Visionary Yacht Club Owner and Downtown Jax!

[Keith-N-Jax]

Middle of the river? who said that, were talking about the new that will be open when the parking-lot is demolished.

[Keith-N-Jax]

This would go well with those hot dog carts on the Main Street Bridge.

Wow I remember that "Big Ideas"

[jaxjaguar]

As a boater, the fountain in the middle of the river is a disaster waiting to happen. We have had 2 large ships crash in to something as big as the bridges in the past few years, they're certainly not going to see the fountain.

Ideally when the Mathews bridge is replaced with something higher, we could get a cruise port downtown. It still won't accommodate the larger ships because of the Dame's point, but it would be a start. (Dame's point should be a tunnel, but that's another topic).

My understanding is that both bridges would have to be replaced before any new cruise ships could come to Jax. The one we have now barely fits under the Dames Point and even if we raised the Dames Point as I've seen mentioned before, it would have to be by 20-30 feet to accommodate the modern ships. Tampa has the same issue with the Skyway and it's taller than the Dames Point.

[acme54321]

What makes you think that the Matthews would be replaced by something higher?

[thelakelander]

As long as the shipyards south of the Mathews remain in operation, it would be hard to imagine a new Mathews being lower than it is today. Nevertheless, even if the Mathews was replaced with something higher decades from now, the Hart doesn't have the clearance either.

[BridgeTroll]

Seems like one of those projects that we'll be chuckling about in a few years.

Remember that time...

Like this one?  Epic... 

"Mooneyhan Entertainment Group is about to make the Jacksonville area one of the top entertainment centers of the world by developing various projects related to the entertainment business in different areas of Jacksonville. Mooneyhan Entertainment has chosen the beaches area to develop their first entertainment center...."

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=3118.0

[Bill Hoff]

I propose relcoating NASA to Downtown Jacksonville. Think of the jobs and technology sector! I mean, we've always approached Downtown development from a land point of view, but what about space? I'm going to create a little 3D computer model and tell the local news my idea. Maybe they'll come out and do a story on it.

Now the only question is, where to put the launch pad? It'd be cool to have it atop the Barnett Building. But replacing the fountain in The Landing with a giant rocket launch would be cool too. LaVilla has a lot of open space, the Skyway (which looks very NASA circa 1982) already connects there. These small details are really what will make or break it....decisions, decisions.

[lastdaysoffla]

The most interesting and possibly realistic proposal here is the opening of McCoy's Creek where it meets the river. A lot of people talk about Hogan's Creek becoming navigable again and I think Hogan's is in desperate need of attention in Klutho Park but McCoy's is more practical. The only obstruction is the TU parking lot all the way to King St. Hogan's disappears underneath Union street and the Arlington Expressway. I feel like people forget this. Unless Hogan's is navigable underneath these roadways? Any body know anything about that?

[thelakelander]

You won't gain too much. The TU property is only east of the Riverside viaduct. The McCoys Creet culvert (built in 1930 as a part of the improvement project) extends just west of the Skyway guideway.


culvert in 1930


inside the culvert in 2012


squeezing under the failing bulkhead west of the culvert



under the Times-Union part of the culvert

[Keith-N-Jax]

Doesn't seem feasible 

[thelakelander]

It's pie-in-the-sky without a big pocket sugar daddy who wants to make DT Jax his/her personal sim city.

[Bill Hoff]

It's pie-in-the-sky without a big pocket sugar daddy who wants to make DT Jax his/her personal sim city.

Enter a visionary yacht club owner . . . .

[Know Growth]

Any enmity for "Yachts" and related could have been applied not so long ago when we the public owned sizable acreage at the South Bank JEA site. Now consigned to typical retail,housing....and Marina.

John Williams possesses seemingly boundless energy,a youthful outlook and a proven passion for connecting people and the River.Bravo!
At least his vision for Downtown encompasses....what is that stuff???....oh yea...Water!! Waterways!Waterscape!!

In fact McCoys & Hogan currently exist in perfectly accessible fashion - via small craft. Particularly kayaks and paddleboards.Such craft are affordable and easy to store and launch.
McCoys culvert could remain and continue to provide signature creek experience. McCoys shoreline includes strips of 'flood plain' that should reasonably remain off limits to 'development' and afford wonderful natural setting. Not too shabby now,some shoreline natural areas restoration would put us 'over the top',which apparently is so compelling for so many.

Accommodating Down Town Small Craft Navy is an exciting 'can do' concept.
Downtown's small creeks are the big score board of viable river system Restoration and "Access".

[Know Growth]

Enter a visionary yacht club owner . . . .

By the way,thread title erroneous; not "Yacht Club".......owns family operated Lambs Yacht Center, key component of 'Jacksonville Marina Mile' "Working Waterfront".

[lastdaysoffla]

You won't gain too much. The TU property is only east of the Riverside viaduct. The McCoys Creet culvert (built in 1930 as a part of the improvement project) extends just west of the Skyway guideway.

I see. McCoys is navigable after the Park St viaduct though? I think an easy an relatively cheap improvement that could be made is clearing out the homeless camp currently under the viaduct and maybe allowing access for a kayak launch. Although looking at the property appraiser website it seems the land is owned by a variety of private interests with only a few lots owned by the city.