Ahead of its Jan. 31 grand opening and four years after it was announced, Downtown music and dance venue Decca Live held a ceremonial ribbon cutting Jan. 23.
Its owners — Eric Fuller, Evanc “Evan” Rajita, Aleksander Lukaj, and Shawn Rouf — Mayor Donna Deegan and City Council members Kevin Carrico and Raul Arias were among those who celebrated the milestone.
The venue is at 323 E. Bay St., between North Market and North Liberty streets.
It has two stories, with full bars on each. A rooftop bar with a separate entrance is scheduled to open Feb. 14.
The first performer will be Kaskade, an American DJ and electronic dance music artist.
“This is amazing,” Deegan said. “Have you ever seen a space this amazing in Downtown Jacksonville? I feel like I’m in New York City. I just told Councilman Carrico that if you lose track of me at City Hall, you might find me over here.”
Fuller said the building location prompted the Decca Live project.
“The location is obviously perfect. We’re in an entertainment district. We’re steps from the stadium and we have great neighbors,” Fuller said. “And what sealed the deal is obviously the building itself. When we came here and saw the infrastructure and the layout of the building.”
Decca Live is in a brick building constructed in 1904. It was granted Jacksonville landmark status in 2021.
General Manager Brianna Bedia said the building was gutted to make way for $3.31 million in renovations. The Jacksonville City Council voted in July 2022 to approve a $1.53 million incentives package to help cover costs.
The Daily Record reported in 2023 the money will be awarded through the Downtown Investment Authority and the city’s Downtown Preservation and Revitalization Program.
JAA Architecture is the architect. Moyano Productions is the interior designer. Collyns Stenzel of Collyns Design Inc. is the production and stage designer.
Fuller said the owners bought the building two weeks after the start of the pandemic, which led to supply shortages and construction delays, but they remained confident the project would succeed.
The owners paid $1.4 million for the property through 323 E Bay Street RE LLC in January 2021.
“We’re the type of guys that, whenever we are faced with adversity, we just figure it out,” he said. “We had everything thrown at us. We had COVID — you know what happened there. Fortunately, Jacksonville wasn’t too bad, but our suppliers were affected. It was a learning experience.”
Fuller said each of the partners has owned businesses across Florida, but Decca Live is their first joint venture.
Fuller lives in Orlando but studied at the University of North Florida. Rajita and Lukaj are based in Jacksonville. Rouf, born in Jacksonville, lives in Houston.
“We all have a history and a tie to the city,” Fuller said. “I just want to thank all of the staff and our family and friends and everyone who has supported us. I especially want to thank the city and the DIA for helping us get across the finish line.”
