A "Taking Riverside to the Next Level" Proposal

[simms3]

^^^The Art Institute is a national chain of schools.  Maybe the original is in Miami (I know someone who went to the one in Miami, and the one in Fort Lauderdale).  I have seen probably 5 Art Institutes, and they are all in 80s style office buildings.  There are 2 in Atlanta, a city of almost 6 million people in the metro.  One is is an older 60s or 70s style office building in Decatur (urban environment), the other is in a modern 90s office building way out in the far end of Perimeter (even more suburban than our location).  Atlanta also supports SCAD Atlanta (best art school in the south, it's like the Parson of the South, but the main campus is in Savannah), and Georgia Tech has the best architecture program in Atlanta (and probably the South).  So Atl really only has 2 local art schools for 6 million people and the rest of Georgia and parts South that don't have an Art Institute.

FYI, the two girls that I knew went to Art Institute are from here and could have gone to the one here.  And I know people that go to SCAD from here (the one in Savannah).  I also know one person (and I know there are more) that went to the architecture program at Tech from here.  We are bleeding our own people to other places.  I doubt we are taking in as many people as we are bleeding.  We most likely 90% chance don't have the demand for more than one "art school."

Besides it would be soooo hard to just start one up.  Art Institute has history, reputation, and runs commercials.  It's hard to compete with that.  If you are at high school in town with a good art program, then you are going to SCAD, Parsons, or any other place, not AI.  So that's the dilemna there.

I don't think that Jax has a leCordon Bleu Culinary Institute.  Most large cities have one, it's like Art Institute for foodies.  Maybe we could attract one to Riverside.  Sometimes it likes to be near Art Institute, though, because I think they may be part of the overall same program.  We definitely could not attract another "law school" because who is going to compete with Florida Coastal?

The idea of creating a specialized school in Riverside IS a good one, especially an art school.  It just may be infeasible right now.

[thelakelander]

Better yet, just make an offer (that they can't refuse) to an existing school to relocate or expand in the urban core.  This method worked for Charlotte and Orlando.

[Jumpinjack]

Here is an idea that I have been supporting for several years for a well-known old school in the Riverside area. A school still holding up despite awful vandalism and a school with a connection/easement to Riverside Park.

Delray Beach had two abandoned schools adjacent to each other. One built in the 1913 era and the other in the 1920s. In the mid-1980s the schools were abandoned and crumbling. However, a group of people of vision worked for over ten years to convince the city that this could be the revitalizing point for the struggling downtown area. Using city funds and grants from private and government agencies the schools were restored and now provide the following benefits:


-An art museum and art workshop area for visiting artists and summer school art education
-A performing arts area in the the former auditorium attracting big name stars as well as local performers and guest lecturers.
-A gymnasium with adjacent food prep area which is available for rent for dancing, dinners, graduation activites, weddings, etc.
-An outdoor amphitheater for concerts or plays with a grassy seating area


The 1920s high school before

High school today


Lobby for the theater


Crest Theater


Outdoor theater

Timkin and supporters of Annie Lytle preservation, what do you think? It took years for this to happen but if you're gonna dream -dream bigger.

[cline]

Let me rephrase then - I think Riverside would be a tremendous place to start a very small, unique college, offering things that neither UNF nor FSCJ nor JU does. Something like 50-100 students working out of a couple re-purposed homes or a single block building that sort of thing.

Jones College is pretty close to Riverside.  Across from Moon River on Edgewood.

[Ocklawaha]

Here is an idea that I have been supporting for several years for a well-known old school in the Riverside area. A school still holding up despite awful vandalism and a school with a connection/easement to Riverside Park.

Delray Beach had two abandoned schools adjacent to each other. One built in the 1913 era and the other in the 1920s. In the mid-1980s the schools were abandoned and crumbling. However, a group of people of vision worked for over ten years to convince the city that this could be the revitalizing point for the struggling downtown area. Using city funds and grants from private and government agencies the schools were restored and now provide the following benefits:


-An art museum and art workshop area for visiting artists and summer school art education
-A performing arts area in the the former auditorium attracting big name stars as well as local performers and guest lecturers.
-A gymnasium with adjacent food prep area which is available for rent for dancing, dinners, graduation activites, weddings, etc.
-An outdoor amphitheater for concerts or plays with a grassy seating area

Timkin and supporters of Annie Lytle preservation, what do you think? It took years for this to happen but if you're gonna dream -dream bigger.

Toss in Skyway Station (actually within 100' of the original recommended route!) multi-modal with bus and streetcar connections and you'd have an instant audience.

OCKLAWAHA

[rjp2008]

"Here is an idea that I have been supporting for several years for a well-known old school in the Riverside area. A school still holding up despite awful vandalism and a school with a connection/easement to Riverside Park."

Jumpin you Magnificent Genius!

First, its not Delray. Old School Square sits on a prime corner of a major shopping/entertainment district heading right to the beach. But it can be perfect for Jax's needs.

Did you know RAM plans to EXTEND ITSELF further up the overpass? That might link up to the school. http://www.riversideartsmarket.com/future.html

Do you also realize that the school is entirely VISIBLE from I-10/95? Can you say HUGE SIGN "RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET" on top of it? I can.

[acme54321]

Does RAM actually have a date on that?  It would be great if the undersides of that bridge where cleaned up all the way to Riverside park to connect it to the water.

[Jaxson]

Don't forget to add a few more sushi restaurants... ; )

[Kay]

Better yet, just make an offer (that they can't refuse) to an existing school to relocate or expand in the urban core.  This method worked for Charlotte and Orlando.

Annie Lytle would be perfect for such a school and rehab a historic building.

[Dog Walker]

Maybe we could persuade Riverside Presbyterian Church to expand it's great school and open a high school in the old Annie Lytle Building. There are no good private schools on this side of the river and all of the students from here have to commute over the bridges to Kenny, Episcopal, Bolles, etc.

Bringing the old building up to modern code and conditions could be done for less than new construction (est: $135.00/sq/ft. and the two schools are just across the park from one another.

[rjp2008]

Douse it with a firehose blast of holy water by a priest first.

[Dog Walker]

It's not scary, it's just sad inside.

[Fallen Buckeye]

I think if you could offer a suitable building plus a partnership with the Cummer where the school were able to use the museum as an extension of the classroom you'd have a good chance of convincing an Art school to locate in Riverside. RAM would benefit by virtue of increasing the resident art community. I think a similar partnership to this is already happening between MOCA and UNF.

[rjp2008]

I think RAM itself will spur great transformation in Riverside.

I can see a day where some of those non-descript legal offices in front of the Cummer - (what genius allowed that to happen there??) the little bank on the corner, and maybe even that little medical office park moves out to 200 Riverside or elsewhere so that more greenspace, more RAM space is gained. The schools would stay obviously. A massive park sandwhiched between Five Points and a New Ent/Ret/Art district right there along Gilmore Street.

[904Scars]

I think RAM itself will spur great transformation in Riverside.

I can see a day where some of those non-descript legal offices in front of the Cummer - (what genius allowed that to happen there??) the little bank on the corner, and maybe even that little medical office park moves out to 200 Riverside or elsewhere so that more greenspace, more RAM space is gained. The schools would stay obviously. A massive park sandwhiched between Five Points and a New Ent/Ret/Art district right there along Gilmore Street.

Though I agree that this wouldn't be a bad idea, that's a lot to look forward to. My job's corporate office is located on Riverside Park Place next to the bank, they're pretty stuborn and have been around for quite sometime with no need for expansion, so unless they are given an incentive, I don't see them moving.