Urban Infill: Urbana

[Metro Jacksonville]

Urban Infill: Urbana



Developers scale down Jacksonville Beach Urbana project in order to move forward.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jun-urban-infill-urbana

[fsu813]

(ha). well then. just a small change there, huh?

just another strip mall now. great job!

[Hurricane]

I personally like it.  A condo would have flopped.  I like the retail and I actually like the rooftop parking.  I'm happy to finally something happening at the beach again. 

Yes - I really wish it was the original design, but beggers can't be choosers.  We need some projects to break ground.  Hopefully they at least dress the place up with some good lighting or something.

[Jason]

I'm suprised to see the rooftop parking.  Very nice, IMO.

Its a great way to keep the project moving forward and it prevents more surface parking lots.

[Steve]

It's better than a vacant lot....

[fsujax]

or another passive, useless park.

[blizz01]

Is this currently underway?  I thought that I'd noticed new retail under construction (this) over the weekend.

[jaxlore]

how is five guys elegant?

[avonjax]

Another stip mall...sorry but that's what it is now

[avonjax]

and worst all the nice design elements are gone.....

[copperfiend]

how is five guys elegant?

What are they supposed to say? Come get fat at our new strip mall??

[archiphreak]

What a disappointment.  Just because it's nothing but retail doesn't mean it has to be the same crap that everyone else is doing.  Look at the retail center at the northwest corner of Phillips and Baymeadows.  It's a strip mall, sure, but it looks GOOD.  It looks like someone put more than 20 minutes worth of thought into what it would look like.  This crap above is just that....CRAP.  More of the same old same old.  When will developers learn that a building doesn't have to look cheap to be cheap.  Frustrating.

[Abhishek]

I like the parking on the roof. Other than that, it sucks that economic conditions have curtailed the construction of a truly mixed use development.

[Abhishek]

Look at the retail center at the northwest corner of Phillips and Baymeadows.  It's a strip mall, sure, but it looks GOOD.  It looks like someone put more than 20 minutes worth of thought into what it would look like.  This crap above is just that....CRAP.  More of the same old same old. 

You can ride your bike easily or walk to Urbana if you live in that neighborhood. The Strip Mall on Baymeadows and Phillips is a nightmare to get to in any other way than a car due to it being on a busy intersection. I know it because I have done it.

[simms3]

Well when you guys have a little bit of money and want to risk it on a project, then I am sure it will be perfect.  It will have all of your heart's desire!

No but really, these people would have stuck with the original plan if they could.  Everyone here who is whining STFU!  I would love to see some crazy modern Architectonica mixed use whole block to the sidewalk development, but nobody has that kind of line of credit with the banks right now.  Even if this developer had cash, they would lose money on a grander scheme.

I am tired of people trashing private development if it does not fit their bill, because it is well known that investing money into real estate or a project in a down market is one of the biggest risks one can take.  They will not recover this investment even just from fully leased retail for a while, let alone an empty office/condo building.

If you complainers have invested millions of your money into a project that fit your demands and was successful, even in a depressed market, then speak up and let other developers know how you did it.  But somehow I do not think anyone here has invested millions of their own on anything, so why dont you leave the hard work up to people who are really trying to make a better difference in the urban environment while not losing too much money and dont bash them for trying.

This board sometimes sounds like a bunch of immature whiners.  Done with rant.