In a surprising turn of events, the liquor store that was planned to open in Brentwood, Jacksonville, will instead become a small business support center. This decision was announced by Mayor Donna Deegan during a luncheon, who stated that the support center is expected to open in early fall and will focus on workforce development and entrepreneurship. The city of Jacksonville purchased the Golfair Boulevard property for $1.8 million in November after opposition from Brentwood community members who protested against the liquor store due to its proximity to Kipp Voice Academy.
The mayor’s office plans to provide more details about the business center in the coming days. However, residents argued that the liquor store was not appropriate for the area, leading to the city’s decision to repurpose the property for a support center instead. In addition to this controversy, community members have also opposed the construction of a new medical examiner’s office in the neighborhood. Despite these objections, construction for the medical examiner’s office is already underway next to the future support center.
News4JAX is investigating whether there will be any changes to the plans for the medical examiner’s office in light of this new business center. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as we bring you more information about this exciting transformation happening in Brentwood.