The Evolution of Avenues Walk

[blizz01]

I think that the location is fine.  Consider that the Regal theater down the street seems to do quite well.  Also, this is not only a supplement to Avenues Walk (which WILL have a multi family & lodging compent one day), but the Avenues Mall & feeder developments such as Nocatee & Palencia down the US1 corridor.  I initially didn't like the Dave & Buster's location, but I haven't heard of struggles - I'm sure that they capitalize some on the hotel pool within close proximity, too. 

[blizz01]

Nice story on Latitude 30 -

Brent Brown calls it a “no-veto venue.”

“When you’re trying to decide where to go,” he said, “it’s a place where everybody in the car would have something to do. The kids can play, the wife can catch a movie and guys can sit in a sports bar and watch the game.”

Brown is managing partner with Latitude 30, an entertainment complex going in where Toys R Us used to be across from The Avenues mall on Philips Highway.

Named after Jacksonville’s location on a map, Latitude 30 will have under one roof:

n Sunset 30 Tavern & Grill, a 300-seat restaurant that will be at the heart of the complex. Brown described it as Americana cuisine with burgers, pizzas, pastas, wood-grilled steaks and seafood and 30 appetizers that can be ordered in any of the other rooms. Prices will be $5 to $25.

n Axis Bar & The Skybox bar and sports theater with stadium seating.

n Game room and pool tables.

n Twenty-lane bowling alley.

n Midnight Sun Cinegrille will be a 66-seat theater showing movies. They’re hoping for first-run movies, but are still awaiting final distribution rights.

n Axis Live, a 300-seat life show room, featuring live entertainment such as music, comedy and dinner theater.

The developers are putting all that in the 45,000 square feet that once housed Toys R Us. The $7 million project was funded by the Brownstone Group, which will build and own the complex, along with private and hedge funds. It will hold about 1,800 people total and is expected to open in April. It’s expected to employ 150.

Brown said that his partner, Damon Brush, first came up with the idea several years ago after seeing a similar project in Colorado. They looked at other similar complexes around the country: Splitsville in Texas, IPic in Wisconsin, Big Al’s in Vancouver, Wash. Big Al’s is opening another soon in Oregon.

None have quite as many different venues as Latitude 30, he said, but at the heart of most of them are bowling and dining. For those who don’t know, so-called “boutique bowling” has revived the past time that has been in decline since the 1960s with a more upscale feel.

“We have the space for what Jacksonville is lacking in live entertainment,” Brown said, “where you can bring the family during the day and at night it morphs into the bar.”

Many of the spaces can serve multiple purposes, Brown said, and he’s expecting corporate parties and workshops to be 25 percent of their revenue. The theater can be used for presentations, five of the bowling lanes can be curtained off for a private party.

Big Al’s, he said, will average seven parties a day this month.

Brothers Brent and Kyle Brown formed Jacksonville-based Brownstone Developers five years ago. Most of their work has been residential. They’re developing La Terrazza Villa Homes on Baymeadows Road.

So they’ve contracted with Trifecta Management Group, a California company that manages eight similar complexes around the country.

And Brown said he’s not concerned about opening during a questionable economy. The other complexes he’s talked with are doing well. Shenanigans, which features bowling and an indoor go-cart track, opened earlier this year outside of Dallas and is already ahead of projections, he said.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-11-30/story/latitude_30_will_have_something_for_everybody_in_the_spring

[thelakelander]

A couple of years ago I spent a lot of time doing research on Big Al's and some of the other alleys for Damon Brush, while employed with a former company.  I also worked a few years with the Brown brother's mother.  I wish this concept would have been bought to the urban core but I hope they do well.

[JeffreyS]

Perfect spot for commuter rail stop. I'm just sayin.

[thelakelander]

Very true!

[ProjectMaximus]

Perfect spot for commuter rail stop. I'm just sayin.

Yes! Take Avenues Walk back to its original proposal with the mixed-use design!

ugh, it's too perfect to happen in Jax.

[thelakelander]

Look on the bright side.  The economy has slowed the development of the project.  Maybe by the time things pick up again, we'll be committed to funding the SE commuter rail corridor and have identified an estimated starting date.  If that can happen, there would be a decent chance of Avenues Walk being redesigned again to take advantage of future market demands.

[duvaldude08]

I just recently moved to the baymeadows area so I shop at that wal mart at avenues walk. Doesnt look like much more is happening anytime. I dont see any signs of it anyways.