Urban Construction Update - August 2011

[Dapperdan]

I am for 7-11 bulldozing it if no one else steps up and does anything. Why have a vacant building just sitting there doing nothing? Obvoiusly it has sat there for a while and no one has taken any interest in revitalizing it.

i am for someöne bulldozing you.  why have a vacant head just sitting there doïng nothing?

What is your proposal for the building and your funding to do such?

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

I am for 7-11 bulldozing it if no one else steps up and does anything. Why have a vacant building just sitting there doing nothing? Obvoiusly it has sat there for a while and no one has taken any interest in revitalizing it.

i am for someöne bulldozing you.  why have a vacant head just sitting there doïng nothing?

What is your proposal for the building and your funding to do such?

nothing at all, actually, but this business ov preferring another damn convenience store to a historic building (yes, even an empty one) is a large part ov why urban jacksonville is such a hideous wasteland, and quite indicative that something's gone very wrong in our head meat.

[lowlyplanner]

What is the Northpoint Town Center?  That is some pretty striking modern architecture...  Do they have actual tenants going in there?

[thelakelander]

The 10,600sf office/retail building is the first phase of a mix of uses that will be clustered together around Myrtle Ave in Durkeeville/Moncrief.  According to an article in the paper, a 16,000sf urban designed Sav-A-Lot grocery store will be constructed across the street from it.

called the North Point Town Center, is the centerpiece for an ambitious array of construction planned by the CDC, which is marking its 10th anniversary this year. Other plans are:

- The $6 million Mary Eaves Senior Living Center at Myrtle Avenue and 16th Street. The CDC is seeking to round up the final half million dollars in financing needed to start construction of the 50-unit center in early 2012.

- A $1.6 million renovation of apartment buildings over the coming year. The work will add central air conditioning and other amenities to 50 rental units, which will be renamed the Villages of North Point.

- More home construction. The CDC has built and sold 69 houses to first-time home buyers, and six more are under construction.

- A grocery store that would be built on Moncrief Road, across the street from the North Point Town Center building. The CDC has bought most of the land needed for a store site.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2011-08-13/story/north-point-town-center-built-bring-northside-jacksonville-back-life

[iMarvin]

Does anyone have a pic of the arch that used to be on Laura?

[Wacca Pilatka]

I have to throw this out there, because I know how the majority of people on MJ feel about the courthouse. I was riding the bus to the game Friday night with a group of Falcon fans, as we drove past the courthouse a woman in the group asked me what it was, I pointed to the name on the front of the building and told her it was our new courthouse. I kid you not she raved about how beautifil it was for the next 5 minutes...all I could do was smile, because I didn't want to be a debbie downer.

Some people have an overwhelming love for Greek columns.  It's not just a Jacksonville thing, and it's not just a modern thing (e.g., the overwhelming theme of the Chicago world expo of the late 1800s whose name is escaping me, with the notable exception of Louis Sullivan's Prairie-style pavilion).

[Lucasjj]

Does anyone have a pic of the arch that used to be on Laura?

This is the arch that was originally planned that was being referred to earlier. I don't believe there was ever an actual arch on Laura, but I could be wrong.

[iMarvin]

^Looks nice. Definitely would make the intersection look much better. Thanks.

[thelakelander]

This is a Greek column:



This is an architectural abomination:

[tufsu1]

notice that in the Laura St arch drawing, the roundbaout doesn't have a statue in it...perhaps they felt Andrew Jackson was enough for the intersection.

[DuvalHusky]

noone - One idea would be to have the City make an application to the Florida Inland Navigation District to assist in funding a Phase I plan for the urban tributary system. FIND could pay up to 50% of the Phase I costs. Phase I could be used to determine appropriate access points as well as indentify obstacles for complete navigation of the system. FIND could then be approached for Phase II implementation funding upon completion of Phase I.

[ubben]

a. I will chain myself to that old church building before I let them tear it down and put a &*%$# 7/11 there. The mere thought of this makes me sick. If you think this makes sense, please move out of the historic districts.

b. Check out the beautiful new dead trees the city planted just a couple weeks ago at Brooklyn Park. I watched them put them in, all alive and green. One week later, I'm not kidding, one week, one-third of them were dead and brown as toast. Our urban forester should be fired.

c. On a happier note, I'm still really glad the Derby House is going to get some new blood.

[DuvalHusky]

The New Courthouse will go down in Jacksonville history as the most unaesthestically pleasing building since the New Main Library.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

This is a Greek column:



This is an architectural abomination:

i love you for this.

[acme54321]

The New Courthouse will go down in Jacksonville history as the most unaesthestically pleasing building since the New Main Library.

What's wrong with the library?