The Rise Doro apartments under construction Downtown will be at least partially demolished after a fire gutted the nearly completed building, leaving its walls in danger of collapsing.
The fire struck the building at 960 E. Adams St. south of VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena over the weekend. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighters worked overnight Jan. 28 to bring the flames under control and continued to pour water on the building into the evening of Jan. 29.
No injuries were reported, and the cause is under investigation.
Speaking to reporters before nightfall Jan. 29, Mayor Donna Deegan said a structural analysis of the building showed that the wood-framed portions of it were unstable and would need to be razed as soon as it is safe to do so.
Greg Blais, the president of project developer Rise: A Real Estate Co., said concrete portions of the eight-story building also would be inspected to determine whether they could be salvaged.
Blais said eight residents were due to move in this coming weekend. Construction was expected to be completed in March.
“It’s been a rough day,” he said.
“There are a lot of heartbroken people in the office of Rise. This has been a labor of love since 2019.”
Blais said the property was insured and incoming residents had been offered units in other Rise properties in the Jacksonville area. Rise was based in Valdosta, Georgia, when it launched the Rise Doro project but has since moved its headquarters to Jacksonville.
“We made a commitment to be Downtown,” he said.
“We still have that commitment strong in our hearts. We want to be Downtown to every extent possible.”
Powers said the state of Florida was investigating.
A $65.54 million project
The project is on 1.77 acres where the George Doro Fixture Co. fabricated architectural woodwork, casework and millwork.
The Doro building was demolished and the city issued a construction permit in December 2020 for what was planned to be a $65.64 million apartment project.
“A lot of us grew up with the Doro building right there, and it was a fixture in Jacksonville for so long,” Deegan said in a morning news conference Jan. 29.
“It was something, we were all very much looking forward to a lot of pride in that. Truly this is heartbreaking.”
Through Jacksonville Properties I LLC, Rise was developing the 247-unit, five-story wood-frame project. There also was a seven-level, 284-space parking garage with rooftop amenities.
The Downtown Investment Authority board authorized a 15-year, 65% Recapture Enhanced Value Grant in 2020 for Rise, which anticipated a total project investment of $65.64 million.
Rise was to receive up to a $5.75 million tax incentive for the project.
“There must be insurance involved with it, but I don’t know at this point where it goes from here,” Deegan said when asked about the incentives.
Deegan called the fire a setback for Downtown development.
“It’s extraordinarily disappointing,” she said.
Deegan said she thought about the Berkman Plaza II, the Downtown condominium that was unfinished for more than a decade after construction was halted after a fatal construction accident. The riverfront building was imploded in 2022.
“It was one of the first things that I thought about, once I learned everybody was safe,” she said of the Doro fire.
“We don’t want to see this sit here for a long time and have it not developed.”
She said developers are hopeful “they can continue along with a process of building it back up.”
Deegan said a sprinkler system had been installed in the building but not activated. It was awaiting a pressure test to be performed shortly before the first tenants moved in.
She said roads would be closed near the building. The Jacksonville Icemen minor-league hockey team will play games this week at the VyStar arena, but a parking garage between the arena and Rise Doro will be closed as a safety precaution.
Intuition Ale Works and Manifest Distilling, which are in a building next to Rise Doro to the south, will be closed until the apartment building’s walls can be razed.
The JFRD posted these road closings on social media:
• East Duval Street: Georgia Street to Palmetto Street.
• Adams Street: A. Philip Randolph Boulevard to Lafayette Street.
• A. Philip Randolph Boulevard: Duval Street to Bay Street.
• Gator Bowl Boulevard: Lafayette Street to Georgia Street.
Fire starts over weekend
News4Jax reported that about 11 p.m. Jan. 28, JFRD said the fire was under control. About midnight Jan. 29, the fire appeared to reignite.
Crews initially went inside the building to put the flames out floor by floor, but the building was still under construction, which caused obstacles like the stairwells not being finished.
The fire caused at least one wall to blow out, with debris landing on a nearby fire truck and just missing firefighters.
JFRD Fire Capt. Eric Prosswimmer told News4JAX that no one was inside the building, as far as the department knew.
At least seven JFRD ladder trucks poured up to 5,000 gallons of water per minute on the flames throughout the night and morning.
According to Apartments.com, studio, one- and two-bedroom units at the Doro were shown for lease for $1,475-$3,200 per month.
“Live where the excitement is. Thrive where the opportunity awaits. Find your new apartment home in Downtown Jacksonville next to the most energetic venues and entertainment the city has to offer. RISE Doro is where you want to be,” reads the Rise website describing the community.
That has been updated to a new message:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters, first responders, and their families who have been committed to the safety of our community. We are thankful for their quick and ongoing response to the situation.”
Vic Micolucci and Brianna Andrews of News4Jax contributed to this report.
