A new idea for Downtown?

[Houseboat Mike]

Hello all...standard intro. Long time lurker, first time poster. But I have a theory I want to run past you all, and would like honest feedback. I have been in Jax since I was 2, in 1974. Seen the ups and downs. Work downtown, and have read all of the lost Jacksonville stories, walked the streets, seen the lost potential and the discussions about it.

My theory is this- Jax has always struggled with parking downtown, and we lament the lost buildings that the idiots- in the name of "progress" knocked down. Couldn't we combine the 2? Take any corner that is now a vacant surface lot- Cunningham furniture comes immediately to mind on Forsyth. At one time there was a 2-3 story building on it-right? Why not take a photo of what used to be there, and make a parking garage that replicates what was there 50 years ago?

In other words, make what you see from the street what was there 50 years ago, but it is actually a garage? I know it wouldn't work for every scenario (old post office at Hogan and Adams come to mind), but a lot of the photos I have seen on this site suggest it would work. The site of the old hotel Washington on Adams would be a perfect example of my thought.

Comments?

[tufsu1]

seems like an idea worth trying out on a site

[jcjohnpaint]

Interesting, but garages are expensive.  I think we have more than enough parking, but could use better signage.  Big signs that state public parking and payments accepted.  Keep all the signs consistent- such as the landmark signage around downtown.   

[JimInJax]

We have enough parking, but not in the right places. The closest major garage to The Landing is 2 1/2 blocks. Most people don't walk to walk that far; and if the weather is bad, forget it. Couple that with the cost of parking to go downtown for dinner, and that kills it for many because they can go elsewhere and park closer for free.

just my $.02

Jim

[thelakelander]

^There's a seven story garage under construction directly across from the Landing now. We have enough parking. In fact, we have more spaces than people downtown. It's just not utilized well.

[Todd_Parker]

Definitely a cool idea but how much cost would it add to the project to have the exterior of the garage resemble a historical structure? Are parking garages the only structures we can expect to have a chance of being constructed in downtown within the near future. It would be nice if, you know, actual business/commercial buildings were constructed to resemble iconic buildings of the past.

I must admit, the first thing I thought of when I read your idea was that scene from 'Blazing Saddles' when they build the fake town to lure the hired gang into a trap.

[CityLife]

Good outside the box thinking, but don't think its very practical. For the cost that it would take to build a faux replica, you may as well just actually recreate the building. I think a better goal instead would be a program to rebuild historic structures on downtown surface lots. Similar to what many German cities did after WW2. Even then, its still not very financially feasible.

There are a lot of buildings we've lost downtown that really burn, but the one that really bothers me the most is the old Post Office. I think if that had remained, it would still be Jacksonville's signature building today. Unfortunately, it would cost an insane amount of money to rebuild, materials are more expensive, and there aren't enough laborers with the craftsmenship needed to build ornate buildings like we used to have.

Basically, an endeavor like this would be charity, not really something you would see done on the free market...and its not like COJ's government has the money to fund grand ideas either.

[thelakelander]

I'd rather new buildings be constructed to resemble the era we live in today. Construction methods have dramatically changed over the last century. It's too cost prohibitive to build with the same materials and craftsmanship from the early 20th century. Thus, when we attempt to copy styles from an era long gone, the buildings end up looking like the Duval County Courthouse.

[CityLife]

^Yea that is kind of what I was getting at. I was saying that in an ideal world, we could recreate exact replicas of our grandest buildings (like the Post Office), but that simply isn't feasible. In 100% agreement about the courthouse. We're stuck with an eyesore for another 50 or so years at least.

[dp8541]

^Yea that is kind of what I was getting at. I was saying that in an ideal world, we could recreate exact replicas of our grandest buildings (like the Post Office), but that simply isn't feasible. In 100% agreement about the courthouse. We're stuck with an eyesore for another 50 or so years at least.

If / when the area around the courthouse is filled in the actual courthouse itself will not look nearly as bad

[ProjectMaximus]

I don't think it looks bad at all. Yes, very detrimental to walkability and unnecessarily costly, but the aesthetic itself looks fine to me.

[thelakelander]

There's a difference in column spacing, proportions and architectural craftsmanship, materials, etc. that makes one look like a bastardization of the original architectural style. See the two examples below:





Might as well design for the era we leave in, as opposed to spending big bucks creating cheap rip offs that won't age as well.



^Also, when it comes to "rebuilding" Cunningham Furniture", it would be cheaper (still expensive though) to build it as a building as opposed to a structure parking deck. The property's dimensions don't measure out well with the desired footprint of a garage.

With all of that said, the facades of our future parking decks should be required to look a lot better than the thing going up across the street from the Landing. We really missed an opportunity to do something special with that high profile site.

[camarocane]

There's a difference in column spacing, proportions and architectural craftsmanship, materials, etc. that makes one look like a bastardization of the original architectural style. See the two examples below:





Might as well design for the era we leave in, as opposed to spending big bucks creating cheap rip offs that won't age as well.

+1.
One thing I learned from freshman arch. studio was to NEVER try and improve on a classical design. 

[Gunnar]

There's a difference in column spacing, proportions and architectural craftsmanship, materials, etc. that makes one look like a bastardization of the original architectural style. See the two examples below:

Might as well design for the era we leave in, as opposed to spending big bucks creating cheap rip offs that won't age as well.

+1.
One thing I learned from freshman arch. studio was to NEVER try and improve on a classical design.

I sure hope they do not think of the new style as being an improvement...

[RattlerGator]

I don't think it looks bad at all. Yes, very detrimental to walkability and unnecessarily costly, but the aesthetic itself looks fine to me.

Agreed. People trip out over some of the weirdest shiznit.