The pending rebirth of Jax's Barnett Bank Building

[Ken_FSU]

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/02/25/whats-next-for-the-historic-laura-street-trio-in.html?iana=hpmvp_jac_news_headline

Whatever the cost.

It's worth it.

[Steve]

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/02/25/whats-next-for-the-historic-laura-street-trio-in.html?iana=hpmvp_jac_news_headline

Whatever the cost.

It's worth it.

Amen. This is one that the city has to figure out the funding somehow. Probably the most critical adaptive reuse downtown.:

[thelakelander]

They need to get on it. Let's figure out the cost, resolve the financing gap and move on before we miss another economic cycle.

[bl8jaxnative]

I would like to save those structures and use them again.  But this whatever the cost crap is so irresponsible that it borders on evil.   We have a lot of poeple in this city who are hurting and need help.   People > everything else.

[thelakelander]

Whatever the cost is, I can promise you it will be a couple hundred million less than what we'll be asked to subsidize Lot J. But yeah, we should first start with a number and determining what the financial gap is. Once that's known, solutions can be developed to overcome the obstacle.

[Captain Zissou]

this whatever the cost crap is so irresponsible that it borders on evil.   We have a lot of poeple in this city who are hurting and need help.   People > everything else.

Why aren't you this concerned with the money proposed for Lot J or the Landing?  You have a documented history of opposing adaptive reuse, which is far more affordable than demolishing and replacing with new construction.  If the city would quit knocking down buildings and retrofit what we already have, we would have millions more to spend on these "hurting" people.

[Ken_FSU]

I would like to save those structures and use them again.  But this whatever the cost crap is so irresponsible that it borders on evil.   We have a lot of poeple in this city who are hurting and need help.   People > everything else.

Evil might be a strong word, but it's a reasonable point.

To Ennis's point, I was talking more in the context of what we're prepared to offer for projects like Lot J.

But I do think saving and reacting the Laura Street Trio is perhaps the most important downtown project there is right now, particularly when we're racing against a falling market and we've got an eager partner (Steve Atkins), with a good plan, and a proven track record already with the Barnett.

If we're making a big capital investment in downtown, these are the projects that I think make sense to help subsidize from a public perspective:

1) The Trio + garage
2) The Landing
3) Independent Life residential/grocery/restaurant
4) Jones Furniture
5) Ambassador Hotel/Vestcor Apartments
6) First Baptist residential conversion

Help kickstart these projects - if necessary - before the economy turns, and keep the historic preservation trust and restaurant/retail grant programs funded, and I think we're in a pretty great spot for more private investment to come in.

[thelakelander]

Good list. I'd toss the Hyatt/Spandrel mixed use exhibitional hall/apartment thing into the mix if that actually picks up steam. I think most people underestimate the potential of events currently being held at the Prime Osborn, being able to be held in the middle of downtown.

I'd like to see the DIA aggressively address the future of the Furchgott's, BB&T Bank garage block and the ground floor of the Ed Ball Building as well. Get a decent cluster of generators within a block of each other on Laura, Julia, Adams, Hogan, etc. and things will definitely jump off.

[Ken_FSU]

^The two retail spaces at the front of the Main Library confound me every day when I walk by and see them abandoned as well.

The sidewalks are so wide in front of the library, you could do some really cool outdoor seating in that area.

[Steve]

^The two retail spaces at the front of the Main Library confound me every day when I walk by and see them abandoned as well.

The sidewalks are so wide in front of the library, you could do some really cool outdoor seating in that area.

Here's the issue: They are subject to the library hours, which are ever-changing. If I were in charge, there minor construction that can be done that would make the left and right doors of the library open into the retail space directly versus the library. Then, I'd RFP the property management of those space, the Ed Ball Spaces, and the Library Garage retail. I'd then offer them financial incentives for the percentage of square footage that's open after 6PM and on weekends. The incentives would be proportionate; some incentives if open Thursday-Saturday after 6PM, more if open Tuesday-Sunday or something to that effect.

[Tacachale]

^The two retail spaces at the front of the Main Library confound me every day when I walk by and see them abandoned as well.

The sidewalks are so wide in front of the library, you could do some really cool outdoor seating in that area.

Here's the issue: They are subject to the library hours, which are ever-changing. If I were in charge, there minor construction that can be done that would make the left and right doors of the library open into the retail space directly versus the library. Then, I'd RFP the property management of those space, the Ed Ball Spaces, and the Library Garage retail. I'd then offer them financial incentives for the percentage of square footage that's open after 6PM and on weekends. The incentives would be proportionate; some incentives if open Thursday-Saturday after 6PM, more if open Tuesday-Sunday or something to that effect.

The bathroom is also in the main library section. However, it should be also be a relatively minor construction to add one or two bathrooms in the front.

[Kerry]

This is a challenge facing lits of cities where walkable urbanism was abandonded long ago.  All retail space should have a door directly to the sidewalk.

[thelakelander]

The library retail spaces and the main entrance do have doors directly to the sidewalk. There's also a second set of doors at the end of the front arcade/foyer that could be locked independently when the library is closed. Other than the restroom thing, which can be resolved, filling these spaces seems like something that could easily be done if prioritized.

[fieldafm]

The old Shelby's space has backdoor (fire) access to the street, as well as ADA compliant bathrooms, but no hood nor greasetrap.

That's not the case for the other space (which has never had a tenant).

In order for both spaces to be able to offer hours independent of the library hours, the front doors would need to be modified, bathrooms would need to be installed in the second space, and the second space would need a fire exit.

Also, any lease and physical modifications to those retail spaces has to also go through several layers of red tape (library board, DIA and then all the standard Planning/Building Inspecitions/Fire Marshal)... including the most bureaucratic step- City Council hearings and (hopefully) approval.

[fieldafm]

this whatever the cost crap is so irresponsible that it borders on evil.   We have a lot of poeple in this city who are hurting and need help.   People > everything else.

Why aren't you this concerned with the money proposed for Lot J or the Landing? 

Or courthouse/annex demo.

The Landing and Courthouse demos have cost more than $30million... and the only potential development that may come out of those so far, is a standard stick-built, mixed use apartment building that will also require additional incentives.


Sounds similar to this famous quote:

"Throwing money, nearly $12 million, at special interests while kids are being gunned down in the street because of fewer cops is not simply outrageous it's disgusting"
-Campaign consultant Brian Hughes, circa 2015, in response to a $12 million incentive package to redevelop the Landing

Then..
""We're going to be looking at the mixed-use urban core model, which is office and residential and mixes thereof with one or two levels of retail"
-Chief Administrative Officer Brian Hughes, circa 2019, and fresh off the heels of spending over $22 million to tear it down, and a few months later the DIA will dust off the old 2015 plans so they can further incentivize what they could have incentivized 5 years earlier.


Next response will inevitably include the words:  'eyesore' 'failed design' 'dead space' 'nostalgia'