A look back at the history of the Berkman Plaza II

3 years ago 284

East Bay Street reopens aft being unopen down retired of interest astir Berkman II

2 blocks of Bay Street closed owed to ‘structural concerns’ successful Berkman II demolition

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – East Bay Street has reopened aft being shut down for a time retired of interest astir Berkman Plaza II.

Mayor Lenny Curry sent a tweet connected Twitter connected Saturday night, saying, “Berkman II Update: The concern astatine the demolition tract has been secured and astatine astir 8:30 PM contiguous Bay St. volition reopen& the Riverwalk volition stay closed astatine this time. Contractors, Jax Fire & Jax Sheriff worked diligently contiguous to guarantee this task tin safely continue.”

The update comes aft immoderate were acrophobic astir the integrity of the building.

News4Jax looked backmost astatine however the gathering went from being hotspot for luxury to a failed plan.

Berkman II was expected to beryllium the 2nd beauteous precocious emergence of stream beforehand units on East Bay Street.

But connected Dec. 6, 2007, 23 workers were injured erstwhile the six-floor parking store nether operation astatine the Berkman Plaza Phase 2 Tower collapses. Willie Edwards III, 26, is missing. The begetter of 2 would beryllium recovered dormant successful the aboriginal greeting of Dec. 8 among the rubble. And probe and fines from OSHA followed.

On Feb. 7, 2011, a three-member sheet of arbitrators rules the illness of the Berkman Plaza store was the “direct effect of plan errors” for which Berkman is legally responsible. The sheet besides ordered Berkman to wage Choate Construction, the wide contractor, a multi-million dollar lien, for wrongful termination, aft the store collapse. Since then, determination person been hopes of restoring the gathering oregon starting implicit completely.

Since April 2021, the metropolis has been preparing to demolish the store and 1 level astatine a time.

On July 16, 2021, the demolition began with the High Reach Excavator. The enactment was expected to instrumentality astatine slightest 3 months.

Now, the metropolis is 1 measurement person to demolishing the full building, but structural integrity concerns arose Friday, causing a shutdown of East Bay Street a precautionary step.

The roadworthy was reopened Saturday night, and the deconstruction of what was expected to beryllium a luxury spot to telephone location is coming down.

A reminder, though, that the roadworthy is reopened, the Riverwalk volition beryllium closed adjacent the Berkman II.