Riverside Park Development Proposed For Brooklyn

[fieldafm]

I wonder why they are choosing to use Park Street as the front door for Phase I and not Riverside Avenue?

It is my understanding the second phase fronting Riverside will be a commercial development (probably in a year or two). 

[fieldafm]

I want this to be more urban but I really want it to be successful in renting units.

Looking at occupancy rates just a 1/4 mile down the road.. I don't think filling up these places will be a problem.  The design will be a problem though for many, many years if changes aren't made.

I really hope DDRB leans this way... although I have very little confidence they will. 

[Tacachale]

^There's no way they'll have trouble renting out this place no matter what the design is. Bottom line, it shouldn't be hard to rework this basic design into an urban format. Hopefully they'll be held to that and the thing will work out fine for all involved.

There's no excuse for building a Gate Parkway-style suburban development not only in an urban area, but actually in the central business district.

[Dapperdan]

Is JTA still thinking of making a short extension from their service yard to take advantage of these two developements? I would think they could extend the skyway one or two blocks fairly easily correct? To me, this small step would reap huge ridership rewards.

[I-10east]

These dwellings are under midrise status, and height means 'everything', so the majority of MJ will not like these buildings no matter what.

[downtownjag]

I know a lot of us want this to feel more urban, and I agree that it should feature more street level retail; but it's a great "gateway" rental opportunity to people that want to be close to downtown but don't want downtown. 

I think it will be very popular with the young professional types that want a nice part of town, a pool, but don't like being somewhere that there is a wings restuarant around every corner.  Wishing them the best at their planning meeting today.

[mbwright]

I love how they call themselves master developers....and a leader in urban development, when there are obvious problems with this design...

[Kaiser Soze]

I love how they call themselves master developers....and a leader in urban development, when there are obvious problems with this design...

^^^This guy has made a fortune developing real estate^^^

[downtownjag]

Is this on Riverside Ave?  It looks like it's back off the street and "phase 2" has the parcels right on Riverside

[thelakelander]

Lake I think you need to bullet point your ideas in the article better. Are you advocating taking down the fences, not changing the grid and doors to the street ? Right now it looks like an apartment complex on SS or Baymeadows the thing is those are popular to rent in Jax. Gated is suburban no doubt. I want this to be more urban but I really want it to be successful in renting units.

All I'm really advocating is moving the buildings up against the perimeter street edge (Park, Jackson, Magnolia, etc.) in a manner that doesn't increase the cost to construct or the project's proforma.  Thus, I don't mind the gated surface parking, not having ground level retail, keeping the same building footprints, etc.

[fieldafm]

These dwellings are under midrise status, and height means 'everything', so the majority of MJ will not like these buildings no matter what.

Maybe you should visit more places. Tons of midrises are pedestrian-scaled.  Atlanta is full of them.

Brownstone of SoHo Tampa



Directly across the street from Greenwise Publix (a building with self-contained parking)



Here are some other examples:











A lot of people commenting on this thread do this for a living.. our income is derived from building things.  But, it really doesn't take much for things to be built that are a better design for the long-term performance of a given neighborhood.  We all want to make profits, but there is a big difference b/w building something just to build it... and building something in such a way that contributes to the pedestrian scale of a given neighoborhood.  These things contribute to the sustainable fabric of a community. 

[fieldafm]

All I'm really advocating is moving the buildings up against the perimeter street edge

Honestly, with that... and with a few other minor changes, I'd be ok with the site plan.

[Kaiser Soze]

Fieldafm, the buildings you referenced in Tampa and ATL are beautiful.  I agree with you there.  But Jacksonville has a much more limited market for the higher-end apartments that you are suggesting. 

[Tacachale]

^These don't have to be high end apartments to be built according to an urban setting.

[fieldafm]

Fieldafm, the buildings you referenced in Tampa and ATL are beautiful.  I agree with you there.  But Jacksonville has a much more limited market for the higher-end apartments that you are suggesting.

The numbers don't suggest that.  This would be the sixth new high end apartment complex to be built in Jacksonville this year. 

NONE of which had anything to do with the lack of a Mobility Fee, btw (to be fair, Brooklyn Park is seperate from Mobility, this falls under a JEDC redevelopment agreement).