A Day in The Southbank

[thelakelander]

Here is an interesting view of the Southbank (1973) I just came across:



and another:

[stjr]

Here is an interesting view of the Southbank (1973) I just came across

Lake, are you sure of the picture dates, especially the bottom one?  The Gulf Life Tower was completed in 1967 and is not pictured in the bottom picture where it should be! These pictures certainly are from different times as the the bottom one was taken at a much earlier date than the top one.  Note that the generating plant site improvements were in a finished state in the top picture, but apparently not so in the bottom one.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

  The Auchter Company, Jacksonville’s oldest general construction contractor, built the 542,000sf "Gulf Life Tower" for the Gulf Life Insurance Company in 1966. It was designed by the notable local firm, KBJ Architects. When completed in 1967, it was the tallest precast, post-tensioned concrete structure in the world. It held that distinction until 2002, when it was surpassed by the 425-ft.-tall Paramount Apartment Tower in San Francisco.[2]

In the bottom right of the top picture, just under I-95, were a group of old FEC railroad sidings that can be seen if you look carefully at the sandy area depicted.  This is now the site of the JTA parking garage at the end of the $ky-high-way line.  I remember they use to park the Ringling Brothers Circus trains on those sidings when they came to town.

[thelakelander]

The first is filed as being taken in 1973.  The second appears to be from an earlier date.