The Brooklyn boom: What's underway in the Downtown community

More than $269 million in projects are underway or planned.


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  • | 5:20 a.m. November 29, 2019
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A rendering of the new FIS headquarters.
A rendering of the new FIS headquarters.
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The Brooklyn area Downtown is in the midst of a boom.

More than $269 million in projects are underway or planned in the neighborhood along Riverside Avenue and the St. Johns River.

Projects include a Residence Inn hotel; Brooklyn Place, next to the Brooklyn Station shopping center; a parking garage for Florida Blue; and the Vista Brooklyn and Lofts at Brooklyn apartment communities.

The largest project is the most expensive, the  $145 million world headquarters for Fidelity National Information Services Inc.

The  Florida Blue surface parking lot that will become the FIS headquarters.
The Florida Blue surface parking lot that will become the FIS headquarters.

New FIS headquarters

FIS announced in October it will build a $145 million, 12-story, 300,000-square-foot world headquarters at 323 Riverside Ave.

The site is a former Florida Blue surface parking lot.

FIS will receive $29.9 million in city and state incentives and hire an additional 500 workers by 2029.

The Florida Blue parking garage site.
The Florida Blue parking garage site.
The Florida Blue parking garage
The Florida Blue parking garage

Florida Blue Parking Garage

Florida Blue will build a $22.5 million parking garage at Magnolia, Forest and Park streets.

The four-story garage will have 869 spaces and include food truck areas, two public parklike spaces and room to build-out future retail. The garage will make available a surface parking lot on Riverside Avenue for development of the new FIS headquarters.

Florida Blue’s parent company, GuideWell Inc., also is preparing to add 500 contract and 250 full-time jobs to its Riverside Avenue offices, bringing its total Downtown workforce to 1,750.

A retention pond at the site of the garage has been filled in by the city.

Construction is expected to begin by Jan. 9 and be completed by Sept. 9.

Brooklyn Place is under construction along Riverside Avenue.
Brooklyn Place is under construction along Riverside Avenue.
Brooklyn Place
Brooklyn Place

Brooklyn Place

The $1.78 million Brooklyn Place shopping center is rising at 50 Riverside Ave. next door to Brooklyn Station.

Restaurants Panera Bread, Chipotle and Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi will lease space in the building.

The Ferber Co., which is developing the site, says construction should be completed for tenant openings by summer.

Vista Brooklyn
Vista Brooklyn
Vista Brooklyn along Riverside Avenue.
Vista Brooklyn along Riverside Avenue.

Vista Brooklyn

Bristol Development Group LLC and Hallmark Partners Inc. are developing the more than $60 million, 10-story, 308-unit tower at 200 Riverside Ave., between 220 Riverside and the Brooklyn Station on Riverside retail development.

When the developers were issued the construction permit in November 2018, they said construction was expected to take about two years. 

The Lofts at Brooklyn
The Lofts at Brooklyn

Lofts at Brooklyn

Vestcor Companies is building a $29 million, five-story, 133-unit apartment building on a 1.16-acre site along Spruce Street between Jackson and Stonewall streets in Brooklyn.

Two building permits for the project were issued Nov. 18.

The Residence Inn
The Residence Inn

Residence Inn

Residence Inn by Marriott is a $10.2 million, 136-room, seven-story hotel on 1.8 acres at 357 Oak St. just west of Unity Plaza. Pinkerton & Law Construction of Orlando Inc. was issued building permits for the project in July.

 

 

 

 

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