Convention center, Downtown on draft list for Curry

[The_Choose_1]

The 18-member group also reviewed a separate presentation by member Aaron Zahn, president and CEO of BCR Environmental Corp.

Zahn created a report called "An Economic Development Strategy Framework" for the city.

He suggested the city consider branding itself as the "global leader in infrastructure innovation for the future," citing the possibilities of the $9 trillion expected to be spent worldwide by 2025 on capital projects and infrastructure.

"global leader in infrastructure innovation for the future"

What does that even mean?

Politicians Double speak for sure.

[jaxlore]

hmmm could the trio be the convention center vertical per say?

[urbanlibertarian]

As a DT resident I want to see DT development as much as anyone.  BUT, COJ needs to get the public employee pension problem solved first because it severely impacts everything else in the budget and our bond rating which is critical for big capital projects.

[mtraininjax]

Agreed, the Trio should be priority number 1, not a $500 million convention center.  With it being left to decay it is a giant symbol of inactivity in Jacksonville's core for every visitor and investor to see.  When you see that building as desperate as it looks it does not leave a good impression of the city and it is right in the middle of everything.  At least the Barnett Building sort of looks occupied because it has windows, the trio doesn't even have windows, it's just a skeleton and such an important building to Jax.  Whether the interior spaces are highly functional or not, it must be restored and the city must realize it is probably going to have to help the developer out . . . a lot.

The Trio? Its a dump compared to the jewel of the city, the river. Put the USS Adams at the Trio. Fix the Trio instead of the Shipyards. Put Healthy-town at the Trio. The Trio is off the river, hence off the table. You want to fix the Trio - get that guy Brown to build you a "public/private partnership" as he was so fond of saying.

The river is the jewel here and its time to start fixing some of the structures along it and have a place for visitors and residents to go that are ON the river.

[vicupstate]

The river is the jewel here and its time to start fixing some of the structures along it and have a place for visitors and residents to go that are ON the river.

It's called the Jacksonville Landing. How did that work out? Granted, it had some strikes against it that didn't need to be there, (3 decade parking paradox), but simply putting one project on the river is not the be-all-end-all. 

There needs to be a DISTRICT of anchor projects, and the Trio is perfected suited and sited to be a primary one.  And time is running out. It is an eyesore and a negative now, but it could be the opposite.     

[mtraininjax]

There needs to be a DISTRICT of anchor projects, and the Trio is perfected suited and sited to be a primary one.  And time is running out. It is an eyesore and a negative now, but it could be the opposite.     

That is crazy talk. Look at the proposals, Shipyards - 500 million, Healthytown, 400 million, even the Landing at 75 million is a huge factor all on the river. Atkins just tainted the project by defaulting on the Barnett building. Others are going to follow along and find a new value where others have failed? The Trio is on life support, someone needs to get shovels going and soon.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-oct-the-jacksonville-landing-what-should-it-be

[vicupstate]

'Crazy' is thinking that any of those $100mm projects have a better chance of seeing the light of day than all the pie-in-the-sky proposals that came before them.

Atkins may or may not have been the right principal to complete the project, but anyone that knows what has worked elsewhere knows that it is a 'no-brainer' project that will cost a lot less than those others in terms of incentives and infrastructure.     

[UNFurbanist]

There needs to be a DISTRICT of anchor projects, and the Trio is perfected suited and sited to be a primary one.  And time is running out. It is an eyesore and a negative now, but it could be the opposite.     

That is crazy talk. Look at the proposals, Shipyards - 500 million, Healthytown, 400 million, even the Landing at 75 million is a huge factor all on the river. Atkins just tainted the project by defaulting on the Barnett building. Others are going to follow along and find a new value where others have failed? The Trio is on life support, someone needs to get shovels going and soon.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-oct-the-jacksonville-landing-what-should-it-be

The reason I am saying the city should take care of the trio is because it is cheaper than the other huge developments and the city has no cash. River projects need to happen also, of course, but we shouldn't be talking $500 million for a convention center when we can't even fix some beautiful historic buildings on the best street in town (laura st.). Besides if we only focused on the river then the core would still be dead past Forsyth and that is just a ridiculous strategy for an active downtown. We have to work on the good bones of the city not just the flashy dress of the skyline.

[Tacachale]

LOL, what happened to the guys who were complaining the convention center wasn't being taken seriously enough?

[spuwho]

Chicken and egg argument.

Sports tourism and convention center activity drive the need for hotel rooms.

Turning the trio into a high end hotel with nothing complimentary. You end up with another Robert Meyer.

[CCMjax]

There needs to be a DISTRICT of anchor projects, and the Trio is perfected suited and sited to be a primary one.  And time is running out. It is an eyesore and a negative now, but it could be the opposite.     

That is crazy talk. Look at the proposals, Shipyards - 500 million, Healthytown, 400 million, even the Landing at 75 million is a huge factor all on the river. Atkins just tainted the project by defaulting on the Barnett building. Others are going to follow along and find a new value where others have failed? The Trio is on life support, someone needs to get shovels going and soon.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-oct-the-jacksonville-landing-what-should-it-be

mtrain - Laura Street is the "Gateway to the River" that connects Hemming Plaza, City Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Library, the Bank of America building, the Wells Fargo building and the most historic block of large buildings in Jax right on up to the Landing and river.  It is a natural path connecting the heart of downtown with the river and could be a fantastic street if the changes are made.  Renovate the Laura Street Trio with the modern hotel/apartment attached which will cost the city far far less than this convention center.  Start with the "achievable" projects first.  The trio is definitely achievable without making the city bankrupt and the Landing could be redesigned and opened up with a little mixed use in there and it would still be far cheaper and probably more valuable than the convention center.

Also, one of the big problems with current convention center is that it is in the far west end of deader than dead La Villa and visitors and businessmen see this awful worn out vacated section of town and think "wow this is Jacksonville" . . . . . . buuuuuut . . . . . . . hopefully Brooklyn continues to shine bright and fill out to the point where developers become interested in the Water Street to Forsyth area of south La Villa with its proximity to DT and Brooklyn/Riverside.  If Water Street is developed the Prime Osborne may actually be a pretty cool spot until the funds are available for something on the river.  I agree that since we are the River City a major convention center should be on the river but with the pricetag I would say that it can wait and tackle other projects first, one's that will actually create tax revenue for the city.   

[CCMjax]

hmmm could the trio be the convention center vertical per say?

No, convention centers typically need very large column-free horizontal spaces for huge showrooms and large gatherings.  All the convention centers I can think of are more horizontal than vertical even in the larger cities.  The trio I think is better suited for mixed use.

[thelakelander]

Chicken and egg argument.

Sports tourism and convention center activity drive the need for hotel rooms.

Turning the trio into a high end hotel with nothing complimentary. You end up with another Robert Meyer.

Pretty much! Look at the Hyatt as well. We have businesses (we've essentially subsidized already) struggling on West Bay Street because we haven't been able to make a decision on the future of the courthouse site in over 10 years now. Anyway, the funding from both would most likely have to come from two separate pots.

My suggestion for the convention center would be to start small by putting an exhibition hall with some ground level retail on the old courthouse block, between Bay and the deck that's falling into the river. Connect it to the Hyatt's ballroom level with a skywalk. That should not cost an arm and a leg.

In addition, before we drop one red cent on addressing that deck falling into the river, we should coordinate it's future and the amount spent with the planning and implementation of whatever is decided to go on the blocks around it.

[thelakelander]

As for the Trio, how are those plans impacted by the Barnett fallout? Are those two separate deals now?  If so, is a parking garage on West Forsyth really needed now or can the Trio's parking needs get by with the land, surface parking and existing garages already within a one-to-two block radius? If so, does this change the amount of money the city would need to contribute?

[downtownbrown]

A new convention center on the old courthouse site would be great and it is very encouraging to hear that DT development is seen as highly important. That said, maybe get the projects on the table like the trio, landing, shipyards and healthy town funded before we take on totally new $200 million + projects.

Exactly what Aundra Wallace says...