It’s time to reassess the Berkman Plaza II. The unfinished vacant condominium shell is an embarrassment to residents, an eyesore on the downtown skyline and meets the definition of blight as codified in Jacksonville’s municipal code. The building has sat unfinished since the parking garage collapsed on December 6, 2007.

Unlike Firehouse 5 in the Brooklyn neighborhood, the Berkman II is not a historic building. It is not an iconic structure, or festive marketplace were memories were made like when half the city showed up at the Jacksonville Landing to celebrate the arrival of the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. Berkman II serves no purpose. It is not an arterial road or thoroughfare used by commuters like the ones the Hart Bridge Expressway once carried. The Jacksonville Consolidation was signed in Jacksonville’s old City Hall by then Mayor Hans Tanzler. The former Duval County Courthouse was home to high profile cases like the Brenton Butler murder case. Nothing has happened in Berkman II. Nothing has happened for nearly 13 years. The difference is that all these other buildings have been demolished. None of them met the definition of blight.

It’s time our elected officials, city leaders and Municipal Code Compliance hold the property owner accountable, answer to the citizens of Jacksonville and tear down the Berkman II.