Downtown Southbank apartment project breaks ground

[Metro Jacksonville]

Downtown Southbank apartment project breaks ground



Residential infill continues to rapidly sprout up in and around Downtown Jacksonville. A 147-unit multi-family project by Catalyst Development Partners (CDP) is the latest to begin construction.

Read More: https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2018-jun-downtown-southbank-apartment-project-breaks-ground

[acme54321]

I like the progress but that big old chewed up tree makes me a little sad 

[Captain Zissou]

This is so exciting.  The population of the southbank is probably over 1,500 on any given night depending on the hotel occupancy.  That's a lot of people in that quarter mile area.

[KenFSU]

This is so exciting.  The population of the southbank is probably over 1,500 on any given night depending on the hotel occupancy.  That's a lot of people in that quarter mile area.

Relevant:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/study-jacksonville-leader-in-emerging-economic-centers

[Charles Hunter]

Where will Tidbit's customers park?  Is the parking under the overland bridge available yet?

[Steve]

I'm sure there's a negative somewhere here....

[Captain Zissou]

Where will Tidbit's customers park?  Is the parking under the overland bridge available yet?

You've got to be joking.

[acme54321]

Where will Tidbit's customers park?  Is the parking under the overland bridge available yet?

Yes

[jaxnyc79]

Just in looking at the aerial shot of the new apartment project, it's amazing to note how the "expressway" to the Main Street Bridge, and the other "expressway" to the Acosta Bridge, really do slice up Downtown's southbank so that it loses its continguous walkability.  It would be nice if the Southbank's Main Street leading up to perhaps a pedestrian Main Street Bridge actually felt like a walkable Main Street lined with storefronts and density.

[jaxlongtimer]

Just in looking at the aerial shot of the new apartment project, it's amazing to note how the "expressway" to the Main Street Bridge, and the other "expressway" to the Acosta Bridge, really do slice up Downtown's southbank so that it loses its continguous walkability.  It would be nice if the Southbank's Main Street leading up to perhaps a pedestrian Main Street Bridge actually felt like a walkable Main Street lined with storefronts and density.

You mean something like this?!   Maybe we should be talking about taking down these ramps instead of those for the Hart Bridge?

[jaxnyc79]

Wow, exactly.  Great shot.

[Adam White]

Maybe I'm missing something, but that doesn't look very pedestrian friendly to me. Yes, there is a sidewalk - but I don't think it looks very enticing. I wouldn't want to walk along there.

[jaxnyc79]

Maybe I'm missing something, but that doesn't look very pedestrian friendly to me. Yes, there is a sidewalk - but I don't think it looks very enticing. I wouldn't want to walk along there.

I referenced: A pedestrian main street and main street bridge, cluster of storefronts (not auto lots)...
Probably put Main Street on a Road Diet, similar to the plans for Prudential...
A pedestrian Main Street wouldn't look exactly like that photo, but it was nice to see a pic of the Southbank's Main Street before it was turned into a speed valve for I-95.

[Steve]

Remember, the southbank was mostly dirt lots and largely undeveloped much later than the northbank. The point is what we should strive for though.

My thought is that FDOT needs to figure out the bridge situation with both the Acosta and Main Street. I do agree that of the two, I'd take down the southbank elevated portion of the Main Street first, but with the Overland Bridge, FDOT has the Acosta narrowing to 1 lane just before the merge with the new collector-distributor road.

That aside, they might have some heartache about a traffic light being that close to the offramp (not sure how you can get rid of that at Prudential Dr, but it would really transform that area.

[JBTripper]

I always thought something akin to "Underground Atlanta" could be cool along/beneath Main Street between MOSH and Treat Oak. With San Marco Blvd. to the West and Flagler Ave. to the East, there's really no need to have ground-level traffic on Main Street. Converting that to a pedestrian-only segment with ground-floor retail in the adjacent garages and under the overpass could make for a really unique space.