Coming Soon: The Bridge

Pier 17 in 2010.

The Ortega River is the recreational boating center of Northeast Florida. Along Lake Shore Boulevard and Lakeside Drive are several marinas, boat repair shops, yacht sales and similar marine oriented businesses forming a unique waterfront environment in urban Jacksonville which is known as "Marina Mile."

It's also home to a pretty interesting adaptive reuse project known as The Bridge. Designed by Office of Architecture (OAD), The Bridge is a transformation of the old Pier 17 building at 4619 Roosevelt Blvd, into a mix of retail and restaurant spaces, adding new flavor to the Marina Mile scene.

The 17,489 square foot building will include 7,023 square feet of rental units, a 4,371 square foot restaurant and 2,491 square feet of amenities. Amenities will include gallery, lounge and cafe space.  In addition, a 532 square foot covered outdoor patio will be built along the Ortega River. Furthermore, the project contains space for an outdoor rooftop restaurant overlooking Marina Mile's working waterfront scene.

Featuring new roll-up storefronts, exterior construction is already underway and the final phase of construction is expected to begin within the next month or so. As redevelopment comes to Marina Mile, one can only wonder what the waterfront's future can become with a bit of actual urban planning?

Here's a look at The Bridge. Let us know what you think about this project and your suggestions for what you think Marina Mile can become!



Renderings of The Bridge




Proposed Floor Plan







Update by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com