Demolition under way at longtime Jacksonville restaurant

A prime piece of riverfront property in downtown Jacksonville soon will be cleared.

Demolition at the long-closed Fishermans Wharf restaurant is expected to be complete next week, according to information from A/K Grinding and Demolition. Wes Waller, operations director for the Goldsboro-based company, said that asbestos was removed from the property at 100 S. Marine Blvd. over two or three days last week.

We feel like no more than a week the building will be down and gone, he said.

While demolition is underway, Waller said area residents should not brave the area for one last glimpse of the restaurant.

If people come by and look at it, they need to stay away from the machine and operators because its a dangerous situation with them, he said, explaining that people have a tendency to get up close. The building was not in a stable condition when we started and now its even less stable.

The property has been owned by Venters Holding Company since March 5, 1973, and has a tax value of $690,310, according to information from Onslow County. The building was valued at $213,310 while the 1.59 acres of land is valued at $477,000.

George Venters told The Daily News that there are not any definite plans for the property.

The business license for the Fishermans Wharf restaurant has not been active since 2004, according to the City of Jacksonville. Its doors have been closed since August of that year.

The restaurant was built in the mid-1970s by Edward and Joseph Bynum, according to the Onslow County Museum.

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Demolition under way at longtime Jacksonville restaurant