The Fernandina Beach City Commission has made it clear: the top priority for 2025 is the removal of Brett’s Waterway Cafe and determining the future of its prime riverfront location. In a unanimous vote during their annual ‘visioning session’ on Thursday, the commissioners emphasized the urgency of addressing the aging structure.
The session, held at the city golf course, focused on both major infrastructure projects and city operations. On a scale of 5-to-1, with five indicating the highest priority, all commissioners ranked the Brett’s issue at the top of the list. The restaurant's lease on the city-owned building expires on December 31, and with its substructure over the Amelia River in need of costly repairs, the city has decided demolition is the best course of action.
"Brett's is going to have to take the number one priority. The last thing we want to see is that restaurant sit there for a year or two because we can't make a decision on what we want to do there," said Vice Mayor Darron Ayscue.
Mayor James Antun agreed, saying with the lease due to expire, plans need to be put into place on what happens to that space at the city marina.
"I would agree that Brett's, given the timing of the lease, is probably up there (in ranking)," Antun said, just prior to commissioners casting their votes.
Deputy City Manager Jeremiah Glisson previously told commissioners that $1 million had been earmarked in the 2025-26 city budget to pay for the demolition of the building.
Engineering firm Passero & Associates has been tasked by the city to present plans for three different options for what might replace the Brett's building going forward.
The river flood protection wall - both the design and constructing section one - placed second on the project priority list.
The city has about $400,000 of grant money remaining to pay for finishing the design and another $2 million grant to finance construction of a section of the flood protection wall. Section one is a stretch of riverfront running south from parking lot C & D to the entrance of Cook's docks on Front Street.
The entire flood protection wall project is expected to cost an estimated $16 million to $20 million to complete, leaving commissioners considering putting a bond issue before voters to approve.
On the city's operations side of the vote, organizational improvement in training, city processes and staff head count topped the list. That dovetailed with better management of accounts receivable and contract administration placing second.
Implementing a paid parking program as a revenue source placed a surprising third.
Here are the top rankings (a score of 5 each) by each commissioner:
James Antun: Brett's, organizational improvements
Darron Ayscue: Brett's, organizational improvements
Gence Minshew: Brett's, paid parking
Tim Poynter: Brett's, paid parking
Joyce Tuten: Brett's, updating the city Land Development Code
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