05:10 AM EST Share City officials want to get rid of the unfinished riverfront high-rise despite a potential buyer with an active permit to tear it down.
Three out-of-state companies submitted bids as part of the city’s order to demolish the unfinished Berkman Plaza II while a potential developer says his group will buy the site within days.
City Procurement Division officials opened bids April 14 that range from $1.68 million to $2.34 million.
The step shows the city continues to move ahead on its tear-down order for the Downtown structure as it also approved a demolition permit in January for Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization, which wants to buy the site.
Park Beeler, the co-managing member of developer Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization, told a City Council and Downtown Investment Authority joint workshop Feb. 23 that his company intends to buy the unfinished Berkman Plaza II within two weeks and start demolition at the end of March.
Those plans are complicated by a city order to demolish the riverfront structure at 500 E. Bay St.
Beeler said at the workshop that city officials informed Jacksonville Riverfront Revitalization it will not cancel a public demolition order issued in October when the structure was condemned by the Municipal Code Compliance Division.
“I must be very honest with you, this is a situation that is of concern to us because it’s a blight on (the) title,” Beeler said.