Laura Street Trio developer says pieces are in place — except for city funding

[MusicMan]

This is a forum for stating opinions. I've stated mine.

Following your line of thinking they will stand forever, as vacant monuments to the old days or as renovated structures.

Sort of like Berkman II.

This town has a lot of vacant lots where something once stood.

At some point a real developer will knock all that down to build a modern building. When the underlying "economic infrastructure" supports

it.  Please remind me, how long have they been vacant?

[thelakelander]

Didn't mean to offend you. Like you, I just provided something I'm aware of, to the discussion. I believe the Barnett was vacated around 2004 or so. The Trio, probably a decade earlier. Btw, I've seen buildings that have been abandoned for twice as long, renovated in other cities. I don't know what the outcome of the Trio story will be, but I seriously doubt they'd fall down on their on anytime soon. Structurally, those buildings are in decent shape. I also can't imagine knocking them down to build something new. Too many vacant lots available for those types of projects to materialize whenever the market gets to a place where it can support new high-rise construction. My guess is that these buildings will remain standing and vacant if Southeast can't pull their proposal off.

[MusicMan]

No offense taken. Your as well informed as anyone in Jacksonville. I want to be wrong, 'cause I love the old building stock.

I say give them to Mrs. Weaver and she'll restore and find a good use for them.

[coredumped]

The Barnett building is so depressing. Seeing the artwork up still from the first onespark, and now years later, nothing. Damn this town can be depressing.

[heights unknown]

Don't check on what's going on downtown in tampa, miami, Orlando or st. Petersburg...you'll get even more depressed. Oh, and let's not even talk about sarasota, a much smaller city, but cranes swinging around everywhere, Los of low height scrapers but certainly a more dense skyline.

[KenFSU]

Perhaps not surprisingly, Curry was very specific today that the $1 billion budget he presented has no room for the Laura Street Trio.

Or the Shipyards (aren't there funds long-since set aside for remediation???).

[FlaBoy]

This is a forum for stating opinions. I've stated mine.

Following your line of thinking they will stand forever, as vacant monuments to the old days or as renovated structures.

Sort of like Berkman II.

This town has a lot of vacant lots where something once stood.

At some point a real developer will knock all that down to build a modern building. When the underlying "economic infrastructure" supports

it.  Please remind me, how long have they been vacant?

You might want to take a deep breath or two into your brown bag now.

[dukes_forge]

Perhaps not surprisingly, Curry was very specific today that the $1 billion budget he presented has no room for the Laura Street Trio.

Or the Shipyards (aren't there funds long-since set aside for remediation???).

This is disappointing.  I was a little skeptical that anything would happen here, the trio seems to be a perennial non-starter, but it is still disappointing.  What things are we looking for in DT Jax? 

I'm thrilled the DuPont center was finished, and am hoping for similar success for the Chop House, but can't think of any other development projects coming up.  Do these projects get city money, do we know how much?  Is the only hope for success to do the whole thing yourself?

[MusicMan]

The City (by that I mean Downtown )under it's current leadership is going nowhere fast. Lenny Curry had never held any elected position before so why should anyone expect a seasoned and experienced leader.  He has no political skin in downtown, and did not rely on the incredibly small population living down there for his electoral success.  His vision was pretty clearly stated, "We need more police."  And that was about it. A big part of the long term solution is placing tax paying entities into all the vacant properties and vacant lots the City owns, but apparently that has escaped him as well.

Pray to your God that a true visionary with political skills shows up before the next election, or you will be looking at the same downtown in 6-7 years as you see today.

 

[menace1069]

(aren't there funds long-since set aside for remediation???).

LOL...yea, right.

[thelakelander]

This is disappointing.  I was a little skeptical that anything would happen here, the trio seems to be a perennial non-starter, but it is still disappointing.  What things are we looking for in DT Jax? 

I'm thrilled the DuPont center was finished, and am hoping for similar success for the Chop House, but can't think of any other development projects coming up.  Do these projects get city money, do we know how much?  Is the only hope for success to do the whole thing yourself?

There are several projects that are either underway or will be soon that aren't relying on city money.  Some already under construction include Elena Flats, Broadstone Riverside and Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center. By this time next year, a few others like LaVilla Lofts, Jefferson Street Manor, The District, Lerner Shops Building and 200 Riverside could be under construction was well.

You can get the details on these and more here: http://www.moderncities.com/article/2016-jun-urban-jax-development-project-construction-list

The projects that need lots of city money tend to be those involving the reuse of dilapidated structures or big time environmental cleanup. Unfortunately, downtown's economy isn't strong enough for the market to support such investments without public subsidies.

[MusicMan]

Lake, when does Rummel close on the real estate (owned by JEA) parcel where he wants to put The District?

[thelakelander]

I believe the most recent articles said they were planning to close towards the end of the year.

[ProjectMaximus]

Lake, when does Rummel close on the real estate (owned by JEA) parcel where he wants to put The District?

JEA extended the due diligence period to Nov. 30, 2016 with closing by the end of December, said JEA spokesperson Gerri Boyce.

[icarus]

As much as I and I think everyone would like to see the Trio developed or preserved, doesn't it make more sense to subsidize or support the continuation of successful development in Brooklyn first.  There are already several projects on the books for Brooklyn/Lavilla only some of which are looking for City dollars.

If the ultimate goal is a density/residents and the pool of available funds is finite, it would seem to me there is more likelihood of success in fostering the existing growth pattern as it reaches toward downtown.  Personally, Id rather see the redevelopment of the Times Union site before even the Shipyards to keep the concentration of residents more dense and the development interconnected.