Retail garage project proposed for downtown

[FlaBoy]

Do the people responsible for revitalizing downtown Jax actually know "Jax By Foot?"  Do they walk its sidewalks and its curbsides and assess every single detail and detractor making up the pedestrian experience?

Part of the problem is that even the people who take the initiative to improve downtown don't really "get" a lot of this stuff. It's yet another factor of there being too few people living downtown for it to really work as a neighborhood.

Well, on the one hand, it's tragic that the city would invest so much in the Trio restoration, only to have it face a garage along Forsyth.  On the other hand, I can understand the fear that restaurants and retail can't just rely on hotel guests, and will need people ex-downtown to come into the core and provide patronage.  And the only way people move about in Jax is by car.  So Downtown planners are in this odd position of trying to make Downtown patronage by car as seamless and as easy as it is in Mandarin.

The point is that long term thinking is needed. IMO, once the downtown housing market gets going again with these new amenities DT, it will take off similar to the pre-recession boom. You already see it in Tampa, St. Pete, Orlando, West Palm, etc.

[Tacachale]

It should be an easy fix to at least design the structure with the possibility of future retail, at least at on the Main-Forsyth corner. It may or may not be the case that there's no demand for more retail, but we'll definitely be worse off if there's no way to add retail when the demand grows.

[jaxnyc79]

It should be an easy fix to at least design the structure with the possibility of future retail, at least at on the Main-Forsyth corner. It may or may not be the case that there's no demand for more retail, but we'll definitely be worse off if there's no way to add retail when the demand grows.

I agree with this.  So who's going to email the DDRB:)?  Is there normally a pretty good community showing at these DDRB meetings?

[jaxnyc79]

It should be an easy fix to at least design the structure with the possibility of future retail, at least at on the Main-Forsyth corner. It may or may not be the case that there's no demand for more retail, but we'll definitely be worse off if there's no way to add retail when the demand grows.

Just observed something here in NYC that might be important to consider in Jax design plans.  Rarely do garages occupy the corners of a block, the cars themselves are usually in the interior of the block or underground (not an option in FL, i know).  Also, the garage entrances are mid-block - protect the corners, make them retail, and try to block the actual cars and car levels.  Pedestrian engagement and street-level vibrancy!

[thelakelander]

Funny thing is there are a few buildings with underground garages in downtown (that's what flooded Wells Fargo out during Hurricane Irma) and the older garages typically have retail on the street corners (like the BB&T garage at Forsyth and Julia). However, most were built before 1980.

[jaxnyc79]

Funny thing is there are a few buildings with underground garages in downtown (that's what flooded Wells Fargo out during Hurricane Irma) and the older garages typically have retail on the street corners (like the BB&T garage at Forsyth and Julia). However, most were built before 1980.

That's quite interesting.  Well, here's to the DDRB making a decision in the best interests of the Jax Pedestrian.  Jax by Foot.  It's the only chance for downtown.  Downtown's edge is its orientation to walkers.  Its corridors are all about assembly, about gatherings, and the energy and vitality of people coming together to feed off the creative energy of one another.

[KenFSU]

What's especially frustrating is that Laura Street has so much positive momentum, and both Monroe and Duval are already effectively dead zones between Laura and Main, minus a small storefront or two.

[thelakelander]

Forsyth has decent energy two, except for this block. A properly designed structure and Trio helps connect Bellwether with 11 East and the duPont Center.

[KenFSU]

The retail plans for the Laura Street Trio garage have changed since the last go-round.

At the last meeting, the DDRB asked Molasky/Southeast to make a good faith effort to improve on the 5,000 square feet of retail proposed for the garage.

They came yesterday with a new design that includes 14-fewer parking spots and 9,000 square feet of retail in a two-story space at the corner of Laura and Forsyth.

Still no retail on the corner of Forsyth and Main, however.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/03/29/barnett-laura-street-trio-garage-to-be-renovated.html

[Steve]

The Rendering on the BizJournals site is a little unclear. They show a space at the corner of Main and Forsyth in Pink, along with the retail on Laura and Forsyth. Are they trying to show it could be converted later? It's hard to tell.

Side note - they went modern with the new design. Indifferent in concept, but it's hard to see the detail with those pics.

[KenFSU]

The Rendering on the BizJournals site is a little unclear. They show a space at the corner of Main and Forsyth in Pink, along with the retail on Laura and Forsyth. Are they trying to show it could be converted later? It's hard to tell.

Side note - they went modern with the new design. Indifferent in concept, but it's hard to see the detail with those pics.

Yep, Atkins confirmed earlier this week that the garage would indeed have convertible retail along Main.

[Tacachale]

The Rendering on the BizJournals site is a little unclear. They show a space at the corner of Main and Forsyth in Pink, along with the retail on Laura and Forsyth. Are they trying to show it could be converted later? It's hard to tell.

Side note - they went modern with the new design. Indifferent in concept, but it's hard to see the detail with those pics.

Yep, Atkins confirmed earlier this week that the garage would indeed have convertible retail along Main.

Well that's good news.

[FlaBoy]

The Rendering on the BizJournals site is a little unclear. They show a space at the corner of Main and Forsyth in Pink, along with the retail on Laura and Forsyth. Are they trying to show it could be converted later? It's hard to tell.

Side note - they went modern with the new design. Indifferent in concept, but it's hard to see the detail with those pics.

Yep, Atkins confirmed earlier this week that the garage would indeed have convertible retail along Main.

Let's get it built!

Well that's good news.

[Tacachale]

The final approval, submitted for next Thursday's meeting, shows that the Forsyth and Main corner will be built to accommodate adding retail in the future. Great news.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/final-designs-for-hotel-parking-garage-conceptual-design-for-jones-furniture-co-building-going-before-ddrb

[RatTownRyan]

Not so fast. Not sure if this is a mistake or a last minute change.

"The Main Street and Forsyth Street parking garage renovations. The garage will provide parking for the Barnett Bank building and the Laura Street Trio. A two-story 8,728 square-foot retail space on the corner of Forsyth and Laura Street is also planned."

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/05/14/jones-bros-building-hotel-indigo-up-for-ddrb.html