A Closer Look at the Transportation Center

[CS Foltz]

tusu1............not too sure about the design other than alot of walking will take place! There is also no room to expand either.............and as to the cost, have had cost over-run after over-run! What makes you think this will be any different than all of the other projects that have ended up costing the taxpayer more money than what was projected? FDOT/JTA directed does not speak well of something cost efficient nor effective!

[CS Foltz]

Well gee big guy..............this is being touted as the secound coming! I am just not sure which second coming this is going to be! This is the best we can do at only $60 Million for the first phase? I say let them eat cake!

[tufsu1]

or perhaps on land that JTA already owns...oh wait, that would be the Bay Steet site....oops!

[thelakelander]

I'm not crazy about the architectural style or ground level design, however I like to look a few steps ahead.  Is it safe to assume with this new office building, we can blow the S-Line right through the heart of where JTA's offices sit today?

[Ocklawaha]

Looks very nice! I hope we will see it get built very soon!

Jeh, you have to whip these servants into doing the work they signed on for, giving them a free pass on everything because we blindly love Jacksonville, will result in a city nobody can love.

This is not a if you build it they will come situation.  Let's make it sexy and spark some interest so they will come.

What do you suggest professor? We could go all out and offer nude dining!

I have said it before the biggest problem is the position of the office RTMC It block any future expansion of the skyway. If they did expland it into Brooklyn, the stadium and springfield the ridership would increase dramatically and furthermore any expansion does not  have to be the huge roman aqueducts that they have for the currents skyway they are way overbuilt

The building would have no effect on expansion...no one is talking about going westward....Brooklyn line would come off the maintenance track near the Acosta Bridge.

As for the questions regarding cost, the entire center has been estimated at somewhere around $120 million...but the only part that's been nailed down beyond general estimates is the Phase 1 shown here....the cost of it is $60 million.

TUFSU1, NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT GOING WESTWARD? WHY THE HELL NOT? Too black perhaps? The strongest mass transit ridership in our city is coming from NW Jacksonville or west of I-95, Durkeeville is a resurgent booming neighborhood, with more street life, food, fun, and shopping, then any other part of the Urban City. This is part of the problem and should not even be in your vocabulary, QUIT WALLING OFF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES! Punch that horizontal elevator through to the Small Ballpark and ridership would jump 10x what it is today. You obviously have never eaten collards in that cafe on Myrtle, if you had you'd be proposing a subway to there, rather then defending the decision of some cracker planners over at JTA.

Posted by: thelakelander
I'm not crazy about the architectural style or ground level design, however I like to look a few steps ahead.  Is it safe to assume with this new office building, we can blow the S-Line right through the heart of where JTA's offices sit today?

I wouldn't think so Lake, these geniuses will pave that space for all of the new BRT's, hybrids, articulateds and "PCT TROLLEYS" were bound to get. It would make it easy for a two or three track RDC yard and a rebuilt mainline of major railroad (class 3 - 40 mph freight - 60 mph passenger) quality.

As for design, give the boys a break, at least they have moved closer to the original station on Bay Street. I'd prefer a complete sell out to the 1890 design, brick, arches, towers and stucco.  A matching architecture theme would at least draw the eye to this being something of a unified purpose complex. Instead we'll have a ROMAN front on Lee St., a Spanish front on the south side of Bay, and ?? what would you call it on the north side of the street.


OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Speaking of going west, those old brick warehouse districts down Dennis and Myrtle and the Farmers Market/Beaver Street could become redevelopment meccas with the right transit connections and allowable land uses.  Although there is no current plan to extend west, its a bad idea to completely eliminate such an option from the future.  After all, we don't really know what our needs will be 20 or 30 years from now.

As for design, give the boys a break, at least they have moved closer to the original station on Bay Street. I'd prefer a complete sell out to the 1890 design, brick, arches, towers and stucco.  A matching architecture theme would at least draw the eye to this being something of a unified purpose complex. Instead we'll have a ROMAN front on Lee St., a Spanish front on the south side of Bay, and ?? what would you call it on the north side of the street.

Beach Blvd strip mall style! 

[tufsu1]

ok...I'll take the statement partially back...

we can and should serve the neighborhoods west of the Prme Osborne via transit...urban/commuter rail on the s-line and the line paralleling new Kings could do that....but I still see no reason to extend the Skyway west of I-95.

[Ocklawaha]

ok...I'll take the statement partially back...

we can and should serve the neighborhoods west of the Prme Osborne via transit...urban/commuter rail on the s-line and the line paralleling new Kings could do that....but I still see no reason to extend the Skyway west of I-95.

Just an extension over and onto I-95 for a block or two hence west to EWC, the "S" or Beaver/Myrtle would give us untold $$ Millions $$ in advertising. This is the one great unexploited angle for the Skyway... PR! Nobody save Seattle, Tokyo, Vegas, and Moscow have real monorail systems, and John Q Public, still has it in their heads that this is somehow the future of railroads (which is completely false BTW). We have the damn thing, it runs, lets use it to some advantage besides a glorified horizontal elevator (which it is).

I still think the effect on Mr. Public, the wife and kids on the screaming trip down the expressway to MICKEYWORLD would blow people out of their seats. How many of these dudes are nationally famous executives? managers? CFO's? CEO's? Professors? Doctors? etc?  The guy sees this thing going along the road or over the road, pokes his wife and says, "MARGE! Did you see THAT?" Cha-Ching!

OCKLAWAHA

[Bostech]

Design is missing sniper tower.

[Ocklawaha]

Design is missing sniper tower.

Funny Bostech, the old station across the street on the south side of Bay should fit your needs comfortably... However if I was a sniper, the American South is the LAST PLACE on earth I'd try and screw up the populous. When any Southron shouts, "Hey y'all watch this..." get the hell out of his way, it's probably the last thing he'll ever say.

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Hay guys...........I just got struck by a brain storm. We already have property available at the Prime Osburn so lets buy some army surplus tents and form our own "Tent City"! Portapotties and a couple of hose's and shazam! Cheap, easily moveable and cheap to add on to......what more could JTA/FDOT want! Put a Cell Site on Wheels smack dab in the middle and a phone system is up and running, not to mention sniper tower for slow movers!

[Bostech]

Ock,don't let Bostech get to you with his jokes.

[urbaknight]

In order to get better design results from the city, we simply have to vote into city council people who aren't from here at all. We need people from big cities, they're moving down here all the time. Let's find them and get them elected. The present establishment here is purposefully designing these places in order for the urban core to stay as it is. They want to keep Jacksonville a driver's paradise where, it is okay to run over children and their mothers or any other pedestrian for that matter! Let's hold the city accountable and demand that they civilize Jacksonville, or simply step aside and let professionals do the job that they can't do! It's time to wrestle control of the city from the country bumpkins that think that they own it, and make it liveable for everybody, weather the drive or walk.

[urbaknight]

I must clarify, I don't think bad of country people. The term "Bumpkin" was just used to slam city council. I'm sure many of us think the same about our beloved city leaders.

[CS Foltz]

urbaknight..........your not saying anything that alot of us have not already said! Not only do we have bufoons (not all by the way) coming out our ears but we have the GOB Network busy lining their pockets at the taxpayer expense. There are some Council members that do show some concern for the people who voted them into office but not many! Do your homework before voting and go from there!