JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Repairs are underway at the Dillon Parking Garage at Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside campus, with a price tag of $3.75 million. The garage, which is visible from Riverside Avenue, is not the same one that collapsed last year.
The garage that collapsed last September was along King Street – and closer to the St. Johns River.
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Concerned visitors have reported visible cracks in the Dillon garage to News4JAX, prompting questions about its safety. Structural engineers say the cracks, while noticeable, are more of a safety concern than a structural one.
According to city permitting records, the construction firm Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is leading the project. The company is headquartered in Alabama with offices in Jacksonville.
Structural engineer Andres Lopera says the extensive scope of the project likely involves bringing the garage, which was built in 1978, up to current building code standards.
“It could potentially include a complete overhaul of the whole garage, and that’s not just the structural repairs and reinforcements,” Lopera said. “We could be also looking at ADA upgrades for the disabled, elevators, painting, waterproofing, and any aesthetic updates that the owner wishes to do.”
The garage remains open to patients and visitors while the work is being completed. Lopera estimates that the repairs could take one to two years, given the cost of the project.
This repair project follows the collapse of another parking garage near the hospital’s Chartrand Building more than a year ago. That structure remains closed and roped off, with no visible progress on repairs. Lopera says this is likely because investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing.
Lopera believes the collapse of the nearby garage may have triggered inspections and maintenance across the hospital’s parking facilities.
“We’ve seen other garages being inspected around this area, to prevent and help mitigate something like that from happening again,” Lopera said.
The Dillon garage, which supports a helipad, previously underwent repairs in 2023. According to city records, a separate contractor, Weatherproofing Technology Inc., reinforced beams under the helipad as part of that work.
News4JAX has requested site plans and other permit documents from the city to learn more about the nature of the Dillon garage repairs. Ascension St. Vincent’s and Brasfield & Gorrie have not responded to requests for comment.