The marina by the stadium is open again
Met Park Marina is open, red tide reaches Fort George Inlet, and six startups pitch Wednesday night.
Downtown has a working front door on the water again, three days before the Jaguars play at home. Elsewhere: an unusual bloom up north, big money in a school board race, and a consolation prize in the sky.
Met Park Marina opened Aug. 12 with 78 slips on the Downtown riverfront, right by EverBank Stadium. The rebuilt facility has electrical and water hookups, marine fuel and a store. So you can tie up, plug in and walk to the game. The timing was not an accident. Crews finished ahead of the Jaguars' first home preseason game on Aug. 21. Expect those slips to be spoken for that Friday. If you have spent years motoring past this stretch of river without a good reason to stop, that changed last week.
Red tide shows up at Fort George Inlet
A rare red tide bloom has been detected near Fort George Inlet. Rare is the operative word here. Blooms like this are far more common down the Gulf coast than in our water. The detection has raised questions about beach safety and what the bloom does to marine life. People who live, work and spend time along that waterway are the ones asking. If your weekend involves fishing, paddling or swimming near the inlet, check conditions first. Blooms drift with wind and current, so what is true Tuesday may not hold on Saturday.
Nashville money buys a South Jacksonville business park
A business park in South Jacksonville sold for $28.15 million to a Nashville-based investor. The buyer is Bluecrest Capital Advisors, and founder Scott Porter says Northeast Florida is "hungry for more light industrial options." Translate that from investor language: small warehouse and flex space is hard to find here, and getting harder. That shortage lands on the contractor, the distributor and anyone who needs a loading dock and a modest office. Out-of-state capital buying up local industrial property usually means someone expects rents to climb. Keep an eye on what happens to leases at that park.
Six founders, one stage, Wednesday in Nocatee
The Jacksonville Venture Competition returns Aug. 19 at The Link in Nocatee. Six local startups will pitch live, and the winner is eligible for potential investment. That last detail changes the room. A pitch night with real money behind it attracts different founders than one handing out a plaque. Judges are looking for specific things, and you get to hear them say so out loud. If you have ever wondered who is actually building companies in this city, this is the short version in one evening. Go for the ideas, stay for the questions.
Duval school board races are drawing serious money
Duval School Board candidates are pulling in more money than most school board candidates in Florida. The cash is arriving from individuals, businesses and political action committees. School board seats do not usually attract this kind of spending. Money tends to follow influence, and these are the people who set policy for one of the state's largest districts. If your mailbox has been filling up, now you know why. Before you vote, look at who is funding each campaign. The contributor list often says more about a candidate's priorities than the mailer does.
Florida sat out the eclipse, but the moon is on deck
Florida missed the total solar eclipse earlier this month. No glasses, no crowd in the parking lot, no reason to look up. There is a consolation prize on the calendar. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible here on Aug. 27. Lunar eclipses are the forgiving kind. You need no special equipment and no protective glasses, just a clear sky and some patience. Find a spot away from the worst of the streetlights and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust. It is a low-effort excuse to stand outside on a summer night.
JSO is back on 'Cops' after 20 years
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is featured in new episodes of "Cops" for the first time in two decades. JSO says the show is good for morale. Others question whether it delivers much value at all. The old argument came right back with the cameras. Does filming officers on the job build transparency, or does it reinforce negative stereotypes about policing? Both answers have loud supporters. What has changed since the last time is how far the footage travels. A clip that once aired and disappeared now lives online, and the impression it leaves sticks around.