JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — What was intended to be a celebratory milestone for Jacksonville’s Southside turned into a logistical nightmare this weekend.
The grand opening of The Block Jax, a massive 40,000-square-foot food and event hall, drew thousands of eager visitors but was quickly overshadowed by some traffic congestion and a fleet of aggressive tow trucks.
The excitement reached a breaking point just before 6 p.m. on Sunday. When a line of tow trucks descended upon a nearby Encompass Health’s green space, beginning a rapid-fire clearing of vehicles parked on the grass.
Daniel Moffatt, the owner and founder of The Block, was on the scene attempting to stop the towing operators as his customers’ cars were hoisted away.
“I asked them to give us a couple of minutes,” Moffatt said. “I’m trying to get them to give us a little break, but they won’t do it. They’re tearing up property here. One of the tow trucks even got stuck himself and had to be towed out.”
The venue, which has a capacity of over 1,100 people, currently only offers 125 designated parking spaces. The discrepancy left visitors like Troy Kennedy scouring the area for a spot.
Kennedy eventually parked near Encompass Health after seeing dozens of others lining the nearby grass. He narrowly avoided the tow trucks, leaving just minutes before they arrived.
The parking crisis isn’t a new development for the debut weekend. According to Moffatt, the towing began a day earlier. “My wife personally drove two people home yesterday who had their cars towed—one was pregnant with a four-year-old and their car seat was still in the vehicle,” he said.
In an effort to mitigate the chaos, management posted warnings on social media and erected signs in “no-parking” zones, urging visitors to use rideshare services like Uber. However, the sheer volume of attendees, like visitor Vanessa, noted the facility was “so full.”
Despite the friction, Moffatt is taking personal responsibility. He has already spent over $1,000 out of pocket to cover the towing fees of his patrons.
Looking ahead, the owner says he is trying to negotiate with neighboring medical offices to secure larger lots for the future. “We’re going to work with them to do some valet and shuttle people back and forth,” Moffatt explained.
While the food hall has proven to be an immediate hit with the community, for many opening-weekend guests, the taste of the new venue came with a side of frustration.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.