The Shipyards become new Green Space Downtown

[thelakelander]

^Those amenities would have to come in the form of a completed riverwalk.

[Ralph W]

So, this is our new $420,000 grass parking lot featured on the news tonight?

If the city plans to use this as a parking lot you can bet there won't be any amenities to interfere with cramming as many revenue generating vehicles as possible in this space. Even if it is only used to augment the other lots during really popular events and empty at all other times.

[thelakelander]

City of Jacksonville Spent $420,000 on Grass for Parking Lot

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A new parking lot that will see its first action for Florida-Georgia weekend cost taxpayers $420,000 to grade, install sod and irrigate.

The lot is along East Bay Street, across from the Maxwell House factory.

"You guys need to get it together here in Jacksonville and figure out what you're going to do with all our money because you're really wasting a lot of it," said Jacksonville taxpayer Patrick Rogers.

Meanwhile, Wyatt Bowers said it's money well spent.

"Downtown needs more recreation. It's great for picnics, great for fireworks. And long term it can be great for development," said Bowers.

City spokesperson Angela Spears wasn't available for an on-camera interview, but she emphasized this was approved by the previous administration and the money came from the Public Works Department.

Spears also said the trees were donated and that she doesn't think cars parking on the lot will ruin the grass.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/223949/483/City-Spends-420000-on-Grass-for-Parking-Lot

[peestandingup]

[Ralph W]

This means that within the last few months the city has spent a million bucks on grass.

They won't have to mow the soccer field but where's the maintenance money coming from to care for the $420,000 lawn. The city can't even care for the weeds along the ROW now. Ask the Sheriff to lay off a few more to help out.

[tufsu1]

City of Jacksonville Spent $420,000 on Grass for Parking Lot

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A new parking lot that will see its first action for Florida-Georgia weekend cost taxpayers $420,000 to grade, install sod and irrigate.

The lot is along East Bay Street, across from the Maxwell House factory.

"You guys need to get it together here in Jacksonville and figure out what you're going to do with all our money because you're really wasting a lot of it," said Jacksonville taxpayer Patrick Rogers.

Meanwhile, Wyatt Bowers said it's money well spent.

"Downtown needs more recreation. It's great for picnics, great for fireworks. And long term it can be great for development," said Bowers.

City spokesperson Angela Spears wasn't available for an on-camera interview, but she emphasized this was approved by the previous administration and the money came from the Public Works Department.

Spears also said the trees were donated and that she doesn't think cars parking on the lot will ruin the grass.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/223949/483/City-Spends-420000-on-Grass-for-Parking-Lot

quite interesting to see this...I think the best thing to do is open the space along the riverwalk and allow fishing...I believe that's what the one guy was saying

[fsujax]

good come back TUFSU1, i get so sick of the everything the city does is a waste of taxpayer dollars crowd!

[thelakelander]

I did a cost estimate based on info I was given as to the Northbank Riverwalk projects.  The costs were a few years old, but it wouldn't take much to open the pier for public use. 

What number did you come up with?

[hightowerlover]

anyone know if they are ever going to tear down that berkman plaza 2 catastrophe?

[KenFSU]

This means that within the last few months the city has spent a million bucks on grass.

They won't have to mow the soccer field but where's the maintenance money coming from to care for the $420,000 lawn. The city can't even care for the weeds along the ROW now. Ask the Sheriff to lay off a few more to help out.

Maybe there's a second boat parade to cancel while they're at it?

[tayana42]

Let's get the riverwalk connection done and then let's get a streetcar line from the sports complex to the Central Station of the Skyway Express.  Huge economic driver for the city and businesses along the route.

[jcjohnpaint]

anyone know if they are ever going to tear down that berkman plaza 2 catastrophe?

I'm telling you the city should cast it in bronze and have it the first public sculpture dedicated to the great recession.  Seriously I think about that all the time.  The structure is probably deteriorated beyond repair at this point. 

[fieldafm]

I did a cost estimate based on info I was given as to the Northbank Riverwalk projects.  The costs were a few years old, but it wouldn't take much to open the pier for public use. 

What number did you come up with?

Less than a million.  The variable is filling in the bulkhead and connecting the pier back to land.  Do it as part of a Riverwalk extension, the costs are spread out over a much larger project.  Do it independently and the costs are higher.

[nbenton]

That looks really nice. Now why can't they take every vacant piece of asphalt dump downtown and do that? Plant a couple trees. Downtown would be beautiful.

[Ralph W]

City of Jacksonville Spent $420,000 on Grass for Parking Lot

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A new parking lot that will see its first action for Florida-Georgia weekend cost taxpayers $420,000 to grade, install sod and irrigate.

The lot is along East Bay Street, across from the Maxwell House factory.

"You guys need to get it together here in Jacksonville and figure out what you're going to do with all our money because you're really wasting a lot of it," said Jacksonville taxpayer Patrick Rogers.

Meanwhile, Wyatt Bowers said it's money well spent.

"Downtown needs more recreation. It's great for picnics, great for fireworks. And long term it can be great for development," said Bowers.

City spokesperson Angela Spears wasn't available for an on-camera interview, but she emphasized this was approved by the previous administration and the money came from the Public Works Department.

Spears also said the trees were donated and that she doesn't think cars parking on the lot will ruin the grass.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/223949/483/City-Spends-420000-on-Grass-for-Parking-Lot

Now that the new grass has been baptized with one  games worth of parking....

$420,000 tax payer dollars and maybe a little hindsight??

I asked earlier - does the budget contain enough for maintenance for this sort of damage? Especially since there are plans to do it again.