JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Delays and show relocations have neighbors and tourists frustrated at one new music venue in Jacksonville’s 5 Points neighborhood.
FIVE is the newest addition to the area, taking over a building once occupied by Sun-Ray Cinema.
Related: Legacy Sun-Ray Cinema closes its doors after nearly 100 years
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When the movie theatre closed its doors for good and moved to Tampa, many Five Points neighbors were sad to see it go, but hopeful about the new nightlife and music destination taking its place.
“It’s good to have another venue, um, not so much dealing with maybe DJ music, but maybe live music,” said Joshua Williams, who lives in Riverside. “So I’m excited to have it here.”
It was not only supposed to bring popular artists, but be a main revitalizer of Five Points. The district has lost several local businesses in the last year, including Sun-Ray, Mixed Fillings, and Rain Dogs.
Related: Back to business: Mixed Fillings Pie Shop opens new permanent location in Downtown Jacksonville
It’s now been two months since FIVE was supposed to open, originally advertising for January.
Friday, the doors remained closed with signs and notices about relocated shows.
“They have yet to even receive the permits to start remodeling in a historic building like this. That’s the process going to take a lot longer than I think they anticipated,” said another neighbor, Aubrey Palmer.
The operators of FIVE told Action News Jax this week that it had been forced to move shows over the past few weeks to other venues in the city due to permitting and construction delays.
While some people who live in Riverside would rather the venue take its time to get things right, others are tired of the constant delays in a venue that replaced what was once a local landmark.
“It’s dishonest to book shows and sell tickets in advance before the venue’s even ready. And I really feel like that’s setting a precedent for how this business will be run in the future,” said Palmer.
Action News Jax asked the owners when they plan to actually open. They told us to expect a date announcement in the near future.
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