Jax Landing to be renovated

[Bill Hoff]

Hopefully more than paint & lighting, but even just that would be welcome.

www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/09/18/with-renovations-in-the-works.html?ana=twt&r=full

[thelakelander]

Sleiman has owned the Landing for 10 years now. Wow!

[CityLife]

Mr. Sleiman, if you seek vibrancy, if you seek prosperity for Jacksonville and North Florida, if you seek growth: Come here to this gateway to the river! Mr. Sleiman, open this gateway! Mr. Sleiman, tear down this wall!

In my best Reagan voice...

Hopefully he'll listen to what quite a few people have been telling him for years and open it up to Laura St.

[thelakelander]

I thought Sleiman was the one who originally proposed opening the Landing up to Laura Street?

[Lunican]

What's different this time?

[CityLife]

I thought Sleiman was the one who originally proposed opening the Landing up to Laura Street?

Yea I think he was, but I know a lot of others have been pushing him to do it for years now. At the 2009 APA conference, during the Landing redesign charette/excercise, it took the out of towners about 5 minutes to realize it needed to be done.

[thelakelander]

^From what I understand, the primary issue nothing has happened has dealt more with politics/negotiations between Sleiman and the city.

[Overstreet]

I'd be happy to do the work. But do y'all really think that if you're driving down Laura a view of the river is going to make you want to find a parking space and walk to the landing on a whim? 

Who is even down town that didn't go there on purpose already?

[Jason]

As part of that I would be ecstatic to see a mixed use residential component built in along Water and Hogan.  Tall enough to offer riverfront views on the upper floors with retail on the bottom to make up the lost square footage from opening up the Laura Street corridor. 

I don't think that would be too risky.  Maybe he could also team up with the city to designate some of the owed parking in the coming garage across the street for the new residents.

[thelakelander]

What's different this time?

It's approaching the age of 25.  Perhaps, it's time for a bubble bath.

[thelakelander]

I'd be happy to do the work. But do y'all really think that if you're driving down Laura a view of the river is going to make you want to find a parking space and walk to the landing on a whim?

Yes, assuming that view includes lots of people, activity, retailers, and restaurants.  We're naturally attracted to each other.  You're more likely to make a stop at a place you can visually see people having a good time than in a corridor where all the street level retail spots are closed and boarded up. Also, such a scene will help stimulate more street front business opportunity on Laura, north of the Landing.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

As part of that I would be ecstatic to see a mixed use residential component built in along Water and Hogan....

I don't think that would be too risky.  ...

What're the residential occupancy levels downtown?  I believe they're high, but I don't have any figures in front of me to go by, only what I've seen and read.

[PeeJayEss]

What's different this time?

It's approaching the age of 25.  Perhaps, it's time for a bubble bath.

That's what I did when I turned 25.

As part of that I would be ecstatic to see a mixed use residential component built in along Water and Hogan....

I don't think that would be too risky.  ...

What're the residential occupancy levels downtown?  I believe they're high, but I don't have any figures in front of me to go by, only what I've seen and read.

I believe the main ones (Strand/Peninsula/Carling/11E) are all hovering around 95% (maybe a little higher), some higher, some lower. I don't think they have waiting lists, but the selection is limited.

Also, if Toney gets a major renovation done at the Landing, I take back every bad thing I have ever said about his strip malling.

[Jason]

Don't know.  Everything I've experienced, personally, on the northbank is that the developments are pretty full.

[CityLife]

I'd be happy to do the work. But do y'all really think that if you're driving down Laura a view of the river is going to make you want to find a parking space and walk to the landing on a whim?

Yes, assuming that view includes lots of people, activity, retailers, and restaurants.  We're naturally attracted to each other.  You're more likely to make a stop at a place you can visually see people having a good time than in a corridor where all the street level retail spots are closed and boarded up. Also, such a scene will help stimulate more street front business opportunity on Laura, north of the Landing.

^Agreed...and to add on, its not just to lure in people in cars, but also people walking the street and in office buildings. The Landing occasionally has events and concerts going on, but they go unseen. Someone is far more likely to venture into the Landing courtyard if they see something going on, than if they just assume something is going on behind walls.  An open courtyard would also give the Landing more of an opportunity to create a vibrant gateway between the river and Laura Street. There could be vendors, street performers, etc between the courtyard and roundabout instead of a bland entryway.

Also somone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Laura go slightly uphill from the river? I don't think opening it up would lead to a San Francisco like panorama of the river, but I do think it would create a stronger visual connection between the downtown core and the river.