Six applicants made oral presentations Jan. 5 to the Downtown Investment Authority Review Committee for their suggestions for The Ford on Bay property at 330 E. Bay St.
The proposals including apartments, retail space, restaurants, artwork and hotels, including a Reverb by Hard Rock, which calls itself “Hard Rock Hotel’s affordably cool and contemporary hotel connecting today’s traveler though music, local culture and events.”
Mid-America Apartments L.P., Related Development, Silver Hills Development Inc., SouthEast Development Group LLC, VanTrust Real Estate and Carter had an hour each for their presentations starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Ed Ball Building Downtown.
They responded to the DIA’s notice of disposition for vacant city property at 330 E. Bay St. along the Northbank Riverfront. The cleared site was the former Duval County Courthouse property.
The developers intended to show the committee how their proposals meet the “City’s vision of increased activation” on 2.4 acres of the urban core through design, increased density and a mix of uses that will draw people downtown.
Each applicant had 30 minutes to present their views followed by 30 minutes for questions from the DIA Review Committee, comprising Lori Boyer, DIA CEO; Stephanie Burch, city deputy chief administrative officer; and DIA members James Citrano Jr., who is senior vice president of Seacoast Bank, and Carol Worsham, retired managing principal of HDR Engineering.
The DIA Review Committee will make recommendations Jan. 18. DIA plans to select the winning mixed-use project Jan. 19.
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