Metro Jacksonville Rail Plan Already Spurring Development?

[thelakelander]

Jackson Square's first public hearing will be held August 26, 2008 at city hall.  I went ahead and color coded the site plan attached in the project's PUD application for better understanding.



Phase I = blue

Phase II = green

Multi family residential = yellow

Parking garage = orange

Street level retail with residential above = red

Future JTA Bus Rapid Transit ROW = purple

From the layout, the development appears to have very little impact on River Oaks Road (although a traffic study would have to confirm this).  Personally, the layout could improve by shifting the buildings to front the sidewalks along Philips Highway.  This project should be something that completely begins to remake the atmosphere of this blighted corridor.  Parking lots that sit between the buildings and Philips should be discouraged.

[tufsu1]

this website shows many different traffic calming devices that could be used

http://www.pedbikeimages.org

[RiversideGator]

I think if this is done properly it will enhance the value of the properties on River Oak as well as their quality of life.  There is a lot of great infill development like this in Atlanta which has helped to raise up the surrounding neighborhood.  I wish I could remember the name of the place but there is a similar development in Atlanta south of downtown near the old cemetery which has aided with the resurgence of the surrounding area.  The same could happen here IMO.  These neighbors should try to work with the developers and city officials to get the right plans and architecture in place.

[brainstormer]

Has metrojax done a "Learning from Atlanta" piece?  I think we could learn a lot from studying what Atlanta has done in the past 5-10 years since hosting the Olympics. 

[thelakelander]

Learning from Downtown Atlanta: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/465/118/

Learning from Atlantic Station: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/455/118/

Learning from Centennial Olympic Park: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/section/8/118/10/40/

[Coolyfett]

I think if this is done properly it will enhance the value of the properties on River Oak as well as their quality of life.  There is a lot of great infill development like this in Atlanta which has helped to raise up the surrounding neighborhood.  I wish I could remember the name of the place but there is a similar development in Atlanta south of downtown near the old cemetery which has aided with the resurgence of the surrounding area.  The same could happen here IMO.  These neighbors should try to work with the developers and city officials to get the right plans and architecture in place.

Atlantic Station

http://www.atlanticstation.com/home.php

[RiversideGator]

No, it wasnt Atlantic Station.  It was a much smaller development near the cemetery.

[thelakelander]

I think you're talking about the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill lofts, near Cabbagetown that was damaged by the tornado.

[RiversideGator]

That is a good example but the one I was thinking of was not so grand.  It was located across the highway it seems also.  It was a red brick new retail strip with what appeared to be second story condos/apartments in some places.

[tufsu1]

are you thinking of Glenwood Park?

http://glenwoodpark.com/

[RiversideGator]

tufsu:  Yes.  I think that is it.  Great find.  It is a neat development.  I drove through there after just wandering around the area adjacent to the old Atlanta cemetery and Cabbagetown.

Anyway, this is a good example of a new development helping to revitalize a formerly downscale area.  It was done on a similar scale to what was there already and has been well received.  This should be what the San Marco developers should shoot for IMO.

[tufsu1]

Agreed...Glenwood Park may be the best urban version of "new urbanism" I have seen yet...I drove through there last year....architectural styles fit in and the street grid has even been connected to the surrounding neighborhood...unfortunately, it is quite expensive!

[Coolyfett]

Agreed...Glenwood Park may be the best urban version of "new urbanism" I have seen yet...I drove through there last year....architectural styles fit in and the street grid has even been connected to the surrounding neighborhood...unfortunately, it is quite expensive!

I have not seen this area yet. How close is the Inman Park/Reynoldstown Station to this location? (if you know) seems to me the one in Jax would be better than this, They will have a Skyway Station right at the front/back doors right?

[ProjectMaximus]

that looks pretty nice. would have to see it in person to form a concrete opinion though.

I visited my friend in Orlando last weekend, and she'd just moved into Baldwin Park, which is a similar neighborhood development. It's a bit more spread out with fewer mixed-use buildings but plenty of apt clusters and a central retail area (counting Publix and CVS among its businesses). It's far from perfect, but there are offices available with residential above and the most fascinating thing to me was the fact that the many houses (traditional neighborhood homes) are all within easy walking distance to the development's schools, churches, parks, and aforementioned "downtown" area.

http://www.baldwinparkfl.com/web/village.asp

are you thinking of Glenwood Park?

http://glenwoodpark.com/

[southerngirl]

Can I just quickly insert a brief reality check on Jackson Sq vs. the lovely places you guys are showing/talking about in ATL and Orlando:

This development will mainly be 900 APARTMENTS.  Not lovely townhouses/condos like the Atlanta. In the PUD as it exists today, they're asking for a 90/10 split -- 90% apartments, 10% retail.   With that math -- this will ALL be about the apartments.

And they'll be $700/month apartments at that. And, they're ON PHILIPS HWY.  Not in "San Marco."  They will be Philips Highway low-rent apartments.