A Northbank renaissance in the making

[Charles Hunter]

From a picture in the TU article, lots of windows have been removed to facilitate demo, exposing the interior to the elements. The photo only shows the north building face, so I don't know if the same condition exists on the south face.  If this project is dead, or even entering a long coma, I hope they seal up the building's exterior.

[heights unknown]

So much for the North Bank Renaissance. I'm beginning to think that DIA is just a bunch of no load misfits (in all due respect). What is going on?

[vicupstate]

Why would the city give incentives to the latter two projects (I-Life and Central bank) when they hadn't finished the Ambassador Hotel project?

JWB needs to get these buildings and the sooner the better. 

[thelakelander]

Why would the city give incentives to the latter two projects (I-Life and Central bank) when they hadn't finished the Ambassador Hotel project?

Both the Ambassador Hotel and I-Life buildings are being worked on at the same time. I saw workers at both sites about two weeks ago.

[RatTownRyan]

Any idea how much progress has been made? Is the Ambassador 80% complete or closer to 40%. Same question for the other buildings.

[Jax_Developer]

If the buildings are not fully dried in then likely around the 50% mark.

[Ken_FSU]

So much for the North Bank Renaissance. I'm beginning to think that DIA is just a bunch of no load misfits (in all due respect).

Laura Street feels worse off today than it was even a year ago.

JWJ fenced off.

Jacobs all boarded up.

Trio still looking like a Ukrainian war-zone.

Every project is obviously different, I'm not a developer, and I do appreciate all of the developers who do put their money with their mouths are when it comes to our urban core.

But when you look at the status of so many downtown projects:

- Friendship Fountain: Closed for nearly 4 years; reopening perpetually delayed
- Ford on Bay: RFP'd twice; nothing has materialized
- Related Southbank project: River City Brewing demolished; original proposal fell apart; residential tower with no timeline announced
- Old Greyhound Station: illegally converted to a parking lot; no recourse
- The District/Riversedge: Seeking new timeline extensions
- Riverfront Plaza private development: only one responder to RFP; still no development agreement
- Riverfront Plaza park: botched RFP prioritizing public art, choosing a winner based on the JAX sculpture, and then backtracking on public art
- Jones Bros Furniture: hasn't broken ground
- Laura Street Trio: third round of negotiations; no recommendation made by DIA; still hasn't broken ground
- Independent Life and Ambassador Hotel: in question
- Two-way streets: no conversion
- Retail and restaurant corridor program: none of the targeted restaurants have opened downtown
- Main Library retail: still not activated
- Times-Union Center Park: in planning stages for six years

Someone must be smoking something REAL good if they look at our urban landscape, consider all of the projects that we haven't been able to push through to the finish line in the last few years, and think to themselves:

"You know, we should probably give the CEO of the DIA a contract extension AND a raise."

[thelakelander]

^Much of this is the result of having leadership in place that has no earthly idea of what it is doing, outside of personally sucking on the public teat. Your out-going mayor gave himself a pat on the back for leaving the scene worse than it was before he was elected.

The city looks somewhat different. The Landing and other landmarks were torn down. The Landing was replaced with Riverfront Plaza, or as some call it, "Lenny's Lawn."

Some also gave Curry the nickname "The Teardown Mayor."

"Somebody had to tear all that garbage down," Curry said. "I mean, the previous administration spoke for years about doing something downtown and they let those rotten buildings sit. So, we knocked all the rot down and they're prepared now for development. And I think Lenny's lawn looks pretty, it's a beautiful green space that will at some point have vertical on it."

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/06/28/im-gonna-miss-the-people-lenny-curry-looks-back-on-8-years-as-jacksonvilles-mayor/

[vicupstate]

I mean, the previous administration spoke for years about doing something downtown and they let those rotten buildings sit.

Actually Lenny, the previous administration had a plan for the Landing that would have cost half as much as what has already been spent to demolish it. But he had a 'D' after his name, so the GOP powers that be (that control the city) couldn't let that happen. 

But thanks for earning JAX a well deserved reputation for corruption. Again.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out, brah.

[Jax_Developer]

So much for the North Bank Renaissance. I'm beginning to think that DIA is just a bunch of no load misfits (in all due respect).

Laura Street feels worse off today than it was even a year ago.

JWJ fenced off.

Jacobs all boarded up.

Trio still looking like a Ukrainian war-zone.

Every project is obviously different, I'm not a developer, and I do appreciate all of the developers who do put their money with their mouths are when it comes to our urban core.

But when you look at the status of so many downtown projects:

- Friendship Fountain: Closed for nearly 4 years; reopening perpetually delayed
- Ford on Bay: RFP'd twice; nothing has materialized
- Related Southbank project: River City Brewing demolished; original proposal fell apart; residential tower with no timeline announced
- Old Greyhound Station: illegally converted to a parking lot; no recourse
- The District/Riversedge: Seeking new timeline extensions
- Riverfront Plaza private development: only one responder to RFP; still no development agreement
- Riverfront Plaza park: botched RFP prioritizing public art, choosing a winner based on the JAX sculpture, and then backtracking on public art
- Jones Bros Furniture: hasn't broken ground
- Laura Street Trio: third round of negotiations; no recommendation made by DIA; still hasn't broken ground
- Independent Life and Ambassador Hotel: in question
- Two-way streets: no conversion
- Retail and restaurant corridor program: none of the targeted restaurants have opened downtown
- Main Library retail: still not activated
- Times-Union Center Park: in planning stages for six years

Someone must be smoking something REAL good if they look at our urban landscape, consider all of the projects that we haven't been able to push through to the finish line in the last few years, and think to themselves:

"You know, we should probably give the CEO of the DIA a contract extension AND a raise."

And how much was spent on studies/reports for all of that lol...

[thelakelander]

The Curry administration was more concerned about politics, paybacks and connections financially benefitting than downtown vibrancy. No one should be surprised at all that all the promises of cranes, etc. failed to materialize. With the Landing nonsense, it was clear early on that they were going to set downtown back by a good generation and spend hundreds of millions doing so. Luckily, the potential still remains. We just need to stop tripping over our own two feet.

[simms3]

I saw a quote from Brian Hughes recently in a related article.  He expressed concern over a project...maybe it was an article related to the Independent Life/Ambassador Hotel.

Regardless, where does he fit into all of this?  Aside from being attached to absolutely bombastic and negative campaigning for candidates very few of us think of fondly (Curry being one), is he one of those "he gotsta go" guys in the outgoing administration or is he actually a strong advocate and someone we should keep around?

[thelakelander]

He's a part of the Curry administration. They had eight years. Time for him to go as well.

[Ken_FSU]

I saw a quote from Brian Hughes recently in a related article.  He expressed concern over a project...maybe it was an article related to the Independent Life/Ambassador Hotel.

Regardless, where does he fit into all of this?  Aside from being attached to absolutely bombastic and negative campaigning for candidates very few of us think of fondly (Curry being one), is he one of those "he gotsta go" guys in the outgoing administration or is he actually a strong advocate and someone we should keep around?

Hughes was famously critical of a proposed $11.8 million subsidy for the redevelopment of the Landing under Toney Sleiman.

Specifically, he said:

"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."

A couple of years later, he was on the Khan's private jet with Lenny Curry, taking a secret, off-the-records trip to Cordish developments around the country. Upon returning, he sent secretive messages (eventually coming out via Sunshine State Law) about "finding the money to make it happen." A month later, the bully tactics against Sleiman and eventual pulled permits started to materialize, leading to an eventual buyout and demolition of the landing that - combined with related lawsuits - cost the city more than twice in the short-term (and even longer in the long-term) than it would have cost to just partner with Sleiman to redevelop it in the first place.

He was also instrumental in drafting the $250 million Lot J subsidy eventually shot down by City Council.

He was also on the secretive Atlanta trip with Aaron Zahn, Tim Baker, Sam Mousa, Lenny Curry during the failed JEA privatization scandal.

I do not believe he should be kept around.

[simms3]

^^^WOW.

I thought so.  I was pretty outspoken on my thoughts on the recent election so y'all know where I stand generally with this group of characters.  Sometimes you hear things that make you second guess your original thoughts and/or instincts, but thanks for reminding me.  These people have done untold damage to this city, and downtown revitalization.