Downtown revitalization ideas taking shape

[thelakelander]

Some ideas the CRA consultants appear to be recommending for downtown.

• The Laura Street corridor, from Monroe to the Landing. Pitched possibilities include incentives for renovation projects, improved lighting, a property condition report for the Snyder Memorial Church and the use of art installations.

• The East Bay Street corridor, which includes the Shipyards, former courthouse and former City Hall annex. Ideas include a "road diet" by replacing vehicle lanes with sidewalks, bike lanes and other pedestrian-friendly components; demolishing the courthouse and former City Hall annex; and making the Shipyards a "world-class city park."

• Riverside Avenue and Forest Street corridor. Possibilities include addressing parking issues and converting outside travel lanes to make two tree-line boulevards. Doing so would reduce pedestrian crossing distance.

• The Downtown East-West circulator. Ideas are to have a reliable and frequent trolley system that extends from the Riverside Arts Market to the Jacksonville Landing, Bay Street and Metro Park areas. That could be done with a partnership with Jacksonville Transportation Authority and a one-year pilot program, with a possibility of federal grants to purchase environmentally friendly vehicles.

Also pitched were methods of trying to find better uses for waterfront property, starting with the area around Friendship Park, and revamping and updating the signage around Downtown to help visitors.

A public forum will be held on November 4th.  You can read more about it here:

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540877

[Kerry]

Not sure if Jax could pull this off but Oklahoma City is the midst of a downtown redevelopment called Project 180.  They are rebuilding every street and sidewalk in the urban core.  All one-way streets are being converted to two-way, 4 lanes streets are being reduced to 2 lanes, nearly every street will have on street parking, and nearly every street will get dedicated bike lanes (and those that don't get sharrows).

http://www.okc180.com/

[thelakelander]

If Lakeland could pull this off in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including getting FDOT to reroute a highway around downtown, than Jax could.  It's just something that has to be a priority with the community willing to fund.

[Kerry]

I can tell you I don't like the idea of tearing anything down.  If we as a country have learned anything since 1960, it is that speculative tear-down has NEVER sped up redevelopment, and in a lot of cases destroyed building stock that would have been re-used by now.

[Bolles_Bull]

I would like to see better signage for public parking.  The feeling I get when I'm downtown is I can never tell if a parking garage is for employees with permits ony or for the general public. 

At the same time, remove the meters and replace them with 2 hr parking limits.   I think this would easily, cheaply, and immediatley solve a big perceived problem with downtown:  "theres no parking, i hate paying for parking".

Done.

[thelakelander]

I can tell you I don't like the idea of tearing anything down.  If we as a country have learned anything since 1960, it is that speculative tear-down has NEVER sped up redevelopment, and in a lot of cases destroyed building stock that would have been re-used by now.

I definitely agree with you here. Downtown Jax struggles today, largely because of the amount of affordable usable building stock being destroyed over the years for revitalization dreams that never materialized.  Many of the art galleries, breweries, bars, etc. on King Street in Riverside today are examples of businesses that once desired downtown locations. 

[Dapperdan]

Why does the Laura Street corridor need new lighting? That was just done. Are they talking about building lighting?

[Scrub Palmetto]

[. . .] and making the Shipyards a "world-class city park."

I would rather see the Shipyards sit empty and see the string of historic parks along Hogan's Creek be made into a world-class city park than to see the Shipyards turned into this and the Hogan's Creek parks continue to be neglected. Obviously "all of the above" would be nice, but in Jacksonville, you never get all of the above. Improved park space should take priority over more park space, IMO.

[Kerry]

I agree Scrub.  I would prefer that the Hogan Creek system either be restored to its natural state or rebuild the promenade - but dilapidation is not a good look.  I walked this whole area last week and there is so much potential.  Confederate Park is a hidden gem that is located out in the open.

[thelakelander]

Improved park space should take priority over more park space, IMO.

+1,000

[DDC]

I am in agreement with the lets fix what we got idea. The parks on Hogans Creek and in Springfield  could be that world class park. Not to mention that place were all the "undesirables" gather 

I have no problem with development of the ship yards and the idea of reworking East Bay to make it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. But Damn if I am for tearing ANYTHING down until we know that there is a replacement going up as soon as the site is cleared. If someone is allowed to take down the old Court House and City Hall, 10 years from now we will be talking about what a nice park all that property would make between Bay Street and the river. 

[mtraininjax]

Downtown Jax struggles today, largely because of the amount of affordable usable building stock being destroyed over the years for revitalization dreams that never materialized.  Many of the art galleries, breweries, bars, etc. on King Street in Riverside today are examples of businesses that once desired downtown locations.

Wha wha? The reason King Street has come back is because of the population density has embraced the corridor and the offerings there. Forget the buildings as the "reason" people came out and revived the area.

Gotta have people coming out and experiencing the offerings. There are not enough people downtown to support the offerings.

[fieldafm]

If you don't think the existing building stock had much to do with King Street's revitilzation... then you simply have never looked at the price of trying to move into one of the many raw and dilapated spaces downtown.

[Captain Zissou]

Before 2009, what offerings did king street have?? ......the answer is Kickbacks (which was 30% as busy as it is today), park place, and Walker's which was newly opened and always empty.

The first two venues that started the revival were Rogue and Loft, which were accidents, but they were a result of the city streetscape project, the renovation of king street, and chance. I did an interview with Scott McAlister back when he opened Rogue/Loft and those were the reasons he cited. Originally he was just going to renovate the buildings and lease them, but the tenants bailed and he was forced to fill the space himself. I think he's pleased with how things turned out. I also interviewed Ben Davis and his decision was purely driven by the building stock. He would have rather been in DT, but that wasn't possible.

I don't have time to go through the old articles, but maybe someone else can. King Street had no scene in 2008. It really wasn't until PPC (post pub crawl) that the strip really took off.

[thelakelander]

Furthermore, CoRK and Bold City are certainly not in the area because of population density.  Critical elements there are built around existing building stock/availability at certain price point.  Also, good chunk of people involved there at one time wanted to be downtown.