Avenue's Walk Update

[Jason]

thank goodness for Brooklyn Park. I think they will get that one right. Even though they scaled back the residential, they are building rental units first and leaving room for for sale units later. If it was another project like this one, it would be horrible.

Depending on the construction, it still may be possible to add residential units on top of the existing retail structures.  If that isn't an option, at least the parking lot layout may be able to support separate residential structures on top of garages and more retail.  Both this development and the SJTC could add in some residential density.  This one could truely benefit from a transit station and make the addition of residential more enticing.

[midnightblackrx]

I wouldn't want something like this taking up downtown. I agree with ADAMH.  There's no place for a suburban sprawl downtown. It wouldn't add anything that you can't get in suburbia.

Downtown's gotta have some charm and excitement to draw people in.  I'm still waiting, impatiently, with the rest of you... 

[Ocklawaha]

Avenue's Walk? Oh my goodness, extend the BRT another few miles down or OVER the FEC and Bingo! Instant transit oriented development. Another star in JTA's rusting crown!

As for the moonscape, haven't any of these developers ever thought of going to the historical record and creating a couple of blocks of Jacksonville circa 1910?  Balcony's, trolley's (WITH TRACKS), swinging doors, shutters, turrets, stained glass, clock towers, bells, brick,... Images of Bourbon Street? Fisherman's Wharf? I'm sorry when I get carried away with our history, but Keystone Heights, Fernandina Beach, and Cedar Key are WAY AHEAD OF US.

Any Developers out there want to set this thing apart? Want to talk about an IN-MALL trolley system, I can show you several examples, and put you in touch to make your development one-of-a-kind in Florida... Send me a PM.

Ocklawaha

[second_pancake]

Avenue's Walk? Oh my goodness, extend the BRT another few miles down or OVER the FEC and Bingo! Instant transit oriented development. Another star in JTA's rusting crown!

As for the moonscape, haven't any of these developers ever thought of going to the historical record and creating a couple of blocks of Jacksonville circa 1910?  Balcony's, trolley's (WITH TRACKS), swinging doors, shutters, turrets, stained glass, clock towers, bells, brick,... Images of Bourbon Street? Fisherman's Wharf? I'm sorry when I get carried away with our history, but Keystone Heights, Fernandina Beach, and Cedar Key are WAY AHEAD OF US.

Any Developers out there want to set this thing apart? Want to talk about an IN-MALL trolley system, I can show you several examples, and put you in touch to make your development one-of-a-kind in Florida... Send me a PM.

Ocklawaha

I'm with ya Ock.  It makes me both sick and saddened to see the types of buildings that we once had versus what has replaced them. 

Btw, did you see the new shopping complex that went up along Sadler in Fernandina?  Yes, they are WAY ahead of us in so many ways.  They very tastefully pulled off the FL stucco crap.  The lines of the buildings and the layout is perfect for its location.  They did a great job building without encroaching on any other surroundings, including additional land space.  And another recent (within the last 10 years) example of how they preserve their history is the development, Amelia Park.  It was a planned new urbanism development complete with row-houses, alleyway parking (parking behind houses down alleys instead of driveways and garages in front of every house), central parks, and businesses (actual well-paying businesses where someone could work and afford a home in the community) within walking distance of the homes.  All of the houses are built in the style of the historic homes on the island, victorian, frame-vernacular, 20's arts-n-crafts, greek revival...you name it.  Where in Jacksonville do we have something like this?  Funny how a little island no more than 7 miles long and 5 miles wide can get it right and a place as big as Jacksonville makes the same damned mistakes over and over again.

[thelakelander]

I haven't been up to Fernandina in a few years.  I'm going to have to take a trip up there one of these weekends.

[Jason]

It is well worth the trip Lake.

[second_pancake]

My old house was on south 6th and Cedar. The house directly behind it is for sale listed at over a million I had a view of the Fairbanks from my bathroom window.  There's a run-down Scandinavian looking cottage just behind a little house on the corner...on the west side of the road that I've always wanted to own.  It's a family-owned property and I've never seen anyone living it or have it listed for sale.  It's freakin adorable.  I love that place and when I moved back to jax I was hoping to duplicate the lifestyle I had there by living in Avondale/Riverside.

[avonjax]

From the renderings it appears that Brookyln Park's retail will not resemble a strip mall...
Am I wrong?

[DemocraticNole]

"Another non-downtown development.  They could have put all of these establishments into existing downtown buildings.  Jacksonville's land is so cheap that it is more profitable to continue the sprawl, while leaving the downtown empty.  That is the problem with Jacksonville.  Its land is too cheap.  That is why sprawl occurs. 

Everyone I talk to wants a downtown with life.  There are enough strip malls already.  Nobody wants another suburban mall.  Nobody.  Except outside developers."

This development will certainly improve the traffic on Philips and 95 won't it.

For those talking about the Fort Worth Stockyards, they are not located downtown. They are north of the downtown area. The reason that Fort Worth's downtown is so nice is because of the Bass family. In the 70's, Fort Worth had the problems a lot of cities did. Business were leaving downtown, it was becoming run down, and crime skyrocketed. The Bass brothers had the forsight to put a bunch of money into downtown. They also spent money and continue to do so to this day on a private security force to patrol downtown in addition to the Fort Worth Police. You can see them on horseback and bicycles throughout downtown. This saved the city from the fate that many others took during that time period.

Of course the Bass' have endless amounts of money mainly from oil and some from other ventures. The big money family that could do that in Jax? You guessed it: John Peyton and family with Gate Oil. Of course we all know how competent John Peyton is at fixing things in this town.

[adamh0903]

Well I more or less talking about having something unique that would draw people to it, which the stockyards do. I dont think putting a havertys downtown would draw people downtown, but come with a way to incoprarate our natuaral draw downtown, the river with MOCA and Florida Theater, then you are going somewhere.

[Jason]

From the renderings it appears that Brookyln Park's retail will not resemble a strip mall...
Am I wrong?

You're not wrong.  Brooklyn Park will not resemble a strip mall whatsoever.

[fhrathore]

I wonder what impact wal-mart will have to those businesses. i guess we can say toys-r-us is dead...

[suburbiasucks]

It's Walmartville! How creepy can these fake towns get?! Yuuuuck!

[animalover]

I'm very happy to hear a Wal-Mart is coming into this area.  Please tell me when it is to open.  Thanks.

[copperfiend]

I wonder what impact wal-mart will have to those businesses. i guess we can say toys-r-us is dead...

They are bulding a new one at the SJTC. They might be closing the Avenues one anyway.