The fire-ravaged Rise Doro shows where parts of the seventh floor walls collapsed due to damage from the fire that hit it late Sunday. | Dan Scanlan, WJCT News 89.9
Published on January 30, 2024 at 5:17 pm
Almost two days after fire swept through the $65 million Rise Doro apartments in Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment District, the state fire marshal is now conducting its investigation into what could have caused the fire, city officials say.
Along with fire inspectors, engineers are analyzing the seven-story building at A. Philip Randolph Boulevard for its eventual demolition, the city says.
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The fire was reported at 9:30 p.m. Sunday and brought 110 firefighters to battle it. City engineers have determined the building and city parking lot across from 121 Financial Ballpark are structurally unsafe, and the wood framing inside will be coming down as soon as possible, Mayor Donna Deegan said.
Fire Chief Keith Powers called the fire “one of the worst” in the city in a decade, leaving the building a total loss.
Firefighters continue to hose down hotspots inside the apartment complex as needed. Because of the continued firefight as well as the concern of collapse, Intuition Ale Works and Manifest Distillery across East Forsyth Street, as well as the city parking garage, will not open until the walls are demolished, Deegan said.
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Roads around the fire scene are closed for now, including East Duval Street from Georgia Street to Palmetto Street, East Adams Street from A. Philip Randolph Boulevard to Lafayette Street, and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard from East Duval to East Bay Street.
Because of the road closures, 121 Financial Ballpark and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena also are closed. A job fair for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, scheduled for Thursday, has been rescheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 8. The club’s other job fairs, set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 10, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 16, are still scheduled.
The parking garage on East Adams Street will remain closed during the Jacksonville Icemen game Thursday at the arena, Deegan said.
A fencing company is securing the perimeter of the building, framed by the boulevard and Palmetto, East Adams and East Forsyth streets, city officials said. A demolition company has been hired and will start moving equipment in over the next two days.
Demolition of the 247-unit building will begin as soon as possible after that, the city says. Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, Deegan said the piping for a sprinkler system had been installed but had not been pressure tested. That test was scheduled this week, just before the first residents were to move in, she said.
Rise real estate company President Greg Blais said the building had insurance. He said the company will begin rebuilding as soon as possible. The cost is unknown because they have to go through a redesign and permitting process and see what the market does with costs.
Rise has contacted the eight residents who were planning to move in later this week and offered them new homes.
