Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown joined other local dignitaries Wednesday afternoon to break ground on the new Shoppes on Riverside in the city's Brooklyn neighborhood.
The new $14.7 million, 50,000-square-foot project will serve include Northeast Florida's first Corner Bakery Cafe and a Fresh Market grocery store.
It will be the first new downtown grocery store in generation and the first ever specialty grocer in the city's urban core.
Mayor Brown said the new development, located right next door to the 220 Riverside residential and retail project, will bring more people in to the downtown area.
"Because the city should be a walkable, liveable city so be able to live downtown (in) nice apartments, walk across the street to go work and then walk to a grocery store and go shopping," he said.
Other amenities at the shopping center will include public art and outdoor dining. The project is expected to be completed by October.
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