Is it time to reassess the Berkman Plaza II

[FlaBoy]

Would be great for Bay Street. I think apartments would do well there to be honest. Once Cowford, the Breweries, and some other places get going on Bay St (which is nearly dead right now), I could see it becoming more desirable in 2016.

[Noone]

Would be great for Bay Street.

Kayaked there today and did a Vivian Harrell KJB Bluebag cleanup right at the Jim Love, Kevin Kuzel 26' Berkman Floating dock compromise (Shipyards III) misrepresented by OGC during the 2013 FIND grant application process. Follow up by councilwoman Boyer on the Public Acess at Catherine St. when she was on Waterways. This too would be great for Bay St.

[thelakelander]

Would be great for Bay Street. I think apartments would do well there to be honest. Once Cowford, the Breweries, and some other places get going on Bay St (which is nearly dead right now), I could see it becoming more desirable in 2016.

I'm working in Palm Bay today but I'll try to dig and post a link to that old article when i get back to Jax tonight.

[jaxjags]

The collapse was the garage structure only. Yes it was improper removal of temporary supports from the concrete structure. The garage had a different design firm and different contractor from the main building. Their should be no issue with the main building in this short of time. Only the site's reputation so to speak.

[MusicMan]

Finish it as condos or apartments or a hotel that offer long term corporate and regular options and it will be a winner.

The site is actually (IMO) better than "Berkman I" because it is closer to the river and will look north with unobstructed views of the St Johns , the stadium, and what ever goes in at the Shipyards. Get lucky and it could have a spectacular view.


Has anyone showed it to TRUMP?

[thelakelander]

Here's a few articles from last year about the potential of turning Berkman's structurally sound shell into an 18-story apartment building:

Abandoned for more than six years and in litigation for nearly as long, the Berkman Plaza II condominium tower project sold at auction Tuesday in fewer than 60 seconds — for $100.
After being granted a $10.2 million judgment and lien, Choate Construction Co., the general contractor on the 18-story development Downtown along the St. Johns River, was the lone bidder in a foreclosure auction and secured the property for $100.

"We would much rather somebody walked in with a check for $10 million," Choate Chief Operating Officer Michael Hampton said this morning.

He said the outcome on the project obviously is not what the company intended, but all things considered, the latest chapter in the story creates opportunities for developers.

"We've had a lot of interest," he said. "They see it as a high-rise apartment opportunity."

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542838

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-05-03/story/downtown-living-jacksonville-developers-favor-apartments-not-condos

[downtownbrown]

Demolishing it and incentiving someone to finish it will probably cost taxpayers around the same.

Does the city need to take control of it? I am guessing it is owned by a bank or financial institution.

Again, Choate Construction bought the building for $1 because they had a $10M construction lien on the property.  Choate brought in a developer who wanted to finish it as apartments, but needed $5M from DIA to make it work.  DIA turned the developer down.  And here we are...

[CCMjax]

Demolishing it and incentiving someone to finish it will probably cost taxpayers around the same.

Does the city need to take control of it? I am guessing it is owned by a bank or financial institution.

Again, Choate Construction bought the building for $1 because they had a $10M construction lien on the property.  Choate brought in a developer who wanted to finish it as apartments, but needed $5M from DIA to make it work.  DIA turned the developer down.  And here we are...

Which is comical since the incentives the developers are asking for with projects like Berkman II and the Trio are peanuts for the city when you are talking about projects where the developers are willing to clean up the two most visibly disastrous building sites that scream out "this downtown is struggling!" to anyone visiting DT.  There are no other sites downtown that express it so clearly for everyone to see other than these two.  They are top of the list.  Curry stated at the NAIOP seminar last week that fixing the pension fund issues could potentially free up $100 million a year for the city to invest elsewhere.  $100 MILLION a year!!!  This vs the one time $5 mil subsidy the developer was asking for Berkman II and the $8 mil one time subsidy for the Trio.   

[fieldafm]

^^To be fair, a formal proposal was never presented to DIA, City Council, et al... but the numbers that were being kicked around were far more than $5mm in public assistance.

DIA has virtually no budget for any substantial housing-related project such as this. This would ultimately be a City Council issue.

[downtownbrown]

^Gulliford says he's "looking into it", and the mayor just said it needs to get done, so I guess there is reason to be optimistic.

[Tacachale]

I imagine if the owners presented a real plan, the city would be willing to listen. Hopefully it happens soon.

[FlaBoy]

^^To be fair, a formal proposal was never presented to DIA, City Council, et al... but the numbers that were being kicked around were far more than $5mm in public assistance.

DIA has virtually no budget for any substantial housing-related project such as this. This would ultimately be a City Council issue.

What were the numbers then? North of $10 million?

How many units are in Berkman I?

[thelakelander]

208 units. However, Berkman II will probably end up with less.  I doubt it will be as tall as originally envisioned if it is finished.

[jaxjaguar]

Judging from my pictures from this weekend it would be about 17/18 stories if completed as is and not mirrored to its neighbor. I wouldn't complain at all. I just want it completed and to have more residents downtown.

[downtownbrown]

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2016-03-07/story/berkmans-unfinished-tower-needs-be-finished-or-torn-down

Looks like our beloved newspaper just noticed there is a rotting hulk of a building in the middle of downtown.  Let's see if Gaffney has any juice, or is it more of the same?