Development in West Jacksonville
A publicly traded developer specializing in single-family communities is bringing another project to Jacksonville, this time on the Westside.
Forestar Group submitted site plans to the City of Jacksonville on Wednesday for Cedar River Station, a 182-unit townhome community planned for Lane and Lenox Avenues. This marks the developer’s second proposed project in Jacksonville in the past eight months, expanding its presence in Northeast Florida.
Previously, on June 13, Forestar submitted plans for Francis Pointe, an 88-unit townhome development off Francis Road and West Edgewood Avenue in northwest Jacksonville.
The Cedar River Station development will cover 14 acres and feature 25 buildings, each containing between four and eight residential units. The breakdown includes one four-unit building, seven six-unit buildings, and 17 eight-unit buildings.
The land for the project is currently owned by IPS Enterprises Inc., a corporation affiliated with IDEA Public Schools. IDEA, a Texas-based network of free public charter schools, has multiple locations in Florida. In 2023, the organization secured a permit for a $6.5 million conversion of an office building at 4949 Blanding Blvd. into a school.
Forestar operates in 62 markets across 24 states. D.R. Horton, which acquired a majority stake in Forestar in 2017, serves as the project’s builder. The developer has also completed Bridgewater and SilverLeaf Waterford Lakes in St. Augustine.
Adkinson Engineering is the listed engineer for Cedar River Station and is also handling work for Francis Pointe.
Information from: https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2025/02/21/forestar-cedar-river-station-townhome-plans.html
Food Hall Development Making a Comeback
Four years ago, an empty lot across from Strings Sports Brewery was set to become a food hall and entertainment venue. Now, that vision may be making a comeback.
Plans have been submitted for a 1.2-acre property at 1819 N. Main St. in Springfield, just north of downtown. The proposed development includes a 150-seat beer garden, food court, play area, and dining and entertainment spaces. The civil plans were submitted by DAI Commercial, a Savannah-based group.
This isn’t the first attempt to develop the site. Entrepreneur Evan Metz previously launched a project called Alberi, which had a soft opening in 2020 with food vendors and live music. Metz planned to fully open in early 2021 and had ambitious ideas, including incorporating a boat, a plane, and a vehicle as bar spaces. However, by March 2021, he was still working through city permits and financing. He did not respond to requests for comment.
In June, Duval Land Partners LLC, affiliated with DAI Commercial, purchased the property for $2 million from Up-Side Management Company. In 2023, Up-Side Management had sought zoning changes to allow the sale and service of alcoholic beverages on- and off-site. The company had owned the property since 2018.
DAI Commercial specializes in commercial real estate development, brokerage, and management. The firm has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
According to plans by Ava Engineers Inc., the development will feature a 2,866-square-foot food court with five vendor spaces, a 2,733-square-foot covered dining and entertainment area, a 166-square-foot bar, a 533-square-foot shop and wine bar, and an open green space with a beer garden.
While the ownership and developers have changed over the years, the core idea of transforming the space into a food and entertainment destination has remained.
As of Thursday, the civil plans were still awaiting payment, and no permits have been issued for 1819 or 1839 N. Main St., both of which have been linked to the project.
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