Downtown Frankenstein: 1971 Downtown Master Plan

[jeh1980]

I had read that there were supposed to be a movie theater somewhere in the plan. Well, we'll be happy to know that Bay Street Station will make up for that!

[jeh1980]

I wonder if one day we can dig up more on the history of the Modis Tower(Independent Square) and post some historic photos about that. It would sure be a lot of fun .

[jeh1980]

I wonder if one day we can dig up more on the history of the Modis Tower(Independent Square) and post some historic photos about that. It would sure be a lot of fun .

I don't think that the Southern Bell/BellSouth Tower (now AT&T Tower) was anywhere in that Master Plan. But it's a good thing that it was built anyway! By the way, do any of you have those historic photos on the Independent Square (Modis Tower) yet?

[jeh1980]

It's funny that the plan never included anythink concerning our sports complex. I imagine, if they were to have such a plan, an arena would have look like that arena in Cincinnati (or Detroit), or the old Omni in Atlanta. Oh, well. Thank the Lord for the Better Jacksonville Plan which gave us an 18,000 seat arena. I don't know if the Gator Bowl have anything to do with the Master Plan. But if it did, I'd be very surprised . Lakelander, I wonder if there were any more historic plans we never knew about that might be already completed or not?

[jeh1980]

I had this thought. Can some of our city's new projects make up for what it been lost in that old Master Plan?

[jeh1980]

I thought that the 1971 downtown master plan had every good intention to make downtown Jacksonville a great place to be. It may not exactly look like "World's Fair" material with the renderings. I want to see a 3-D image of what would have been of the master plan would have fully completed .

[jeh1980]

Why doesn't anybody respond to my post yet? I know that the Master Plan had all the good intentions despite the current results, even though most of it with finished.

[thelakelander]

I wonder if one day we can dig up more on the history of the Modis Tower(Independent Square) and post some historic photos about that. It would sure be a lot of fun .

Sounds like an interesting story.  I'll add this one to the list of future front page articles to run.

[thelakelander]

jeh1980, here are a few historic photographs of the block were MODIS now stands.

This was the SE corner of Laura and Bay Streets in 1950.


The Independent Life Building and current Landing site in 1981.

[jeh1980]

Wow! I can't wait to see more of them. Keep 'em coming and keep the faith!  

[Jason]

'81 was a great year... 

[jeh1980]

I was born a year before they shot that photo.