Mayport may get a facelift

[thelakelander]

But residents don't want cruise ships looming over their village.



By David Bauerlein, The Times-Union

The waterfront as Mikki Baldwin knew it fell under a backhoe's thrashes.

Within a week, Mat Roland Seafood Co., a dockside mainstay, was reduced to small mounds of concrete. A stiff, chilled breeze blew from the St. Johns River across the vacant lot where another downhome eatery once stood.

The demolition is clearing the way for the Jacksonville Port Authority to potentially build a five-floor parking garage and two-story cruise terminal in historic Mayport Village.

Baldwin, president of the Mayport Civic Association, has heard the predictions the cruise terminal will breathe new life into the village by bringing in a flow of free-spending tourists. She's not buying it.

"I love going on cruises, but I know I'm going to have all the food I want when I go on the ship," she said. "When I get off the ship, I have had all I want to eat and I have no money left. I get in the car and go home."

Baldwin is among the Mayport Village residents ready to fight a cruise terminal when a rezoning application comes up before the Jacksonville City Council this month for critical votes.

On the flip side, local tourism officials and hoteliers are urging City Council members to back moving a cruise terminal to Mayport.

full article: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/111008/bus_353769100.shtml

The zoning at Mayport Village would allow the port authority to build a parking garage and cruise terminal on its site. But the zoning limits a building's height to 50 feet. The port's rezoning application says its garage would be from 50 feet to 54 feet tall. In addition, current zoning requires at least 10 feet of open space in front of buildings. The port wants to be able to put stores in the first floor of the garage and build that ground floor flush with the sidewalk.

[Jason]

Sounds like the plans for the garage and terminal are pretty well thought out.  The image above looks promising.  Assuming all other future development would meet the same urban minded criteria, Mayport Village could become a happening place full of foot traffic and big money.

[Ocklawaha]

Go for it JaxPort, but keep the theme of a 1900's shrimping/fishing village - insist on THEME.

Make the historic buildings (hopefully moved) into a REAL ATTRACTION with the JHS and the FHS involved.

Allow for hotel building, but again, INSIST on the 1900's port theme.

Parking garages with retail "space" are different then garages WITH RETAIL, make them, finish out these "ghost spaces" unlike downtown JAX where they left them with dirt floors.

Insist on a bus pullout terminal for JTA and/or Greyhound - Trailways Charters - Tour coaches. Include a complete bus service facility where LAV's can be dumped and water-fuel re-filled.

Include Mayport historic markers within the complex, balconys, overlooks etc... Show them where the battleship FLORIDA came in, where the USS Uncas took fire from the Confederates, Where the railroad terminal was at, etc.

SHINE MAYPORT SHINE!

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Imo, hide the ugly garage.  Just because its a garage does not mean it has to look like one.  There are to many successful examples of garages that fit in with their surroundings out there, to come into a meeting with a sketch like that.  Its hard to say anything else without seeing a detailed or conceptual site plan of the facility.