the north end of that block including the second lot down from the Freedman's house.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the red arrow points to the lot the Freedman's house sits on.

[ProjectMaximus]

I get the concern but I think this will definitely be a net positive at this point. I'm sure MM remembers this but about 4 years ago we were walking by that church and imagining a hipster bar/brewery in there.

[thelakelander]

Yes, 328 Chelsea is the last freedmans cottage.  Max, I'm not concerned about the brewery project. It's a cool reuse of one of the few existing structures still standing from the old neighborhood. Brooklyn's chances at preserving what was left of the west side died when it failed to become a historic district. Most of what was around then has since been taken down. However, given it's age and historical significance, the freedmans cottage should be restored and preserved, IMO. One of my major initiatives in 2018 is to expose what's left of Jax's black history. I'll be working with the TU and UNF on this. Stay tuned ;-)

[thelakelander]

By my count, I think there's 8 buildings left west of Park Street that would have been considered historically significant as a part of the failed effort to create a small historic district in Brooklyn back in 2013. The proposed brewery, the freedman's cottage, residences and other church on Chelsea makes up most of it now.



Here's a few buildings west of Park from my 2009 neighborhood photo tour that have been demolished.













http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-sep-jacksonvilles-next-historic-district-brooklyn/page/1

[MusicMan]

" I'm sure MM remembers this but about 4 years ago we were walking by that church and imagining a hipster bar/brewery in there."

I most certainly do. I've peeked inside once or twice, it's a huge space. And I do love the "idea" of it's reuse, but I'm not 100% convinced it will be a winner (like I am about, say, Ninth and Main in Springfield). 

Unless I am mistaken they are asking $1.2 million for the last remaining large parcel over there off Riverside and across from the Y.  That seems very reasonable and i am surprised no one has picked it up yet.   I think it's a critical piece of the puzzle for redevelopment of that area, and for the Church and it's surrounding area to be successful.

[thelakelander]

I don't think the development of the YMCA site will make or break projects happening on or a block away from the Park St corridor. Especially a brewery. Craft breweries are a use that can excel in places like Brooklyn and suburban industrial parks. If anything, they become more of a regional draw that can lead to sites like the YMCA finally getting developed.

[jaxnyc79]

The sidewalks and curbsides in those pics are in very bad shape.  If I'm considering small-scale urban renewal projects in Jax, I'd worry that the City doesn't do a good job with the basics of day-to-day upkeep. 

[avonjax]

328 Chelsea should be saved. Period. No question the area could be developed and include this site in the scheme of things. Love the proposal for the reuse of the Church. I think it will be successful.