JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The demolition of the downtown Jacksonville Landing means that the longtime landmark will soon be history. And you can actually own a piece of it.
Eco Relics on Stockton Street in Riverside is selling some remnants of the riverfront mall. Some of the mementos for sale include doors and light fixtures that were once in the Landing. There are ornaments that were all over the Landing during the holidays for a more reasonable price. A Landing parking sign is also available to purchase.
"It's one of those things -- people have an emotional connection to the Landing. It's either love or hate," Annie Murphy, owner of Eco Relics, said Thursday. "We're just doing our job, as Eco Relics is trying to keep stuff out of landfills."
For those who were fans of the Hooters, the restaurant's garage doors and part of the bar are for sale at the shop, as are some of the lights that were outside the restaurant, which cost $275 each.
Eco Relics got permission to go in and remove the items. The store had to pay for them and it is now selling them to shoppers.
Eco Relics said it plans to get more stuff from the Landing as the demolition continues, after the city, which owned the land but not the building, took over the longtime landmark in February as part of a $15 million deal with Sleiman Enterprises.
Meanwhile, a crew on Thursday continued to tear down the Landing, with demolition work focusing on the parts that are along the St. Johns River, such as the Hooters and Chicago Pizza. Those areas will come down first. The last tenant, BBVA Bank, left Friday and the contractor was told the entire structure can now be demolished.
PHOTOS: Jacksonville Landing relics for sale | Demolition underway at the Landing
WATCH: What will replace the Landing?
James Croft, a city spokesman, told News4Jax that the whole project is scheduled to be done by May or June 2020. Though the once-bustling centerpiece filled with shops, restaurants and bars must come down first, News4Jax talked with city leaders about what the future of the site could look like.
Brian Hughes, with the mayor's office, said they are working with the Downtown Investment Authority to get ideas from developers as to what will replace the Landing. The public could see those ideas by spring.
"The real next step is we're going to have a sense of how that footprint can be redeveloped that will open up access to the river from downtown, create a better and higher use of the property -- one that returns property tax and still builds and increases the amount of publicly activated space on the riverfront," Hughes said.
Until that happens, the Landing will join the other sites along the river where city buildings, such as the old City Hall and Duval County Courthouse, once stood. They are now green space, waiting for development, as well.
Repair work along Coastline Drive by the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel to Berkman Plaza continues. The plan is to finish up and open the road in front of the Hyatt around Nov. 15. It's hoped the Riverwalk repairs will done by Dec. 20.
But there is still a dispute over the cost of repairs around Liberty Street and Berkman Plaza. City reports show that work will continue well into next year and may not be complete until a year from now.