Massive Northbank riverfront redevelopment underway

[Metro Jacksonville]

Massive Northbank riverfront redevelopment underway



Downtown Jacksonville's most significant eyesore is about to receive a transformational makeover. In a city that's bent over backwards to accommodate the automobile since 1950, this project will return a full city block back to its natural state.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-sep-massive-northbank-riverfront-redevelopment-underway

[camarocane]

Are you certain that last picture is the "proposed final plan"?

[thelakelander]

It appears to be a cleaner version of the one submitted to the SJWMD (see below):

[Bridges]

So Liberty street will still be built as a "bridge" over water?  Is Market St on ground or over water too?

[acme54321]

They show a bulkhead along market street so I'd assume from that it's land, I think the Hyatt itself is on land.  I wonder how shallow it will be up by the old courthouse.  It would be cool if marsh plants repopulated parts of this area.

[thelakelander]

So Liberty street will still be built as a "bridge" over water?  Is Market St on ground or over water too?

Market Street and Courthouse Drive are on land. Coastline Drive and Liberty Street will be reconstructed as bridges.

[thelakelander]

They show a bulkhead along market street so I'd assume from that it's land, I think the Hyatt itself is on land.  I wonder how shallow it will be up by the old courthouse.  It would be cool if marsh plants repopulated parts of this area.

There's a project in Baltimore's Inner Harbor to do something pretty similiar:



Full article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-ae-aquarium-20160128-story.html

Here's where things were, as of April 2016:

[acme54321]

Yeah I've been that spot in Baltimore.  a few batches a marsh grass and some trash sure didn't live up to those renderings.  Unless that rendering is of something they haven't completed yet.

[thelakelander]

^They just started. The plants have to be given time to grow. The project is expected to be completed in 2019.

[acme54321]

^They just started. The plants have to be given time to grow. The project is expected to be completed in 2019.

That's good news then

[Jason]

The USS Adams might have another option for a home....?

[fieldafm]

They show a bulkhead along market street so I'd assume from that it's land, I think the Hyatt itself is on land.  I wonder how shallow it will be up by the old courthouse.  It would be cool if marsh plants repopulated parts of this area.

Dunno if they plan to remove much of the concrete rubble that is there now (I assume there would be some remediation once they dig up the existing pilings that support the current parking deck)... but it's pretty shallow underneath the existing parking deck now. Have been under there several times with a kayak (great fishing) and it seems to be only a few feet beneath the surface until you hit some kind of concrete structure.

With how swift the current moves in that part of the river, I think it would be really cool to attractively fence/rope the area off and create a combo recreational area that you could play around on a SUP, etc / living plant lab type of cove.

[Tacachale]

They show a bulkhead along market street so I'd assume from that it's land, I think the Hyatt itself is on land.  I wonder how shallow it will be up by the old courthouse.  It would be cool if marsh plants repopulated parts of this area.

Dunno if they plan to remove much of the concrete rubble that is there now (I assume there would be some remediation once they dig up the existing pilings that support the current parking deck)... but it's pretty shallow underneath the existing parking deck now. Have been under there several times with a kayak (great fishing) and it seems to be only a few feet beneath the surface until you hit some kind of concrete structure.

With how swift the current moves in that part of the river, I think it would be really cool to attractively fence/rope the area off and create a combo recreational area that you could play around on a SUP, etc / living plant lab type of cove.

Now that would be awesome.

[KenFSU]

^I agree. Love the idea of wrapping the Riverwalk around it, but I hope something is done to set that block of river apart and make it a mini-destination on its own.

This reminds me a lot of a project in my hometown, Fort Myers. The city removed a waterfront surface parking lot and replaced it with a detention pond surrounded by a riverwalk.

Details:

This urban stormwater retrofit project features a 1.3-acre wet detention area on a site formerly used for surface parking. The primary purpose of the basin is to treat stormwater in the City's historic downtown area before discharging to the Caloosahatchee River, ultimately flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.

Other benefits include creation of valuable waterfront property for private investment and development opportunities, resulting in an expected regional economic impact of up to $67 million and up to 870 local permanent jobs. The basin serves as a focal point for public gatherings and events which utilize the available public spaces. The basin's pathways provide public access, offering connectivity to the waterfront, along with passive recreation and healthy living benefits. Educational components help make the community aware of the natural resources, impacts humans have on water quality, strategies to improve the existing conditions, and how this affects the environment.

Here's the block in 2008, prior to construction:


Here's the block in 2016, post-construction:

[jaxjaguar]

That detention pond is amazing. As others above have stated I think it'd be best if the water was usable for paddle boats, sup, etc. Give people something to do and make the space usable. It could be a like a mini lake eola park.