Demolition at Jacksonville Landing site would cost $3.8 million to get it ready for new construction

Before anything new rises from the riverfront spot now occupied by the Jacksonville Landing, the taxpayer cost of clearing the site would run close to $3.8 million just to raze the existing mall and also tear down the nearby on-ramp to the Main Street bridge.

The demolition of the aging mall would cost roughly $3.2 million, according to estimates Sleiman Enterprises has calculated for the city. That expense is part of the $11.8 million that Mayor Alvin Brown is asking the City Council to authorize for redevelopment of the Landing.

In addition, the state Department of Transportation estimates it would cost about $580,000 to tear down the on-ramp that connects Independent Drive to the Main Street bridge beside the mall.

The city has requested removal of that on-ramp because it would open up more ground-level real estate for construction of new buildings that would house apartments, stores, parking, and possibly a boutique hotel.

The state transportation department has scheduled a Sept. 25 public hearing on the proposed ramp closure.

How the state would pay for that demolition remains up in the air. The $11.8 million sought by Brown does not include anything for taking down the ramp. The state doesnt have the ramp removal listed in its own work program, which itemizes future spending on road work, department spokeswoman Gina Busscher said.

Ultimately, the state would want to see what the city decides to do with redevelopment of the Landing before moving forward on the ramp demolition, Busscher said.

The public hearing slated for Sept. 25 is just trying to get ahead of the game and gauge the comments from the public, Busscher said.

By then, the City Council will have done its review of the proposed $11.8 million in city funding for the redevelopment. The councils Finance Committee has been reluctant to authorize any new debt and has created a special committee that will examine what projects make the cut for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

The proposed revamp of the Landing would use a combination of government and private financing. The city owns the land and leases it to Sleiman Enterprises, which owns the buildings.

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Demolition at Jacksonville Landing site would cost $3.8 million to get it ready for new construction