New transportation center planned for downtown Jacksonville

[tufsu1]

The other side of this is, you'll also put the final nail in a substandard convention facility.  You think its hard for the Prime to compete due to its age, size, lack of a hotel and adjacent entertainment/dining/retail.  Imagine that being next to a city bus depot and greyhound.

I was thinking the same thing...maybe doing this would jump start the discussion about a new convention center...albeit backwards

[urbanlibertarian]

Could the events currently held at Prime Osborne be held at the under-used arena and/or the current fairgrounds?

[TheProfessor]

I think any start is a good thing regardless of design.  It would be nice if the convention center moved, but there is no money to do this.  Getting the rail downtown will be key to the center and in time when a new convention center is built then Union Station can be used for transit once again

[thelakelander]

A start with a bad design can doom the future viability of an entire project planned with the best of intentions.  The skyway is a perfect example.  If we're going to spend +$100 million on a project, the least we can do is plan properly from the beginning.

Planning does not mean you have to build a new convention center tomorrow or even in five.  However, it will allow a phased transportation center to be designed the right way from the start.

[TheProfessor]

I agree phasing it would be smart. I don't think the bus and greyhound need to go in right away since they are already downtown.  Those can come later.  Getting the rail stop ASAP would be the best start.

[TheProfessor]

Also I think making the architecture edgy and modern next to the convention center would spark interest and promote ridership.

[thelakelander]

I agree phasing it would be smart. I don't think the bus and greyhound need to go in right away since they are already downtown.  Those can come later.  Getting the rail stop ASAP would be the best start.

Greyhound and bus are the main components of phase 1.  Rail is to come later and will be about two blocks away on the south side of the Prime Osborn.

[samiam]

I said this about a year ago when i first saw the plans for this. They need to move the new office building unless they are planning to build it so the skyway can go though it. With it like it is now there will be no way the skyway could be expanded

[thelakelander]

They don't plan to expand the skyway.  Its a political hot potato they don't want to deal with.  However, I do agree with you.  Putting the office building dead smack dab middle in the way of its path, kills any future opportunity of expanding it to the west.

[Tripoli1711]

I wanted to be excited about this, but I really don't like what I am hearing.  It sounds like it is going to be yet another example of just doing "something" instead of doing the right thing.  The article has quoted aspirations about what kind of place we want to be in 15-20 years.... but nobody has the guts to deal with the terminal/convention center that is staring them right in the face in the present day. 
Very troubling.  Once you have done something for the sake of doing something, its near impossible to get the people behind spending money a few years down the road to fix what you did and turn it into the "right thing", particularly because nobody within government will ever acknowledge their initial failure to recognize and implement the right thing. 

[jason_contentdg]

True Tripoli, its just another case of "Its good enough for Jacksonville."

[fsujax]

^^that is the thinking that drives me nuts.......we need CHANGE! Take a look at the transportation center proposed in Anaheim, CA.....just a little creativity is all we need folks!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/08/architecture-review-anaheims-proposed-artic-rail-hub.html

[heights unknown]

A start with a bad design can doom the future viability of an entire project planned with the best of intentions.  The skyway is a perfect example.  If we're going to spend +$100 million on a project, the least we can do is plan properly from the beginning.

Planning does not mean you have to build a new convention center tomorrow or even in five.  However, it will allow a phased transportation center to be designed the right way from the start.

Not only plan properly but plan smartly.  Jacksonville has thought many times it planned properly, but the project didn't work because the City didn't plan smartly (skyway is a perfect example).  We must carefully and thoughtfully (and smartly) think things through before submitting the final plan and proposal to the feds for the stimulus money.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

They don't plan to expand the skyway.  Its a political hot potato they don't want to deal with.  However, I do agree with you.  Putting the office building dead smack dab middle in the way of its path, kills any future opportunity of expanding it to the west.

Do you agree Lake that the skyway may influence the fed to not give Jax the funds for this project?  I would hope not but as you say the skyway is such a "hot potato" in many different aspects and ways, that they probably will not be able to turn a blind eye to how we piddled fed money on the skyway project and it was basically a failure.

Heights Unknown

[thelakelander]

^^that is the thinking that drives me nuts.......we need CHANGE! Take a look at the transportation center proposed in Anaheim, CA.....just a little creativity is all we need folks!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/08/architecture-review-anaheims-proposed-artic-rail-hub.html

Nice find.  That's a pretty good looking and compact facility.