If you had a couple million to plan out your mixed use area, what would it be?

[rjp2008]

Here'd be my offering. Imagine this in the area currently where "Tinseltown" is. Everything would be built off a grid street format with multiple parking garages, no open parking areas.

1) A top class, multi-use themed movie theater

2) Above theater, a first class bar/restaurant area with dance/performance space.

Within a 20 second walk....

3) A BIG open patio plaza are with fountains, performance area, outdoor tables, etc.

4) A Coffeehouse/Smoothie type joint, with many outside tables

5) A big mall type clothing store (Macys or something)

6) Smaller specialty clothing stores (like the stuff at SJTC)

7) A Neo-Classical architecture Fine Arts/Church building for ballets, church groups, etc

A "big splash" fine Italian/French restaurant

A 40 second walk away....

9) Lesser priced but still good eateries
- NY Pizza joint
- Mexican
- Japanese grill
etc

10) Several modern (non-smoking) dance clubs

11) A Publix/Whole Foods

12) A Borders/Barnes bookstore

13) An LA fitness or similar gym/health club

14) Nearby condos right around the block for young professionals, retirees, etc.


* * * *

[MattnJax]

Depends on how much money you're talking about I guess, but I'd probably do something like River Watch at City Centre. I great infill project that would bring residential and hotel units into the downtown core. With some commercial on the ground level for a restaurant or bar.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Add in a aquarium resturant.

[ProjectMaximus]

Here'd be my offering. Imagine this in the area currently where "Tinseltown" is. Everything would be built off a grid street format with multiple parking garages, no open parking areas.

1) A top class, multi-use themed movie theater

2) Above theater, a first class bar/restaurant area with dance/performance space.

Within a 20 second walk....

3) A BIG open patio plaza are with fountains, performance area, outdoor tables, etc.

4) A Coffeehouse/Smoothie type joint, with many outside tables

5) A big mall type clothing store (Macys or something)

6) Smaller specialty clothing stores (like the stuff at SJTC)

7) A Neo-Classical architecture Fine Arts/Church building for ballets, church groups, etc

A "big splash" fine Italian/French restaurant

A 40 second walk away....

9) Lesser priced but still good eateries
- NY Pizza joint
- Mexican
- Japanese grill
etc

10) Several modern (non-smoking) dance clubs

11) A Publix/Whole Foods

12) A Borders/Barnes bookstore

13) An LA fitness or similar gym/health club

14) Nearby condos right around the block for young professionals, retirees, etc.


* * * *

Not for a couple million, my friend.

[Bewler]

A stripmall with a sushi restaurant, tanning salon, starbucks, and a blockbuster.

[Timkin]

Mine would cost more than a couple million , but I would do a mixed-use commercial development of Public School #4.   On the lower levels,  Coffeehouse, Cafes,  A Gym area, a gameroom /kids play area, An area that teaches cooking classes , Indoor Farmers Market,  In the Auditorium I would make that area also multi-use  Comedy Club, Dinner Theatre, Movie Theatre , Plays (different nights of the week.   On the upper levels of the School , I would make Artists Lofts, Museum areas (even total restoration of One of the Classrooms and the Administrative Offices downstairs )  Adult Crafts/ How-to workshops , much like at Home Depot..    In the Back yard of the School I would put in a nice but smaller Skateboard Park area.. I feel these sorts of destinations would attract people of all ages...   But again Id need 15 million, not just a couple..

[thekillingwax]

Upscale Shep's. Think about it- you walk in and there's a giant tub full of charcuterie and cheeses next to a rack full of designer handbags but the lighting is so dim that you can't tell a coach from a prada! You get an aisle full of weird swarovski crystal doo-dads and one side is full of scan design furniture with precor fitness equipment mixed inbetween.  There's mystery boxes full of all-clad pots and pans. We're going to keep the weird aisles of plastic plants that haven't moved since 2000 though. That's just a landmark by now. If you wonder into the polyester wilderness, you've gone too far and need to turn back.

[CS Foltz]

The various idea's being floated are way more than one or several million dollars, and no one mentioned anything about a "Rail system" for transport in or out! SJTC  has basically done all of the mentioned things and there is nothing to transport anyone from one end to the other! Young professionals are one thing, retirees are something else and some transportation system would be needed for use inside such a developement and connection to outside! Or lots more concrete and vehicles and sprawl here we come again! Nocatee is based on this principle, IMHO, and how do you get there? Or move around in it or leave?

[copperfiend]

A stripmall with a sushi restaurant, tanning salon, starbucks, and a blockbuster.

Throw in a chinese take-out, a Hair Cuttery and Papa John's and I'm sold.

[Captain Zissou]

If I had about $12,000,000..... Mine would take up two full blocks in Riverside.  I would have two coordinating (not identical) 5 story buildings. One would house 4 floors of residential (12-16 units) and have 2 retailers on the bottom, one being a small market (like grassroots).  The second building would have a bar and a restaurant on the bottom, 1 floor with a small gym and a coffee and smoothie shop, and 3 floors of offices (15,000 sf).  Parking would use half of the first 2 levels, accessed from the least busy street.  The cafe and bar would have outdoor seating facing the busiest of the surrounding streets.

[Jason]

I would build the proposed Bay Street Station or Brooklyn Park.

In St. Augustine I would build a streetcar line from the proposed Amtrak station to the Square along San Marco Blvd.  Or I would build the proposed San Sebastian Inland Harbor.