The planned closure of the 1904 Music Hall has raised concern that "The Elbow" — the Downtown entertainment district — could be on the downside.
No need to worry, business leaders say.
New businesses have set their sights on The Elbow, and renovation of the historic Florida Theater should provided an added spark, said Katherine Hardwick, vice president of marketing and research for Downtown Vision, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the central city.
“It will be maybe a little quieter than normal over the next couple of months,” Hardwick said. “But the great news is, all of these renovations that Florida Theatre is going to do is going to allow them to come back bigger and brighter than ever. And the owners of 1904 Music Hall are going to reinvent that space with a new concept yet to be announced.”
1904 Music Hall, at 19 N. Ocean St., is a mainstay among the restaurants, breweries and live music venues in the L-shaped entertainment district near Ocean and Bay streets. The business announced Friday that it will close in August as a result of rising costs and lack of ticket sales. Concerts will be consolidated at 1904's sister property, Underbelly, at 113 E. Bay St.
Jason Hunnicutt, owner of 1904 Music Hall, Spliffs Gastropub, Ocean Street Tacos and Underbelly, told WJCT News the 1904 space will come back to life with a new concept focused on food and drinks.
“It'll probably be about a three- to four-month rehab. We're shooting for 2024 opening up fresh,” Hunnicutt said.
Even though his business is going through changes, Hunnicutt is optimistic about the area's future.
“The state of The Elbow is strong,” Hunnicutt said. “There's actually a few other projects I know coming from other businesses next year in The Elbow, so you'll see probably another two or three venues and bars open up. … It’s a good time to be Downtown.”
Hardwick cited Hardwicks Bar, the first LGBTQIA+ bar in Jacksonville in years. Other businesses are in the permitting phase with the city, she said.
The number of visitors to Jacksonville is on the rise, although it has not reached the heights before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hardwick said.
“Over the past 12 months, we've had a million visits to The Elbow, which I think is pretty fantastic,” Hardwick said. “And traffic year over year is up 7%.
"The good news is both in The Elbow and overall in Downtown, traffic has very much returned. Visitor traffic is up to almost pre-pandemic levels.”
