QuoteThe team that had been negotiating to develop the Southbank site that formerly held the Southside Generating Station has pulled out of the deal.
Cowford Riverfront LLC and JEA called off more than two years of negotiations. A contract to sell the 40-acre site for $40 million was signed in May 2005. Cowford, a partnership that includes Case Pomeroy Properties and Daniel Corp., planned a mixed-use development that would include homes, a hotel and office and retail space. Cowford was granted several extensions to complete its due diligence.
"While everyone has worked diligently to resolve the very complicated issues presented by this project, some remain unresolved, including environmental and entitlement-related matters," said Charles Tickle, CEO of Daniel Corp.
JEA will continue to market the property to other developers.
"The Southside site continues to be a prime location on Jacksonville's waterfront and we will continue to seek development opportunities in keeping with the community's vision of a thriving Downtown," said JEA CEO Jim Dickenson.
http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2007/06/04/daily13.html
a temporary (used in the loose sense of the word since this is a 40 acre site) setback IMO...if there is any area that is hot or ripe for development in the downtown vicinity, it is there.
This is definitely no suprise. I think with the condo market so weak, Cowford ws looking for ways to ge out of this deal as quickly and painlessly as possible. I certainly do not balme them. These types of sites are very hard to pull off, especially in a market as small as Jacksonville.
But I think the site needs a strong, capital-rich company that can stomach rough times. I do not think it will be long before another company comes and ties up the property. Hopefully the next company that wants this property will have an awesome mixed-use vision that can suceed and draw people from all over to live, work and/or shop aqnd dine on site.
I think the site may be to large for one company to jump into. After all this is downtown, not Argyle. Imo, JEA should consider an urban plan for the site (perhaps use Cowford's), lay down some infrastructure (like extending Prudential Drive), subdivide the land and sell it off as individual parcels. Basically, the same thing the developers of Nocatee are currently doing. While it will cost more in initial investment, the land would be worth twice as much, netting JEA a larger profit.
What if the JEA put an acer or 1/2 acer aside for a park or dog park. That would be nice.
How about 5, 10, 15 or 20? You could have a real urban park and still maintain the same leve of residential, retail and office space by simply increasing the density.
(http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/images/Central_Park_aerial_v-1297.jpg)
I'm all for it. I want the little one with the white steeple right on the water.
Uhm... Hey lake, that park in your photo is like 800 acres....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_park
Great photo though...
We saw a ton of stuff in the park when we were in NYC in April. It is amazing how much of the revitalization of central park was done with private money...
We need the money people/companies in this town to step up.
I think the local companies would step up and support a plan brought to them, but I don't think that has happened.
Quote from: downtownparks on June 06, 2007, 09:44:21 AM
Uhm... Hey lake, that park in your photo is like 800 acres....
No doubt, but the concept is there. Whether its a 1,000 acres or 15, embrace density and make it sizable enough to incorporate a diverse amount of activities. In other words, make it a real park and retire the pocket park and flex space ideas.
(http://z.about.com/d/gonewengland/1/0/V/I/bostonabove3.jpg)
Boston Common - 50 acres
QuoteWe need the money people/companies in this town to step up.
How about Gate? After all they are in the world of development, invested in the Southbank and the Mayor is the heir to the throne. What about Councilman Davis? Let's show the city a little love instead of the far out boonies.
A Wal-Mart distribution center!
I just got back from a 3 week stay in Chicago. What about something like this on that site.
www.navypier.com
Mixed use destination development, St. Johns Town Center/Tinseltown
with a riverfront parkland and performance space
QuoteUrbanlibertarian: I just got back from a 3 week stay in Chicago. What about something like this on that site.
Chicago was a planned city - laid out on a grid. It's amazing how it grows and changes, yet it still functions so well as an urban center. This site, http://www.placesonline.org/sitelists/nam/usa/illinois/chicago.asp, has some interesting information about the planning and development of Chicago.
I was referring to Navy Pier, a kind of combination amusement park and shopping mall erected on an old pier that juts out into Lake Michigan. If the city went ahead and extended the Riverwalk across the front of the property they might be able get something more to draw people to the site than just a residential development with a bit of retail.
Navy Pier was part of the Plan of Chicago developed in the 1920s (what I was referring to above) and was a very popular gathering place. However, by the 80s, Navy Pier was, and had been for many years, an eyesore full of derelict buildings that no one visited except for maybe to get a better view of the 4th of July fireworks over Lake Michigan. The area around the pier was not the best place in town to be either. In the 90s, Chicago invested about $200 million to refurbish and restore the pier into the destination and attraction that you found it be during your visit there.
Although I like Navy Pier alot, and could see that for the southbank, I also like the miles and miles of green park space along Lake Michigan, and could see that on the Southbank as well.
BTW, a liitle bit of trivia here for you: the first skyscraper in Chicago was built in 1885!
My thought - if this administration is that desperate for "flex space" as their previous plans have indicated, let's just make it a park - while I think there could be a better use, but if it this or tearing up friendship fountain or metro park for "flex space", there you go.
I don't agree with tearing out friendship fountain. It's part of our skyline. Met Park, as far as I am concerned can go, even though I like to go there to concerts. It's outdated and small. Not sure where I'd put a new amphitheater, but I think the City can better utilize that space....and I don't mean for condos, either. ;-)
Speaking of ampitheaters, I stopped in Columbus, OH yesterday. Just outside of downtown, they converted a part of an old brewery into an outdoor ampitheater, then used the rest of the space for clubs, bars, restaurants and live music venues and marketed it as the "Brewery District". We could use some of that type of creativity locally.
While I'm not totally shocked this one didn't happen, I was looking forward to see it develope.