The Southbank will be the site for Jacksonville’s first AC Hotel by Marriott.
Announced Monday, the hotel will be part of The District project, which will be built on the site of the former JEA Southside Generating Station that was demolished more than a decade ago next to the Duval County Public Schools district headquarters.
“The ethos of the AC Hotels by Marriott brand aligns perfectly with our vision for The District,” said Peter Rummell, developer of The District project along with partner Michael Munz in an email to WJCT News.
The AC Hotel by Marriott brand is expanding rapidly. The concept will also be rolling out in Gainesville early next year. There are also two AC Hotels by Marriott in the Miami area.
Although this will be the first AC Hotel by Marriott on the First Coast, the brand has been around since 1998, when it was created by hotelier Antonio Catalan. In 2011 Marriott International and AC Hotels formed a joint venture and launched AC Hotels by Marriott globally.
Jacksonville’s AC Hotel by Mariott will be approximately 70,000 square feet with up to 200 guest rooms, and feature a variety of public spaces including a lounge, restaurant, fitness center, retail outlet and work spaces.
Impact Properties, which is based in Tampa, will develop, own and manage the hotel.
“Partnering with Marriott on this project will enable us to deliver a truly unique guest experience for visitors and residents of downtown Jacksonville alike," said Kish Kanji, Executive VP of Impact Properties.
Currently there are about 100 AC Hotels by Marriott across Europe and North and South America.
The terms of the deal and an expected opening date haven’t been disclosed but site work on The District is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2018. The hotel is currently in the design phase and will occupy site 7A in The District's master plan.
The scope of the overall District project is massive, with The District's development rights allowing 1,170 residential units, 200 hotel rooms, 288,500 square feet of retail/commercial space and 200,000 square feet of offices, plus a 125-slip marina.
Rummell has previously said he expects to appeal to a wider demographic by offering a range of options, from $500-600 a month apartments to $1 million penthouse condos.
The District is planned to revolve around a healthy lifestyle that will include the “Base Camp.” It will incorporate services from yoga classes and personal health counseling to community gardening and a health concierge.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
