Down by the River…

The stage is being set. The grass is going to get greener. The walls are tumbling down.

That’s what’s going on lately near the St. Johns River on the campus of Jacksonville University.

To wit:

• Strom Amphitheatre on Dolphin Green, built with funds donated by former JU student Larry Strom, is taking shape and should be completed by early May. Design is by Glenn Dasher (Dasher Hurst Architects), and the general contractor is KBT Builders. The 50-foot-wide, 38-foot-deep, 30-foot-tall stage is big enough for medium-sized bands on up to the Jacksonville Symphony Pops Orchestra. The facility, with a lawn for casual seating and facing the water, is designed to attract students to the river area.
• Construction continues on the adjacent Swisher Golf Practice Facility, next year’s new practice home for the Dolphins that will feature a practice putting green of 10,000 square feet, a 10,000-square-foot chipping green and two target greens that can accommodate up to 180-yard shots, as well as several greenside and fairway bunkers. Final plans also call for a small building to house facilities for the golf team.
• Demolition of the nearby racquetball courts began Friday, April 20, and should be completed soon. The courts’ cement surfaces were splitting and cracking, so the facility is being taken down and the area returned to a more natural state, according to JU Director of Purchasing Mike Bobbin.