Another one bites the dust: Demolition begins of landmark downtown restaurant River City Brewing Co.

More than two decades of fine food, family celebrations and more than a few business deals by Jacksonville power brokers within its walls turned into memories Tuesday as demolition began on the landmark River City Brewing Co. restaurant.

The restaurant at 835 Museum Circle closed on July 18, 2021, after 27 years in business on the Southbank of downtown Jacksonville.

Miami-based developer The Related Group plans to build RD River City Brewery Apartments — a 326-unit apartment complex at the site overlooking the St. Johns River and downtown.

Company officials couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

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Crews with ELEV8 Demolition of Jacksonville began tearing down the two-story former restaurant Tuesday afternoon.

Jon Pfotenhauer, company co-owner, told the Times-Union the demolition will take several days to complete as crews use excavators to methodically take down the former restaurant in sections.

The estimated demolition cost of the 25,506-square-foot restaurant is $110,000, a July 1 city building permit showed.

River City Brewing's history

River City Brewing Co. opened in November 1993 at the site of the twice-failed Harbormasters restaurant. The city took over the property in 1992 after Harbormasters defaulted on a $2.9 million city-backed federal loan.

In 1996, owners Eugene Van Note and Anthony Candelino took over the restaurant. Two years later they bought it and the adjacent marina from the city for about $2 million under a 99-year lease for the land.

River City Brewing Co. quickly became popular as a destination for birthdays, marriage proposals, weddings, anniversaries, graduations and other celebrations.

The establishment also was a favorite of city leaders, power brokers and business executives. The late former Mayor Jake Godbold had a special table waiting for him when he went there for lunch up until his death.

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New development in the works

As proposed, RD River City Brewery Apartments will have 326 units in an eight-story building overlooking the St. Johns River and downtown Jacksonville.

Construction is estimated at almost $71 million, according to a city building permit application under review.

The apartments are targeted for completion by 2025, according to a Downtown Jacksonville summary of the project.

The roughly 605,056-square-foot building will have 148 one-bedroom units, 152 two-bedroom and 26 three-bedroom apartments, according to the building permit application.

In addition, a 5,000-square-foot waterfront restaurant also is planned for the site, which is near the Museum of Science and History and Friendship Fountain.

The Restaurant at Manor will have inside and outdoor dining areas, according to a Colliers real estate brochure for the project.

Also planned at the site is a 535-space attached garage with available parking and valet service. A total of 32 available boat slips are planned as well as a public ramp nearby, the brochure shows.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Demolition begins on Jacksonville restaurant River City Brewing Co.