How a Design Review Committee is SUPPOSE to work

[vicupstate]

Below is an article about the Charleston's Board of Architectural review (BAR) and their review of a major mixed use project in the Upper King Street corridor of the Downtown historic district.  Named the "Midtown project", it consists of a hotel, condos, office and retail space, with provisoins for a future Light Rail line.

Could you ever imagine that Jacksonville's equivalent (the Design Review Committee or whatever it's called these days) making statements like those in bold?   Also note the attitude of the developer, also in bold.

City board asks for Midtown revisions
By Katy Stech (Contact)
The Post and Courier

Tuesday, March 4, 2008


A massive upper King Street project was sent back to the drawing board Monday with concerns that it would not create a grand enough public entrance to downtown Charleston.

The Midtown project's U-shaped courtyard would be hidden from drivers on King and Meeting streets as they cross Spring Street, where the yet-to-be-built hotel, condominium, retail and office project is located. And the city's Board of Architectural Review challenged the developers to create a more ambitious and striking hotel entrance that would make a statement to incoming tourists and residents.

"This needs a strong sense of entry to King Street and downtown Charleston," said board member Craig Bennett.

Likening the Midtown project to Charleston Place hotel, developers say that it could transform the Upper King area and anchor the top part of the city.

But Charleston Place didn't turn out perfectly, and board members said they were trying to avoid an obsolete entrance similar to the existing hotel's small courtyard off Market Street.

Residents and board members also wanted to see if developers would somehow downplay the proposed loading dock area along Spring Street.

They pointed again to Charleston Place's loading dock area on Hasell Street, which can be crowded with trucks and littered with trash and is a gathering place for the hotel's workers during their smoke break.

The board unanimously voted to defer the project, pushing the developer's timeline back by at least several months.

"We feel that these were good, thoughtful comments, and we're prepared to roll up our sleeves to get back in front of the (board) soon," said Reid Freeman, president of Atlanta-based Regent Partners, lead developer on the project.

Local developer Robert Clement III partnered with Freemen on the project, along with Integral Urban Investments, also of Atlanta and Raleigh-based Cherokee Investment Partners.

[thelakelander]

That's how its supposed to work.  Hopefully, one day we'll get there pretty soon.