Sunday Business Notebook

There were a couple of stories of note on the food and beverage front last week. Kevin Sbraga, a winner of Bravos Top Chef and owner of two restaurants in Philadelphia, will open a restaurant in 220 Riverside early next year.

Later next year, the Master Brewers Association of the Americas will hold its annual conference here. About 500 of the top beer brewers in the country will be in Jacksonville for four days to discuss their craft.

Both of those should produce a bit of the same result raising Jacksonvilles stature on the national scene. Is that important? I dont know, but its kind of cool to have Jacksonvilles name pop up in national conversations about food and drink.

Sbraga and the brewers group could have gone anywhere. They chose here.

Of course, after the Times-Unions story about Sbraga coming here, Philadelphia magazine ran this headline: Kevin Sbraga Opening a New Restaurant in Jacksonville?

HOMES

Tamaya, ICI Homes large development at Beach and Kernan boulevards, is ahead of the schedule. Sales began four months ago and, through the end of July, 40 homes sold at $300,000-$600,000. That was the goal for the year.

The first phase has 169 home sites and design/permitting has begun on Phase II with 146 home sites. The eventual plan is 2,400 homes.

Construction will begin this fall on an 11,000-square-foot amenity center and a permanent entrance on Beach Boulevard with 30-foot columns.

Right next door at Terra Costa, where Standard Pacific of Florida just got permits totaling $3.4 million for its amenity center and permits for eight townhomes, $210,110-$284,000. Plans call for 102 single-family home and 166 townhomes.

View original post here:
Sunday Business Notebook