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Millions spent to tear down structures in Downtown Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The City of Jacksonville plans to spend close to $40 million to tear down buildings and structures downtown, but has no set plans for some of the sites.

The Old City Hall Annex and Old Courthouse came down with a boom, at a price tag of close to $8 million.

Previously, there were talks about a convention center there, but Mayor Lenny Curry put that plan on hold. As of now, the site is a field of grass.

The downtown investment authority also discussed possibly putting in a mixed use building on the site, and a final plan could be in place this year.

People who live and work in the area question the reason for spending money on grassing the lots, if it will just be ripped back up.

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“It's a waste of taxpayer dollars, in my opinion. If they're going to build something quickly, might (as) well just get it rolling.” Zac Anthony said.

We asked the city of Jacksonville the cost to sod both lots; they say they're working to get those exact figures.

Some in the area said they were glad the lots were grassed since they're no longer breathing in dust.

The property appraiser for Duval County gave Action News Jax the dimensions for the lots, and a local landscaper estimated the cost of sodding to be about $220,000.

The future of the Jacksonville Landing is also up in the air.

It will cost about $1 million to tear down the structure, and that’s after a deal of close to $17 million spent for the city to take over the Landing.

A rendering from the city in 2018 showed a significant amount of green space could be the future of the landing site.

An additional $12.5 million is planned to be spent by the city to take down the Hart Bridge ramps, which will start in about six months.

Traffic will then come down Bay Street. The total cost of these demolitions, will be around $38.5 million, and the future of some sites isn't set in stone.

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