Riverfront Jacksonville: $1.1 billion Master Plan

[marcuscnelson]

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/dollar1-1-billion-riverfront-master-plan-proposed-for-downtown-jacksonville

Jacksonville developer Steve Atkins says he wants to lead a nearly $1.1 billion redevelopment of mostly city-owned property, including the former Jacksonville Landing, on a stretch of the Downtown Northbank riverfront.

Atkins, who is SouthEast Development Group LLC managing director, says he will try to persuade the city and Downtown Investment Authority to pay for $536 million in a public-private partnership to build 1.8 million square feet of space from the former Jacksonville Landing to the former Duval County Courthouse and old City Hall site, rebranded in 2020 by DIA as The Ford on Bay.

A June 1 news release says the total development will have 2.3 million total square feet of programmable space including exterior facilities with a $559 million private investment.

More photos available here: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/photo-gallery/photo-gallery-more-images-of-riverfront-jacksonville

[marcuscnelson]

Credit where it's due, it looks very cool:










And there are some interesting details:

What's in the Riverfront Jacksonville proposal

• The Bend: A "signature monumental art work" made of teak that anchors the project's public park space. At least 15 acres of park space is planned with artwork, golf greens, gardens, walkways and the Northbank Riverwalk.

• Building B: 120,000-square-foot, mixed-use commercial office building with a ground-level restaurant and retail at former Jacksonville Landing site.

• Building C: 14-level, 100-unit residential condominium with ground-floor wellness center and retail spaces at the former Jacksonville Landing site.

• Building D: 208-room hotel and two-level retail food hall called "30 North."

• Buildings E and F: Commercial space with "healthy environment" technologies including retractable outer glass walls.

• Multifamily apartments and residential condominiums at the site of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront parking garage.

• Building G: 500,000-square-foot exhibition, entertainment, convention center with ground-level retail and entertainment and rooftop spaces.

• Building H: 27-level, 410-unit multifamily and condominium tower with 50,000 square feet of ground-level retail.

• A marina and with two-level Boathouse restaurant.

But I'm not sure how prepared we are to pay for it.

[ralpho37]

Wow that is absolutely incredible. That's the Downtown Jacksonville of my dreams that I've been waiting for 33 years to come true. Unfortunately, one thing I have learned in those 33 years is to never get my hopes up for these plans to actually come true.

[thelakelander]

Nice renderings. This is what master planning looks like and it's what the DIA has failed to show to date. However, from what I can tell, there are no agreements with Hyatt, the DIA or City at this point for anything shown. There are also multiple competing plans and visions out there, with no transparent path of how they all fit and/or don't fit together, which further solidifies the need for a real master plan. Overall, my impression is that nothing in the concepts are real. Only visionary and that these parcels would have to be master developed out....aka the District (or whatever it is called now) and what should have been done with the Shipyards more than a decade ago.

Plans for Riverfront Jacksonville announced

$1.1B Master Plan Proposed For Jacksonville's Northbank Riverfront.

Read More:https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/plans-for-riverfront-jacksonville-announced/

[Ken_FSU]

Such a smart, comprehensive plan.

Kind of a best case scenario if Atkins can pull this one off.

Addresses so many things - riverfront park space, view corridors, parking, resiliency, the Landing site, convention center, marina, etc - in one holistic vision.

Plus, unlike projects like Lot J, it sounds like Goldman Sachs and Piper Sandler Companies are willing to privately fund the development upfront, with city contribution coming over time.

Per the Daily Record article, Hyatt is on board, and as far as I know, Spandrell has nothing in writing with the city for the Ford on Bay property.

Will be fascinating to see how the Jags respond to the plan.

On one hand, it could be transformational for downtown. On the other hand, it's a massive public ask that potentially competes for funds that might otherwise go into Shipyard/Met Park.

Great stuff.

[Charles Hunter]

The sub-aqueous parking gives me pause. It is a clever idea to use the parking structure to capture surge flooding. Making sure all the vehicles are removed seems quite the challenge. How far in advance of the expected flooding event do you call the evacuation of the vehicles?   How do you notify all the owners of the vehicles? Anyway, that's why there are lawyers.

[Charles Hunter]

Observations on the spiffy renderings.
* The Water Street / Newnan Street ramp is gone.
* The Hyatt annex (former State Office Building) is gone.
* Independent Drive / Water Street is straightened out between Laura and Hogan, replacing and widening Sister Cities Plaza, and the roundabout is gone.  Isn't that where a new hotel was supposed to go, on the north side of Independent Drive, removing Sister Cities Plaza?
* The list of buildings shows "C" as  a "14-level, 100-unit residential condominium with ground-floor wellness center and retail spaces at the former Jacksonville Landing site." But the rendering appears considerably shorter than 14 levels. With the Wells Fargo tower at 37 floors, Building "C" should be closer to half its height, and it appears to be barely taller than the "pyramid" section (about 7 floors?).

[fieldafm]

* Independent Drive / Water Street is straightened out between Laura and Hogan, replacing and widening Sister Cities Plaza, and the roundabout is gone.  Isn't that where a new hotel was supposed to go, on the north side of Independent Drive, removing Sister Cities Plaza?

The City is currently in the process of taking back the Sisters City parcel, and the plan is to eliminate Sisters City and realign Independent/Water in order to increase the potential PAD space on Lenny's Lawn.

Things like the street realignment, elimination of the Independent Dr ramp to the Main Street bridge, etc are all part of the hidden costs we've talked about on this site that makes the $25 million 'investment' into tearing down the Landing only a footnote into the actual taxpayer costs that will be spent to ultimately redevelop this site.


"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."
-Current City of Jacksonville Chief Administrative Officer Brian Hughes on former Mayor Alvin Brown's request to use $11.8mm in taxpayer money to fund a redevelopment of the Landing site... including $8.5mm for a waterfront park, fountain, stage and shade canopies.

[Charles Hunter]

Observations on the spiffy renderings.

* Independent Drive / Water Street is straightened out between Laura and Hogan, replacing and widening Sister Cities Plaza, and the roundabout is gone.  Isn't that where a new hotel was supposed to go, on the north side of Independent Drive, removing Sister Cities Plaza?

The City is currently in the process of taking back the Sisters City parcel, and the current plan is to eliminate Sisters City and realign Independent/Water in order to increase the potential PAD space on Lenny's Lawn.

Things like the street realignment, elimination of the Independent Dr ramp to the Main Street bridge, etc are all part of the hidden costs we've talked about on this site that makes the $25 million 'investment' into tearing down the Landing only a footnote into the actual taxpayer costs to ultimately redevelop this site.

Interesting.  Does that include removing the roundabout at Laura?  Could be a way to 'remove' the Andy statue.  Are there any discussions about the Main Street ramp to Water and Newnan Streets?

[fieldafm]

Observations on the spiffy renderings.

* Independent Drive / Water Street is straightened out between Laura and Hogan, replacing and widening Sister Cities Plaza, and the roundabout is gone.  Isn't that where a new hotel was supposed to go, on the north side of Independent Drive, removing Sister Cities Plaza?

The City is currently in the process of taking back the Sisters City parcel, and the current plan is to eliminate Sisters City and realign Independent/Water in order to increase the potential PAD space on Lenny's Lawn.

Things like the street realignment, elimination of the Independent Dr ramp to the Main Street bridge, etc are all part of the hidden costs we've talked about on this site that makes the $25 million 'investment' into tearing down the Landing only a footnote into the actual taxpayer costs to ultimately redevelop this site.

Interesting.  Does that include removing the roundabout at Laura?  Could be a way to 'remove' the Andy statue.  Are there any discussions about the Main Street ramp to Water and Newnan Streets?

Not that I've seen in regards to Water/Newnan ramp (that would be disastrous for stadium traffic)... but with the elimination of the Main St ramp at Independent Dr, the roundabout at Laura could be removed. My understanding is that the three design teams hired by DIA for the former Landing redevelopment have been told to provide plans that includes the roundabout staying and going. 

Frankly there aren't really any concrete discussions on most of Atkins' renderings and name drops released today.

By the end of this week, the Jaguars will release new development plans.
By the end of this month, DIA will release three plans they paid to have designed for Lenny's Lawn.
Either this month or next month, Spandrel will likely be releasing some modified plans for the Ford on Bay site.

Today was just one of many persons wishlist displayed in rendering form.

[bl8jaxnative]

73% of people who whinge of the removal of The Landing are still upset that people didn't embrace Waterworld as a classic piece of cinema.  ;-)

[jaxlongtimer]

No mention of the "gotta have" U2C?  I thought it was going to be the key to development Downtown    but this suggests it's not all that important. 

In fact, in the images showing the Skyway (to the far left), it shows no ramp down to Bay Street going toward the Stadium.  What if we repurposed the $247 million in U2C funding toward the infrastructure needs for this type of plan?  Seems it would be a much better investment.

[landfall]

If one thing comes from this it should be that Spandrel get sent packing. Over 15 months since they announced their cookie cutter apartments and not a thing. Bye Felicia.

[thelakelander]

No mention of the "gotta have" U2C?  I thought it was going to be the key to development Downtown    but this suggests it's not all that important. 

In fact, in the images showing the Skyway (to the far left), it shows no ramp down to Bay Street going toward the Stadium.  What if we repurposed the $247 million in U2C funding toward the infrastructure needs for this type of plan?  Seems it would be a much better investment.

You can't ramp the Skyway down Bay without blocking either Hogan, Laura or Bread and Board Provisions and VyStar's new Bread and Burger breezeway. The DIA also won't let them ramp down Hogan Street, which would block the Emerald Trail project and interfere with Landing redevelopment plans. This is something that JTA has not figured out how to address yet and why some have mentioned exploring silly ideas like using elevators.

[fieldafm]

73% of people who whinge of the removal of The Landing are still upset that people didn't embrace Waterworld as a classic piece of cinema.  ;-)

Ok, boomer