Urban Parks: Riverside Park

[Shwaz]

When I moved to Riverside in 01 the basketball court was my favorite weekend activities. I don't go much anymore and normally opt for Memorial Park most afternoons.

Francis Lytle begs to be a terminal for the Skyway, and the sidewalk leads straight from the steps into 5-Points. With bus-skyway-streetcar running out of PS-4, and a beautiful arbor leading from the terminal to the action. Now just add vendors in the terminal istelf, a mini-craft mall - with food and gift services. Can you imagine the tourist traffic? Can you imagine the re-birth of this corner of the historic city? Can you imagine?
If you can your probably not COJ or FDOT employed, rather a visionary that can touch this future of ours.

This may be the best skyway extension idea yet!

[Jason]

That idea was tossed around quite a while ago when the PS4 discussion was hot and heavy.

Here are a few images I threw together of what the building could look like as a transit station.


Before...







After...

[Mueller]

Wow, Jason.  Every time I jog or bike by there, that's exactly what I thought of.  Thanks for putting some conceptual drawings up (since I never learned how to make nice CAD drawings myself).

[urbaknight]

I think the old schoolhouse would be perfect! I can't believe that I didn't see it before! How can we make this happen? And why does it not make sense to the city? Have they no ability to see that this will save the skyway from it's demise?

[Kay]

So the proposal would be to have the skyway coming out in the air over the park?  I don't like that idea.

[Overstreet]

Kay, this plan sends the skyway north away from Riverside and not south confilcting with the interstate and over the Riverside park as you fear.

[Overstreet]

It would be great if the land under I-95 could be regained as park space.  Right now, its just wasted dead space that cuts the park off from the Annie Lytle school and area north of the interstate.

Land under the interstate with the pond is the code required stormwater retention area.  Such area is not wasted. A waste would be taking out trees to build such a pond.

Having worked under various bridges for years I can assure you that grass don't grow there very well either. Weeds ......some but not grass. Too much shade and not enough rain.

[simms3]

Glad this thread was bumped because I never saw it originally.  Jason, if you are still around, that is such a great idea!!  My only addition to your idea would be to replicate the portico on the back side, because nobody can see the front anymore and you leave enough space for it.

This is why I love this board; people are so creative!

[thelakelander]

It would be great if the land under I-95 could be regained as park space.  Right now, its just wasted dead space that cuts the park off from the Annie Lytle school and area north of the interstate.

Land under the interstate with the pond is the code required stormwater retention area.  Such area is not wasted. A waste would be taking out trees to build such a pond.

Having worked under various bridges for years I can assure you that grass don't grow there very well either. Weeds ......some but not grass. Too much shade and not enough rain.

A public space under a bridge does not have to be grass and stormwater retention areas can be integrated as amenities in park settings.  RAM expanding under the bridge between Riverside Avenue and Park Street would be an example of what I had in mind when I made the quoted post above a couple of years ago.


http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-artists-walk-at-northbank-riverfront-park

Plus, not all of the land underneath the bridge is used for stormwater retention.  Considering the width of the bridge in front of the school, a potential use could be a covered seating area for picnics or special events.

[urbaknight]

Maybe the track on the west end of the station can go over the highway. I think that there would be enough clearance as the highway is on a down slope. But to have clearance for the big rigs, the track may have to have an incline. Would that be feasible? The east track would probably have to terminate right there, but that would be fine. I hang out there sometimes so next time, I'll get a closer look at the details. The auditorium roof has collapsed. That can be replaced with a beautiful glass dome.

[Jumpinjack]

An article in a community paper said that in the 1930s an outdoor concert stage was somewhere in the vicinity of this overpass. Does anybody know? Reviving that idea would be a great amenity for the park and school.

[Cliffs_Daughter]

I think the old schoolhouse would be perfect! I can't believe that I didn't see it before! How can we make this happen? And why does it not make sense to the city? Have they no ability to see that this will save the skyway from it's demise?

It makes sense to me. The building is solid, and was built for the community - with some care and rehab, it would be ready to serve us again, albeit in a different fashion.
And I agree: HOW can we make this happen? Right now the whole interstate acts as a wall between a beautiful park and "the other side". It was all together once, it can be again in planning.

[fieldafm]

And I agree: HOW can we make this happen? Right now the whole interstate acts as a wall between a beautiful park and "the other side". It was all together once, it can be again in planning.

The only hope for the old girl is for RAM to expand their proposed 'artists walk' and for a pedestrian bridge to be constructed linking AL with Riverside Park.  Right now, the building is just too isolated.  Hell, there's not even a sidewalk leading to the school.

[Garden guy]

This whole area was in need for quit a while now and I'm glad to see someone keeping it in the public eye. I've always wanted to go in the old school...my grand mother told stories of that school...it was once the place to be...I'm so sad to see it sit...looks like it would make a great extention to the transit system but that system has to be much larger, encompassing much more of the city, to make it really worth while. These 1/4 mile here and there ain't gonna get it...now connecting downtown with Orange park and then over the buckman bridge to Mandarin...now that's a good start to a system...but...not in my time i guess...

[Keith-N-Jax]

The auditorium roof has collapsed. That can be replaced with a beautiful glass dome.

quote]

I like the glass dome idea.