$400,000.00 for a Downtown park the size of a basketball court

[Cheshire Cat]

This is interesting.  Apparently there is consideration being given to a 400k, perhaps 500k park for the small area in front of the Chamber.  The area is considered a city park, who knew?  Take a look at the plans featured in the link below.  Nothing in them screams public park, lots of flagpoles though.



http://www.news4jax.com/news/-400K-to-be-spent-on-tiny-downtown-park/-/475880/19208350/-/y1ppehz

At a time when the government is cutting services, the Jacksonville City Council is being asked to spend $400,000 on a very tiny park.

The money is coming from the state, and its target is a small strip of land in front of the Chamber of Commerce building at the base of the Main Street Bridge in downtown Jacksonville.

The area is considered a public park, which comes as a surprise to many on the council.

The building itself is currently undergoing a $3 million renovation, but it's being funded privately.

Meanwhile, the park is 168 feet long and 48 feet wide. It's not much bigger than a basketball court, and it's slated to become downtown's new front door.

The plan is to spend more than $400,000 to renovate the property, which is owned by the city. It's a park nobody really knew about, and it's taking councilman John Crescimbeni by surprise.Jax Chamber aerial

"If it's the property I am thinking of, to spend a half-million dollars on landscaping improvement, I can't imagine what we would spend that on for as small as what I have pictured in my mind.

[thelakelander]

More detail.  I can see how the cost is $480,000 for the work mentioned and size of the property.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/timothy-gibbons/2013-03-06/jacksonville-council-considers-half-million-dollars

[Cheshire Cat]

Ennis, What do you think of the design and the idea that this will be the new doorway to downtown which is what it is being called?

[peestandingup]

Woo, another so-called "park" to add to our enormous list of tiny mediocre city parks that no one uses. Yee haw!

Half a million could do a lot of improvements in sidewalks & pedestrian/bike infrastructure, but who needs that??

[thelakelander]

Ennis, What do you think of the design and the idea that this will be the new doorway to downtown which is what it is being called?

To be honest, compared to what it was (a surface parking lot with no landscaping), it looks like an improvement. However, I'm not sure of the full history of how it is supposed to be funded.

the thread on this project from last year: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,14156.0.html

[tufsu1]

Woo, another so-called "park" to add to our enormous list of tiny mediocre city parks that no one uses. Yee haw!

pocket parks can be a great thing in downtown environments

[thelakelander]

Given the location being boxed in by bridge ramps, I doubt it gets much use outside of those at the chamber.  However, them upgrading their property is a visual boost for downtown when arriving on Ocean Street.  I typically avoid some areas of downtown when bringing visitors into the core because of how dead they are. 

Speaking of that, I hosted my family reunion on the Southbank back in 2010.  A few family members hadn't been to Jax in a while and I assume they remembered the area from the 1970s and 80s.  After saying hi, the common wording coming out of their mouths were, "what the hell has happened here? Where are the buildings and people?"  I had to put city pride aside and tell them the real deal.

[Noone]

Woo, another so-called "park" to add to our enormous list of tiny mediocre city parks that no one uses. Yee haw!

pocket parks can be a great thing in downtown environments

Berkman Plaza comes to mind. The fountain, flag poles of which one use to fly the COJ flag, and 10% of the River access for the Public from the marina.

[peestandingup]

Woo, another so-called "park" to add to our enormous list of tiny mediocre city parks that no one uses. Yee haw!

pocket parks can be a great thing in downtown environments

Sure they can, but you don't need a thousand of them. Esp in a mostly dead environment with no main central park or public space that's being utilized. The one big park we do have downtown (Met Park) is a complete afterthought & underutilized. So scattering pocket parks among a half dead urban environment, one where being a pedestrian is such an unpleasant experience to begin with, isn't really the answer.

[Kiva]

Work started on this about a week ago. Has the money been approved?

[thelakelander]

To me, it's really a "greened parking lot".  The other alternative would have been them just pouring a new coat of asphalt on top of what was one of the most ugliest parking lots in downtown. Instead, they've found a way to keep spaces, add trees, grass and a water feature at their main entrance.  The only real issue I see is if it should be done with public dollars or not.

[JeffreyS]

I like it.

[CG7]

I fail to see how a landscaped, and lighted park in front of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce is a bad thing.

[Dapperdan]

If this is the new 'gateway' , can we please get rid of the ugly 2 story metal parking garage that is behind the chamber? What a waste of space.

[mbwright]

It may be an improvement, but a waste of money.  $59.52 per sq ft