Saying good bye to old courthouse

Started by Coolyfett, May 27, 2012, 04:12:52 PM

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Coolyfett

May 27, 2012, 04:12:52 PM
Mike Hogan Destruction Eruption!

Tacachale

#1
May 27, 2012, 05:05:27 PM
Very, very cool. A lot went on inside those walls.
Do you believe that when the blue jay or another bird sings and the body is trembling, that is a signal that people are coming or something important is about to happen?

WmNussbaum

#2
May 30, 2012, 01:01:22 PM
QuoteA lot went on inside those walls.

Yep: A lot of folks - a few quite infamous - sentenced to death. Many marriages dissolved. A few marriages begun. At least one death - across a table from me during a court hearing. Any births? Justice done and justice denied. Lives unalterably changed.

It ended up a microcosm of Jacksonville's budget problems: A miserably maintained edifice, dirty, too crowded, parts of systems non-functional, etc. 

I wonder who decided it was a good idea to provide parking by paving over the river. Even if the building remains, will the parking lot come down?

copperfiend

#3
May 30, 2012, 03:22:46 PM
Quote from: WmNussbaum on May 30, 2012, 01:01:22 PM
QuoteA lot went on inside those walls.

At least one death - across a table from me during a court hearing.

Could you elaborate?

WmNussbaum

#4
May 30, 2012, 08:27:02 PM
Back in my early days, I did some domestic relations law. In a final hearing in a pro bono case in which I represented the wife, her husband had - I guess it was - a heart attack in the judge's chambers, slid off of his chair and died. As his widow, my client did substantially better than she would have done had he lived a few more hours. Justice served.

marksjax

#5
May 30, 2012, 10:56:15 PM
I remember when the jail was where the Berkman is now. There was a walkover above Liberty St that connected the two buildings, I presume to walk prisoners back and forth.

Coolyfett

#6
May 30, 2012, 11:07:29 PM
Quote from: WmNussbaum on May 30, 2012, 01:01:22 PM
QuoteA lot went on inside those walls.

Yep: A lot of folks - a few quite infamous - sentenced to death. Many marriages dissolved. A few marriages begun. At least one death - across a table from me during a court hearing. Any births? Justice done and justice denied. Lives unalterably changed.

It ended up a microcosm of Jacksonville's budget problems: A miserably maintained edifice, dirty, too crowded, parts of systems non-functional, etc. 

I wonder who decided it was a good idea to provide parking by paving over the river. Even if the building remains, will the parking lot come down?


yea I never knew river water was under that parking lot...if the water is even still there. I wonder if they filled it in before building the lot.
Mike Hogan Destruction Eruption!

WmNussbaum

#7
May 31, 2012, 07:52:24 AM Last Edit: May 31, 2012, 09:06:13 AM by WmNussbaum
Yes, the jail was connected to the courthouse by an above-ground enclosed walkway - like Angela Corey wants now to connect her office to the new courthouse.

Yes, the water is still under the parking lot. From posts in MJ, I gather it's possible to kayak under it - too fracking spooky for me. In places you can see and hear the water between seams in the concrete. I wonder what would be the effect on the river if the parking lot was removed. I wonder if sooner or later the lot will require expensive repair/upgrades if allowed to remain and put to some weight-bearing use.

I wonder if a really grand riverfront park would make sense. With the exception of Berkman, the City owns everything from east of the Hyatt down to the [still known as] Shipyards land. If some decent amenities were put in and food services licenses doled out, the place could be a decent attraction.

CS Foltz

#8
May 31, 2012, 09:21:09 AM
$350 Million Dollar elephant! With the issue's regarding the fire system makes me wonder just what else is going to take place at some future date. Not happy about the wasted money or effort to this point. Don't even get me started regarding the ground access and mobility handicaps to foot traffic! Wonder why they just did not put a moat around it and be done with it! But thats just me.

Non-RedNeck Westsider

#9
May 31, 2012, 09:21:54 AM
Quote from: WmNussbaum on May 30, 2012, 08:27:02 PM
Back in my early days, I did some domestic relations law. In a final hearing in a pro bono case in which I represented the wife, her husband had - I guess it was - a heart attack in the judge's chambers, slid off of his chair and died. As his widow, my client did substantially better than she would have done had he lived a few more hours. Justice served.

A win's a win, right?  No need to look at the box score.  ;D
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
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tufsu1

#10
May 31, 2012, 10:05:51 PM
Quote from: CS Foltz on May 31, 2012, 09:21:09 AM
$350 Million Dollar elephant! With the issue's regarding the fire system makes me wonder just what else is going to take place at some future date. Not happy about the wasted money or effort to this point. Don't even get me started regarding the ground access and mobility handicaps to foot traffic! Wonder why they just did not put a moat around it and be done with it! But thats just me.

CS...is that really you...where have you been?

Charles Hunter

#11
May 31, 2012, 10:41:35 PM
Liberty Street, between the Old Court House parking lot and the Berkman is closed.  A few weeks ago, some equipment working on the Berkman garage broke through the pavement, exposing the river.  The City isn't sure if they are going to fix it - don't know how extensive the problem is.

Timkin

#12
May 31, 2012, 11:40:56 PM
Quote from: CS Foltz on May 31, 2012, 09:21:09 AM
$350 Million Dollar elephant! With the issue's regarding the fire system makes me wonder just what else is going to take place at some future date. Not happy about the wasted money or effort to this point. Don't even get me started regarding the ground access and mobility handicaps to foot traffic! Wonder why they just did not put a moat around it and be done with it! But thats just me.


Don't give them any ideas ..  Next thing you know there will be a 300 Million dollar moat around it, bringing the total cost to :  RIDICULOUS !

  Millions of dollars spent on a building that cannot be occupied...yet.  The old building closed and abandoned.  Amazing continuity and planning!  Looks like we would have waited a few weeks to move out of the old to see if the new was actually READY to use but that would have been too difficult.  So here we are....waiting.

thelakelander

#13
May 31, 2012, 11:44:43 PM
I wonder what Ted Pappas envisions to replace the old courthouse?

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/2012/05/great-idea-for-the-riverfront-site-of.html
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

BackinJax05

#14
June 01, 2012, 12:01:51 AM
Gonna miss the old courthouse. Especially the snack bar that was at the east end of the building (by the Liberty Street entrance) An older blonde lady ran it back in the 80s. For a snack bar, the selection of items she had rivaled a 4 star restaurant. Sometimes Id stop there for a hot dog, chips & a drink - even if I had no business in the courthouse.

Thank you, blonde lady, wherever you are!
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