‘I’m amazed’: Jacksonville Fire Museum arrives to new home on Bay Street

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Revitalizing downtown Jacksonville continues to be a major focus for city leaders.

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Even in just the past few days, several projects are making big strides toward adding key pieces to the skyline that many hope will bring more people to downtown and cash flow for the city.

The Jacksonville Fire Museum reached its new home at 620 E. Bay Street on Sunday, which is part of a $3.4 million project. This is just a few hundred feet from where it was first built in 1902 when it served as home to Fire Station 3.

The City of Jacksonville says at that time, much of Downtown Jacksonville was rebuilding from the Great Fire of 1901.

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The museum had closed around six years ago for renovations, but now city leaders say it’s getting ready to take on new life.

Also this weekend, the USS Orleck finally arrived at its temporary home along the Northbank Riverwalk Saturday and will later serve as the centerpiece for the Jacksonville Naval Museum.

Its permanent home will be at Jacksonville Shipyards West, near the Jacksonville Fire Museum.

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The USS Orleck, one of the most decorated ships in U.S. Navy history, fired more than 11,000 shots during the Vietnam War.

The ship left Texas on March 17 and will host military reunions, field trips and tours.

Juan Schaening moved downtown just four days before the implosion of the Berkman Plaza II earlier this month.

“I’m amazed by the amount of action that we have here downtown right now,” Schaening said.

He said the city is growing and becoming more vibrant.

“I have seen an implosion, a warship and now a building moving down the street,” Schaening said. “This is the place to be.”

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Mario Sanchez also lives in downtown Jacksonville. He watched as the Jacksonville Fire Museum moved along Bay Street Sunday.

“It’s already looking pretty,” Sanchez said. “They’re doing a nice job on reconstructing this and putting it back.”

City leaders say a big goal is to grow Jacksonville into a premier destination and also to give people who already live near Jacksonville a reason to come downtown.

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Fred Strube is a veteran and says the Orleck’s arrival is a major benefit to young people and the area as a whole.

“They should be aware of what’s gone before them and why they have the freedoms they have,” Strube said.

The Orleck should be ready to welcome visitors aboard in June.

Leaders expect the Jacksonville Fire Museum to open in the next year or so.

Just steps away, the Museum of Science and History will most likely relocate to the Shipyards property in the coming years to join the soon-to-be “museum district.”

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