In July 2018, the Neptune Beach Community Development Board sat in the Fletcher High School auditorium for more than four hours of public comment on the old Kmart site, then voted 6–0 to deny the plan. That plan was called "500 Atlantic," and it centered on apartments. One longtime resident gave the board her objection in a single line, as WJCT reported: "There's already no places to park in the (Beaches) Town Center."
Eight years later, the site at 500 Atlantic Blvd. has a new owner and a new name, Town Center West. The apartments are gone and a hotel is now the main building. Staff's own tally shows the site still doesn't have enough parking.
What Changed Between the Two Plans
The Kmart closed in July 2016, and the building has been empty since. The Duval County Property Appraiser lists the owner as TBR Neptune Owner, whose principal business address includes TriBridge Residential in Atlanta, according to the Jax Daily Record. Here is how the 2026 plan compares with the one the board turned down:
| 2018 "500 Atlantic" | 2026 "Town Center West" | |
|---|---|---|
| Apartments | 175 units, cut down from an earlier 199 | None |
| Hotel | Boutique hotel, up to 74 rooms | 150 rooms, three stories, 133,580 sq. ft. |
| Commercial space | 107,000 sq. ft. | About 90,000 sq. ft., split into two pieces |
| Board outcome | Denied 6–0 | Hearing scheduled Oct. 21, 2026 |
The hotel is roughly twice as large, the commercial space is about 17,000 square feet smaller, and the apartments are gone. City renderings show three separate buildings. The owner's attorney told First Coast News that three alternative plans went before a public City Council workshop. The owner picked "the version that was most well received by the elected officials and the public that evening," and described the project as "a walkable, pedestrian friendly and welcoming space with a curated mix of high end hotel, restaurants, office and retail."
Neptune Beach Mayor Cori Bylund called it "the biggest development for Neptune Beach in decades" in comments to the Jax Daily Record.
The Parking Count Still Comes Up Short
Neptune Beach Community Development Director Heather Whitmore raised parking first at the council workshop, First Coast News reported. Her numbers:
- 140 spaces on the north side of the site
- 138 spaces on the south side
- 100 spaces shared with Publix
- 463 spaces required for the site
Whitmore rounded the total to "around 400." The listed spaces actually add up to 378, which leaves the plan 85 spaces short of the requirement. Her possible fixes were off-site parking, counting some spaces twice because different uses peak at different times, and valet. She also said "there's still a lot to talk through."
Supporters say this is being handled. Shawn Welk, a lifelong Beaches resident who owns Bavarian Rennsport on Mayport Road, told Action News Jax via WOKV, "people are concerned about the parking. They're gonna have adequate parking. They're figuring all that in." Either way, until the gap is closed, the parking count is the piece of the plan most likely to change before anything is approved.
Why Valet Is a Familiar Fix a Few Blocks East
Valet was one of the fixes Whitmore named, and it already handles a lot of the parking in Beaches Town Center. According to the City of Neptune Beach's North Beaches Parking page, valet in the Town Center is free with a validated ticket from these businesses:
- Doro
- Flying Iguana
- Hawkers
- Island Girl Cigar Bar
- Mezza Luna
- AB Kitchen
- North Beach Fish Camp
- Fig & Willow
- Jax Surf & Paddle
The same page lists a typical valet fee of $40 without validation. Public spaces cost $2.50 an hour from 11 a.m. to midnight every day, and violations carry a $60 fine. Private pay-to-park lots charge $3 an hour for the first three hours, then $5 an hour. The city notes the information was provided in December 2025 and may change. The $2.50 hourly rate is itself a recent change. Jax Today reported in January 2026 that the Neptune Beach Council lowered it from $5.
So any shortfall at Town Center West would be added to a district that already runs on paid spaces and validated valet. The owner chose the name to signal it wants to "build on the success and viability of Beaches Town Center," in its attorney's words. Welk put it this way: the developer is "replicating what they've already done on the east side of Third Street." A project pitched as an extension of the Town Center will share the Town Center's parking pressure.
Lemon Street Is the Connector, and It's Being Studied Now
If hotel guests and shoppers move between 500 Atlantic and the beach, Lemon Street is the route that links the site to Beaches Town Center. The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization is studying it now. Clark Letter of the TPO told First Coast News that staff walked the corridor with the city and will "look at alternatives and suggest design changes to better accommodate those new traffic volumes and match the aesthetics Neptune Beach is looking for in the town center area."
The TPO hopes to finish the study "sometime around June or July."
People who use the street every day see both sides. Jeremy Urbano, a server at Grumpy's, told First Coast News that a hotel within walking distance "would be amazing" for a breakfast and lunch spot. He estimated a full hotel could mean "another 300-400 potential new customers a day." He also pointed out "a lot of little potholes" and said the street would need redoing if traffic grows. Businesses expect more customers, the street needs work, and the study meant to settle the traffic question won't be done until next summer.
The Dates Ahead
The Community Development Board's hearing on the variance and preliminary development plan was scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 21 in City Council Chambers at 116 First St. After the board, the plan was expected to go to City Council the following month. The city's 2026 meeting schedule lists a regular Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. and a Council workshop on Monday, Nov. 16.
Bylund has told residents not to wait. "This is everybody's wake up call," she said at the workshop, as First Coast News reported. "If you come after this is all done, you're too late, so people need to wake up and pay attention now."
The Town Center the project is named after has a busy season planned while the council reviews it. The Beaches Town Center calendar lists the 9th Annual Beaches Tour of Homes on Saturday, Nov. 7. The North Beaches Art Walk runs free from 5 to 9 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, with local artists and live performers. The BTC Holiday Celebration on Dec. 5 brings the tree lighting, a hayride, performers, a mayoral address and Santa, with activities starting at 3 p.m. Each of these events depends on the same paid spaces and validated valet described above.
Town Center West could change what you see on Atlantic Boulevard and how you get to the beach. If you own a home in Neptune Beach, The Newcomer Group can show you how nearby changes like this are reflected in what homes on your street are selling for. Start with a free market valuation and we'll keep you updated as the plan moves through City Hall.
