Barnett/Laura Trio Redevelopment to be announced

[Timkin]

Love the stair case in the first photo...all nice pics Lake and ...I presume Lunican

[Jim]

It's so easy to envision how grand and opulent those interiors will become even given their currently dilapidated state just by looking at the framework alone.

Such a fantastic canvas to paint upon.

[CS Foltz]

Riveted plate structures are old time engineering.............lots of work to be done but the bones look like they can be salvaged! Best of luck on the job! Hope JEDC does not give away the wagon as far as incentive's go! And while I think about it...........tufsu we go from $58 Million dollars in the hole to what.......$12 Million you say? After identifying a supposed $35 Million Dollar proposed cut (why couldn't this have been identified last Budget cycle?) and using the rainy day fund now also......big guy, no offense but this sounds just like something stupid the Boy Blunder would and will probably do without a thought in the world as to the future ramifications! But since he is a lame duck, he doesn't care and has not shown much to the taxpaying public, other than paying all of his buddies off! AMIO's , 227 to the tune of $27 Million Dollars a year, he could start there!

[fieldafm]

Is the staircase in the first pic from the Bisbee building?

[thelakelander]

Yes.

[Timkin]

nice

[fieldafm]

Lol, I read that this morning... was thinking 'this is a decent article' then that last passage appeared and it turned from decent to phenomenal.   

I really am glad someone like Mr Hading is at the TU. 

[CS Foltz]

I concur stephen! Abel hit part of the problem right on the head! I have made an appearence to sit in on the Ethics Commission meeting and have had to leave several times in order to shove more money into the meter! Last one, I missed by 5 minutes and ofcourse, got that parking award! City won't change much of anything unless they get a replacement for the money they take in............what little bit it is! City is still in the hole and I see no relief other than property tax increase and all those goody Fee's John Boy and his henchmen have come up with! It is going to get worse before it gets better!

[JeffreyS]

Kudos Abel.

[floridaforester]

Any idea where all the water on the floor is from in the last picture?  It appears to be taken in one of the buildings with new windows, so I'm guessing that its not from rain blowing in.  I would expect to see standing water on the floors of the Bisbee building.    BTW, love the metalwork in the Bisbee staircases.  To me, this is reason enough to justify restoration because this kind of craftsmanship is just too cost prohibitive today even if you can find someone with the expertise to reproduce.

I remember many an afternoon daydreaming from my desk in the Drew building on Bay st. with a view of the Laura st trio.  I could only imagine what a loft encompassing an entire floor of the Bisbee or Florida Life building would look like. I am so excited to hear that this may actually come to fruition and these fantastic buildings will finally get the respect they deserve.

[thelakelander]

Abel wasn't the only one.  They got me too. I have a $15 parking ticket as well.

[Timkin]

Abel rocks !

[rjp2008]

It's terrific that this appears it will get off the ground and provide some connecting street level retail for the beginning of Laura Street. The challenge will be to make it creative, eye-catching and interesting enough to entice people to come up the street. As it is, the buildings while historical are as STIFF and ho-hum as...well like walking by a bank. Where is the art? Shiny looking metal/glass? The little white bank building looks like a TOMB!
Traditionalists will scream but I'd paint that sucker with color, attach some terrific streetside glowing lights and put some kind of rooftop gazebo right on top of it. With the side of Modus looking like a military bunker or something, have to change that up somehow.

Maybe something like 24hr street in curritba?

Instead of opening up the landing, EXTEND IT (maybe with a simple tensile canopy) FURTHER up the street.

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&biw=1345&bih=562&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=rua+24+HORAS&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

[ChriswUfGator]

Abel wasn't the only one.  They got me too. I have a $15 parking ticket as well.

LMAO, so here's a group of people trying to redevelop our dead downtown together with a group of people trying to cover the positive developments with a media story. And they're rewarded with a !@#$%&* parking ticket. And people still wonder why everyone hates going downtown?

Get rid of the damned parking meters already!!!

[danno]

Why should they not get screwed over like regular joes like me??