JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A downtown Jacksonville restaurant, which sat empty for more than a year, now has new owners.
The former site of Mag’s Cafe was sold for $1.4 million more than a week ago. It was sold to the same owners of the building next door, called Juliette Balcony.
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The Downtown Investment Authority recently approved more than $2.5 million in incentives for Juliette Balcony. According to DIA documents, the project includes plans for a restaurant on the ground floor and eight short-term rental units in the floors above for a more than $5 million investment.
“Right now, downtown looks like a vast wasteland. When you look at thriving downtowns across the country it’s like night and day. So, the potential here is ridiculous,” Noell Schofield said.
He has worked downtown for years and Action News Jax talked to him at the nearby Chamblin’s Uptown.
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“I think that’s fantastic,” he said about the plans for Juliette Balcony and new ownership at Mag’s. “The more foot traffic you have in an area, the more beneficial it’s going to be. It’s as simple as that.”
Action News Jax told you the owners of Mag’s closed for good in October last year because of the growing homeless problem and the lack of activity downtown to support the business.
According to DIA documents, the Juliette Balcony project will be finished by early 2026. No plans have been announced for the former Mag’s Cafe building yet.
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