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A marina replacement and redevelopment project in Jacksonville, Florida, has received a local permit to proceed, according to Jacksonville Daily Record.
The Jacksonville Shipyards demolition and replacement project carries a $2 million price tag.
According to the permit, the Hal Jones Contractor business unit of Beckley, West Virginia-based Vecellio & Grogan Inc. will undertake the work. The property owner is Four Seasons Hotel and Residences.
Vecellio & Grogan is Vecellio Group and Hal Jones Contractor provides bridge and marine construction services and was founded in 1997 before being acquired by Vecellio Group in 2018.
Vecellio Group says the initial project will entail replacing 850 feet of shoreline bulkhead material and rebuilding the marina.
“The work is part of a larger redevelopment effort in downtown Jacksonville that will include a Four Seasons Hotel and a residential area with single-family homes and townhomes,” the Vecellio Group says.
According to a report from The Jaxon Mag, shipbuilding and repair activity at the Jacksonville Shipyards dates back to the 1850s and the site has been in the hands of several different companies.
“By the early 20th century, the shipyard employed 1,500 and included the largest dry dock on the East Coast between Newport News and New Orleans,” writes author Ennis Davis, who holds a professional city planning designation. “During this era, the barges used in the construction of the Panama Canal were constructed on-site.”
A Sept. 11 report from Marina World indicates the historic steel-reinforced concrete commercial-grade shipyard will be replaced by new floating docks more suitable for leisure craft.
“The project will replace the existing docks with floating concrete docks equipped for modern boating needs,” writes Ellaine Zabate of the website. “Plans include 78 slips for vessels ranging from 30 to 55 feet, along with one pier capable of accommodating vessels [of] up to 400 feet."