Brooklyn Riverside Residential Development Renderings

[thelakelander]

I spent the day in the Southside and downtown of Birmingham. What's crazy is they have these Brooklyn Riverside/ 220 Riverside infill mixed use projects already all over the place. We really missed the boat the last decade.

[tufsu1]

I spent the day in the Southside and downtown of Birmingham. What's crazy is they have these Brooklyn Riverside/ 220 Riverside infill mixed use projects already all over the place. We really missed the boat the last decade.

maybe so, but we're nowhere near as bad off economically as Birmingham is....most of the wealthy folks live outside the city....one of the pros of consolidation is that isn't the case here (yet)

[thelakelander]

Yes. The 10% sales tax is also pretty insane but I was referring to recent urban infill residential development. With our "booming" economy, one would think it should include our core as well.

[thelakelander]

I spent the day in the Southside and downtown of Birmingham. What's crazy is they have these Brooklyn Riverside/ 220 Riverside infill mixed use projects already all over the place. We really missed the boat the last decade.

Jacksonville was far too busy building massive parking garages and demolishing its historic neighborhoods to make way for 'new development' while making it impossible for 'new developers' to actually build anything downtown.

One thing that does stand out is the amount of available older building stock in Bham. A lot of it is empty but still standing. The scale kind of gives you an idea of what DT Jax and LaVilla was once like. Anyway, now that these guys are approved, any idea on when they plan to break ground?

[tufsu1]

agreed....they still have a rich building stock

[ProjectMaximus]

Yes. The 10% sales tax is also pretty insane but I was referring to recent urban infill residential development. With our "booming" economy, one would think it should include our core as well.

10% Sales tax...did you try ordering some liquor? Hold onto your pants!

[jcjohnpaint]

I spent the day in the Southside and downtown of Birmingham. What's crazy is they have these Brooklyn Riverside/ 220 Riverside infill mixed use projects already all over the place. We really missed the boat the last decade.

True,
But it is hard to say with UAB right in town.  I do think such a large university really helps the situation. 

[thelakelander]

When you think about it, we can make an excuse for every city.  However, at some point, we've got to move on and resolve our problems. We don't need a UAB to create a market for urban infill. Perhaps the market is already there and we're doing something that stops it from blossoming? For example, for every Birmingham, I can offer up a Chattanooga, Greenville, SC, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, or Norfolk, VA that doesn't have a UAB. Nevertheless, we still have 50,000 people working in/around downtown and a beautiful river that can't be replicated anywhere else. That's more than many of the places I just mentioned, bring to the table.  When I look at it, even Shands should be a larger draw on housing and support businesses in the immediate vicinity than it appears to be.

[simms3]

I can offer up a Chattanooga

When I first started working for my firm, I was brought on to work on our project in Chattanooga among others and ended up spending much time there.  The whole metro has an office market only 5 million SF deep to give one an idea of how small office employment is there (and we were 300,000 SF of their market).  What a great city!  And I still don't understand what their economic "driver" is, Lol!  Really no population growth or job growth, but the city has harnessed tourism and has a very strong downtown org backed by one of the two billion-dollar family trusts in the area (they fought/competed with us on everything)...and they have managed to capture seriously strong tourism for such a small, interior city.

Aside from downtown, the coolest place is arguably North Shore across the river.  It's amazing what they've done in Chattanooga for so little.

When I look at it, even Shands should be a larger draw on housing and support businesses in the immediate vicinity than it appears to be.

I agree.  Where are all the UF interns residing?  Where do the nurses live?  The doctors?  How many UF grad students are there at Shands?  Like I keep saying - JOBS are what will make for a bright future for Springfield.  There are some, between Shands and DT Jax (not nearly enough), but has it resulted in any restorations by employees of Shands?

[Lunican]

Shands interns don't know where Springfield is and they are unofficially discouraged from living within close proximity to the hospital by coworkers.

[fsujax]

^^You mean UF Health, Lunican! haha and you are correct about them being discouraged from living anywhere near the hospital.

[thelakelander]

^This is what I mean.  Seems like it may be more of us sabotaging ourselves than anything being market rated.  On the surface, the blocks between Boulevard and Pearl should be lined with a mix of dense housing types and 8th Street should have businesses and medical offices catering to the population Shands draws.  In many cities across the country with similar sized medical campuses, this is the case.  Only so much can be blamed on the market.

[fsujax]

well, look at the hospital has done, completely gated walled itself from the community all in the name of security.

[ProjectMaximus]

^^You mean UF Health, Lunican! haha and you are correct about them being discouraged from living anywhere near the hospital.

Considering what they see at that hospital, can you blame them?

I kid! kinda...

[tufsu1]

Johns Hopkins used to do the same thing....but now they are focused on improving the areas around the hospital