Tenants and business owners at the Jacksonville Landing were packing-up and moving out of their spaces on Monday.
The deadline to get out of the iconic downtown building is May 31. Now, some of those business owners are speaking out as they try to figure out what is next.
Sylvia Walker heads into the now empty lobby of her day spa. The business serving downtown since 2011 is now without a home.
“I feel very forgotten," Walker said. "I feel nobody cares about what’s going to happen."
Walker is just one of may tenants with just days to figure out their next move. Michelle Rhodes and her family have owned Hana and Her Sister Jewelry at the Landing for 32 years.
“When we opened-up, I was 11 years old and it’s kind of poetic because now we’re closing, and my son is 11 years old,” Rhodes said.
She asked the City of Jacksonville for one extra week to vacate but with the clock ticking, she has not heard back. She's left now scrambling to pack.
The City has set aside $1.5 million for relocation assistance. Rhodes and Walker say they’ve put in their requests – estimating it’ll cost them tens of thousands of dollars, but have not seen a penny. They say they are forced now to make moving arrangements, paying out of their own pocket.
Rhodes believes the tenants should be entitled additional assistance under the Uniform Relocation Assistance program to help displaced businesses start anew.
We reached out to the City of Jacksonville for clarification on the matter. A spokesperson told us our questions would be directed to the Downtown Investment Authority.
Meanwhile, Rhodes has a message to those in power:
“You’ve left us in the dark and I don’t know where my future lies,” Rhodes said.
As for Walker and her husband, they’re filling a trailer and headed to a storage facility, hoping their business can stay afloat without a storefront to operate.
“Now I don’t have any visibility," she said. "Will my customers be able to find me, and where are those dollars going to come from?”