Massive portable generators line the back of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel, five months after an electrical fire at the Downtown building. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
Published on July 17, 2024 at 12:33 pm
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Rose Matthews says she can hear the ever-present hum of big generators running behind the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel, whether she is inside or outside her home at the Berkman Plaza on East Bay Street.
She said the hum echoes between her condominium above South Liberty Street and the hotel’s backside a block away on South Market Street. The portable generators were installed after a fire Feb. 10 on that side of the 16-story hotel.
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“Those generators echo up the side of the building,” Matthews said. “Sunday mornings used to be lovely. You could sit out on your balcony, enjoy the day — no noise. All the traffic was gone from the city during the weekday. Not anymore — it’s a continuum, even if you are out there, even if you are trying to watch fireworks, whatever, there’s constant noise.”
A water pipe leak led to the electrical fire, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The fire caused hotel power to go off as smoke spread across four floors, according to Jacksonville Today news partner News4Jax. Hundreds of guests and people attending events had to evacuate until the fire was out and smoke cleared.
Since then, generators have been needed as the hotel “continues to operate normally,” Hyatt general manager Jeff Thompson said in a statement.
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“The safety and well-being of our guests and colleagues remains a top priority,” Thompson said. “We continue to work diligently with our utility provider to restore the city’s transformer power to the hotel as soon as possible, and the use of generators is required to fully power the hotel in the interim.”
Hotel officials have not responded to Jacksonville Today‘s questions about how much of the facility is powered by the generators, when electrical work will be done or when the temporary power systems will be removed.
Two long truck trailers with multiple green generators run behind the hotel, surrounded by temporary fencing. Some neighbors have complained about the tank trucks that regularly park on the grass off South Market Street to refuel the generators. Smoke damage from the fire still stains the back of the hotel, leaving Matthews to wonder why it has taken “month and month and month” to get that damage cleaned up.
So far, she has not filed a complaint with the city. Apparently no one else has either. City officials say the environmental quality division has not received any complaints about noise or odor.
JEA spokesperson Karen McAllister said that the utility is ready to put power back on when the hotel is ready.
“Currently, we are waiting for the hotel to complete repairs on its end before restoring JEA transformer power,” she wrote in an email.
The hotel has active permits to do duct repairs, with another pending in the building inspection division, city spokesman Phillip Perry said.
“Our inspectors have not been scheduled out for any inspections on these permits, so we would have no knowledge in regard to any challenges the contractor may be having to complete the work, if any other than normal,” Perry said.
