Hallmark Partners Planning Wellness-Focused Hotel adjacent to 220 Riverside

[thelakelander]

Oh, I don't mind the hotel location. Just not crazy about an urban environment changing, large scale surface parking lot on what should be a prime corridor like Park Street. In general, if you want to establish a walkable community, parking should be interior oriented or integrated within the structure. 220 Riverside is a good example of integration. However, it's understandable that structured parking can blow a project's feasibility altogether.

Neighboring Brooklyn Riverside is a good example of placing parking on the interior. It follows the traditional commercial "framing of the street". Despite the differences in building height, the compact pedestrian scale setting established by building setbacks remains.



What we should avoid (assuming the end goal is more density and walkability) under all circumstances is this:



All you need is a large future project or two that fails to materialize and your entire district's walkability ends up being critically hampered for the next few decades.

[CCMjax]

Let's not forget about the large entry way surface lot they are showing on Forest Street.  So that's 2 of the 3 main streets right in the heart of Brooklyn where they are planning on putting large surface lots.  This is a ridiculous copy of the same Disneyland florida style resort hotel model that does not add value to the community, it actually helps destroy what potential it has.  I would assume they are currently trying to permit for this, that is bad!  Assume whatever they get permitted in terms of surface lots will be there for at least three decades.  All parking for this development should be off oak and magnolia and hidden from the main streets if structured parking is not an option.  They need to get more creative.  I know the owner's response would be, "well we've done studies that show statistically people are more likely to stay at our hotels if they see parking from the street."  That is complete BS, it may be true but we are talking Brooklyn that has potential to be a real urban option for Jax, this is not Baymeadows or Southside.  I would rather the hotel not locate there if they are going to occupy 2 of the 3 main streets with surface lots.  Come on Hallmark!  You started out so well with 220, why go back to the old 1980's model?

[Tacachale]

There are plenty of examples of other urban hotels that handle their parking situation in a much better way than this. Has this been before DDRB yet?

[thelakelander]

I wouldn't be too worried about things at this point. That's why I keep mentioning surface lots "in general". In terms of Hallmark's sketch, it looks like a conceptual sketchup drawing. Something quickly assembled for show. I suspect there will be quite a few variations and design concepts studied before anything real reaches a point where its ready to go to the DDRB.

[CCMjax]

I wouldn't be too worried about things at this point. That's why I keep mentioning surface lots "in general". In terms of Hallmark's sketch, it looks like a conceptual sketchup drawing. Something quickly assembled for show. I suspect there will be quite a few variations and design concepts studied before anything real reaches a point where its ready to go to the DDRB.

Are there any meetings planned that will be open to the public?  I need somewhere to go with my pitchfork in hand on this one!

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Are there any meetings planned that will be open to the public?  I need somewhere to go with my pitchfork in hand on this one!

I laughed at this. 

There's a soon to be meeting about traffic flow in 5 points that should be happening really soon.  You know...  if you need a little practice.  I can bring torches.

[ProjectMaximus]

Let's not forget about the large entry way surface lot they are showing on Forest Street.  So that's 2 of the 3 main streets right in the heart of Brooklyn where they are planning on putting large surface lots. 

Lol, that was supposed to be an "extension" of Unity Plaza supposedly. Hallmark was wanting to have more greenspace around the park.

Look, I know I'm giving Hallmark a lot of credit, perhaps too much, and I'd rather be safe than sorry looking back. I'm just saying that Hallmark was the one who wanted to prove mixed-use in our market and if we see Healthytown, East San Marco, etc move forward, these guys deserve a little of the credit. So I'll join you at a meeting if it looks like DDRB is gonna approve a poor design, but at the moment I don't think the pitchfork needs to come out.

[jaxnyc79]

I wouldn't be too worried about things at this point. That's why I keep mentioning surface lots "in general". In terms of Hallmark's sketch, it looks like a conceptual sketchup drawing. Something quickly assembled for show. I suspect there will be quite a few variations and design concepts studied before anything real reaches a point where its ready to go to the DDRB.

How can they be so fundamentally off the mark on this?  Didn't one of their execs recently speak on a "road diet" for riverside avenue in Brooklyn?  Did they let summer interns draw up this site plan?  I hate to chide investments in these previously moribund districts, but Jax must have the confidence to set a vision and guide growth to that vision.  It matters for the future sustainability of in-town urban neighborhoods.

[JaxAvondale]

I really hope that don't put a surface lot there. Park Street from 5 Points to Brooklyn Station needs more retail. The distance between the two is very walkable and could be a good connector if properly developed.

[jaxnyc79]

Why couldn't they have filled up LaVilla with homes like these?  The core city density doesn't have to be all high-rises...in fact, those houses make more sense for Jacksonville. 

I would love to see a few townhomes incorporated into development of the other sites. Perhaps townhomes could "enclose" some of the planned surface lots. I think diversifying the types of housing available in the neighborhood would really add to it. It also would be kind of cool to build some "look alike" shotgun houses as a throwback to the history of Brooklyn. I know "look alike" houses aren't ideal, but infill housing in Springfield has worked out pretty well at maintaining the look of the historic district.



It also wouldn't be much more expensive to make the first few floors of the office building parking. This would raise the height of the building, and also put the offices above 220 Riverside and provide beautiful views of the river and surrounding area. Having parking built into the footprint of the building would eliminate the need for so many surface lots. I agree, the developers should do everything possible to avoid surface parking that fronts the street.

[CCMjax]

Why couldn't they have filled up LaVilla with homes like these?  The core city density doesn't have to be all high-rises...in fact, those houses make more sense for Jacksonville. 

I would love to see a few townhomes incorporated into development of the other sites. Perhaps townhomes could "enclose" some of the planned surface lots. I think diversifying the types of housing available in the neighborhood would really add to it. It also would be kind of cool to build some "look alike" shotgun houses as a throwback to the history of Brooklyn. I know "look alike" houses aren't ideal, but infill housing in Springfield has worked out pretty well at maintaining the look of the historic district.



It also wouldn't be much more expensive to make the first few floors of the office building parking. This would raise the height of the building, and also put the offices above 220 Riverside and provide beautiful views of the river and surrounding area. Having parking built into the footprint of the building would eliminate the need for so many surface lots. I agree, the developers should do everything possible to avoid surface parking that fronts the street.

They were there before but got torn down, you can still see some of them standing but abandoned.  I think medium rise mixed use would be good for the Water Street, Jefferson, Bay and Forsyth corridors then a mix of those style homes one and two story and town homes throughout the rest of La Villa would be great.  It's pretty much what the infrastructure is set up for and it would be going back to the original fabric.  But by restoring what's there and infilling what has been lost, not just continue demo in hopes that some magical development will go in.

Let's not forget about the Church Street area in the norheast section of downtown though.  I never hear anyone mention that area.  It's the one part of downtown where a lot of the historic residents are still in tact, just need a little love.  People live there currently but the area could be better.  Since so much demolition has occurred in Jacksonville, the preservation if this small pocket must be a priority for a downtown masterplan.

[thelakelander]

^Cathedral District! I mention it from time to time. Yes, we should not forget about it.

[CCMjax]

^Cathedral District! I mention it from time to time. Yes, we should not forget about it.

Cathedral District, sorry Lake, I knew it had a name, still relatively new to Jax.  It's a shame they planted a "Community Transition Center" and jail in that area.  Kind of discourages people from living there.  And the transition center is right on what could potentially be a beautiful section of Hogan's Creak parkway.  Kind of kills the whole Emerald Necklace urban park network idea in that section.  They didn't really think that one through did they?  Sort of like building a bunch of government buildings on the riverfront.  It is as if there was a period of a few decades where the leaders of this city were actually on a mission to destroy downtown.

I really think the city needs to consider relocating the police station, jail and transition center out of that neighborhood and away from the water (both river and creek) to a tower with all three within the same tower.  Not sure if the JEA building or the building at Duval and Julia could be repurposed for that or if a new tower would be needed.  But over by the courthouse makes sense and placing all three in one also makes sense in my mind.  No one would be able to tell what it is other than a police station if the jail and transition centers were on the upper floors.  I posted long ago that there is one in Chicago that is a tower right in the loop and the average person walking by has no idea what the building actually is, just looks like another tower.  There are literally thousands of people living (in nice places) and working all around it.