(http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/lead_photo_wide/10849693.jpg)
QuoteThe chamber has made downtown redevelopment a top priority, saying business executives base their judgments of cities partly on their impressions of downtowns.
“In the national and global competition for new business, downtowns â€" not their suburbs â€" frequently serve to define the communities,†said Hugh Greene, outgoing chairman of the chamber.
The building will have space for meetings, training sessions, networking and areas where people can share workspace equipped with WiFi service.
An “international plaza†next to the building will have flags from 20 countries whose businesses have a presence in Jacksonville.
Content Design Group and Marquis Halback were picked in early 2011 to redesign the building.
full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-01-19/story/jax-chamber-unveils-2m-renovation-plan
Perhaps they could make this a more pedestrian friendly oasis on the path from the Landing to the Bay Street district.
They should remove those ramps while they are at it.
$2M for landscaping??? Geez.
Is there any change to the building itself?? I agree that they should have brought the building closer to the street. That setback is terrible. Even a single story bump out of 10 feet would have helped.
The question is how long will it take them to raise $2 million? This could be years in the making.
That building is just all around bad.
Here are some renderings
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.331115183575500.76378.121489567871397&type=1
Quote from: cline on January 20, 2012, 09:13:08 AM
They should remove those ramps while they are at it.
I agree completely. Those ramps are crazy and bad for downtown.
Anything looks better than its current state so I have no complaints about the rendering. LOL
Quote from: Captain Zissou on January 20, 2012, 09:17:24 AM
$2M for landscaping??? Geez.
Is there any change to the building itself?? I agree that they should have brought the building closer to the street. That setback is terrible. Even a single story bump out of 10 feet would have helped.
yes...there are exterior and interior changes to the building as well
Quote from: fsujax on January 20, 2012, 09:49:45 AM
The question is how long will it take them to raise $2 million? This could be years in the making.
That and a bit more is readily available.
Is there some reason why they don't go vertical? Are southerners afraid of heights or something? Joking aside, it should be at least as tall as the building next to it, but preferably taller and more of an urban layout. It looks like something found commonly on the southside.
Quote from: urbaknight on January 30, 2012, 12:06:00 PM
Is there some reason why they don't go vertical? Are southerners afraid of heights or something? Joking aside, it should be at least as tall as the building next to it, but preferably taller and more of an urban layout. It looks like something found commonly on the southside.
I am sure Major construction of that nature would add to that 2 million price tag significantly. I think they are just giving it a much needed face lift for the most part.
It seems like everyone is for a two-way Main Street throughout; It seems like that would create too much traffic back up esp. Southbound it's already bad as it is (there's no room for a complete four-lane bridge to Main St. anyway). I vote no far as tearing down those ramps are concerned; It makes no sense tearing down infastructure that's already in place. Those ramps help drivers go down East Bay Street, Newnan Street, and Ocean Street. I'm not buying that 'those ramps are hindering the development of tall buildings in DT Jax' argument.
Quote from: I-10east on January 30, 2012, 05:45:13 PM
It seems like everyone is for a two-way Main Street throughout
actually no....Main St and Ocean St work quite well as they are....with the exception of the block between State and Union, which should be made two-way.
That said, the bridge side ramps to/from Independent Drive can and should go
^^^Okay you that Main and Ocean Streets should be left as is, okay I agree with you there; Then you went on and said the ramp Independent ramps should go; How would people on Independent get on the MSB? How would people getting off the MSB get to Newnan, and East Bay Streets? What you want to take the place of those ramps? Let me guess a coupla fantasy hi rises that never will see the light of day. Yall can shout out from the mountain tops that those ramps (Independent, Hart Bridge Expressway etc) should be torn down, but that will fall of deaths ears for good reasons; Those various ramps are coming down like the Hart, and MSB are coming down, don't hold your breath. Everyone wants to tear down different things but those people have no idea what should take place of them. I'll say it til I'm blue in the face, it's makes no sense whatsoever tearing down useful infastructure.
Quote from: I-10east on January 31, 2012, 08:49:03 AM
^^^Okay you that Main and Ocean Streets should be left as is, okay I agree with you there; Then you went on and said the ramp Independent ramps should go; How would people on Independent get on the MSB? How would people getting off the MSB get to Newnan, and East Bay Streets? What you want to take the place of those ramps? Let me guess a coupla fantasy hi rises that never will see the light of day. Yall can shout out from the mountain tops that those ramps (Independent, Hart Bridge Expressway etc) should be torn down, but that will fall of deaths ears for good reasons; Those various ramps are coming down like the Hart, and MSB are coming down, don't hold your breath. Everyone wants to tear down different things but those people have no idea what should take place of them. I'll say it til I'm blue in the face, it's makes no sense whatsoever tearing down useful infastructure.
Right and left turns from the MSB ramp onto Bay St are already accommodated. Those ramps are taking up prime real estate that could be used more productively by private business and put back on the tax rolls. If the City removed those ramps and sold the land under the on-ramp plus the land under the Landing to Sleiman we would see some big improvements there plus get some cash in the city treasury.
Quote from: I-10east on January 31, 2012, 08:49:03 AM
^^^Okay you that Main and Ocean Streets should be left as is, okay I agree with you there; Then you went on and said the ramp Independent ramps should go; How would people on Independent get on the MSB? How would people getting off the MSB get to Newnan, and East Bay Streets? What you want to take the place of those ramps? Let me guess a coupla fantasy hi rises that never will see the light of day. Yall can shout out from the mountain tops that those ramps (Independent, Hart Bridge Expressway etc) should be torn down, but that will fall of deaths ears for good reasons; Those various ramps are coming down like the Hart, and MSB are coming down, don't hold your breath. Everyone wants to tear down different things but those people have no idea what should take place of them. I'll say it til I'm blue in the face, it's makes no sense whatsoever tearing down useful infastructure.
So are you arguing that elevated expressways through downtown are somehow a good thing?
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on January 31, 2012, 09:05:27 AM
Quote from: I-10east on January 31, 2012, 08:49:03 AM
^^^Okay you that Main and Ocean Streets should be left as is, okay I agree with you there; Then you went on and said the ramp Independent ramps should go; How would people on Independent get on the MSB? How would people getting off the MSB get to Newnan, and East Bay Streets? What you want to take the place of those ramps? Let me guess a coupla fantasy hi rises that never will see the light of day. Yall can shout out from the mountain tops that those ramps (Independent, Hart Bridge Expressway etc) should be torn down, but that will fall of deaths ears for good reasons; Those various ramps are coming down like the Hart, and MSB are coming down, don't hold your breath. Everyone wants to tear down different things but those people have no idea what should take place of them. I'll say it til I'm blue in the face, it's makes no sense whatsoever tearing down useful infastructure.
Right and left turns from the MSB ramp onto Bay St are already accommodated. Those ramps are taking up prime real estate that could be used more productively by private business and put back on the tax rolls. If the City removed those ramps and sold the land under the on-ramp plus the land under the Landing to Sleiman we would see some big improvements there plus get some cash in the city treasury.
Sleiman would be the last person to sell anymore DT land to. He's really only interested in his stripmalls on the southside.
^His plans for the Landing are pretty impressive, and not at all stripmall-like.
Quote from: Tacachale on January 31, 2012, 12:13:41 PM
^His plans for the Landing are pretty impressive, and not at all stripmall-like.
Don't get me wrong, I like the Landing alot, but his plans are just that. In jacksonville I've learned that a plan is nothing more than a hypothedical fantasy. Just look at the foodcourt for example.
Quote from: cline on January 31, 2012, 10:32:15 AM
So are you arguing that elevated expressways through downtown are somehow a good thing?
They were there before the Landing right? Yall do know that those ramps are a permament part of the MSB right? If it's anything that's 'in the way' of the Landing it's the actual MSB, and I hope that you don't wanna tear that down too! This whole 'tearing down DT ramps' issue is a non-story because it will NEVER happen, you may not like it, but it's the truth. The Landing is not getting eminent domain over the DOT.
They are not permanent....the Main Street Bridge used to connect directly with Main St, when it was two-way/....the ramps were added later.
Quote from: I-10east on January 31, 2012, 12:50:07 PM
Quote from: cline on January 31, 2012, 10:32:15 AM
So are you arguing that elevated expressways through downtown are somehow a good thing?
They were there before the Landing right? Yall do know that those ramps are a permament part of the MSB right? If it's anything that's 'in the way' of the Landing it's the actual MSB, and I hope that you don't wanna tear that down too! This whole 'tearing down DT ramps' issue is a non-story because it will NEVER happen, you may not like it, but it's the truth. The Landing is not getting eminent domain over the DOT.
As tufsu mentioned, they are not original to the bridge. Go back and look at some of the historical photos. I didn't mention anything about tearing down the bridge. But you're right, unfortunately the ramps will probably stay. Just like the Hart Bridge Expressway will stay. Both were bad ideas and had negative effects on downtown.
I just checked bing maps and saw that the building exists already, but it looks like crap right now. I'm all for this project now, it would look much better than it does now. Is the building empty?
Tufsu, the original drawings doesn't matter, those ramps are a permament of the bridge now. Main St WAS a two way street, it's no longer that way. I guess it's all good to tear down useful road infastructure, but buildings, oh hell nah!!!they are untouchable, and they shall be preserved at all costs. You can't get to buildings without roads, and sidewalks. What about the PEDESTRIAN friendly sidewalk on the MSB on ramp the many joggers use? I guess that yall wanna tear that down too.
Quote from: I-10east on January 31, 2012, 01:13:13 PM
Tufsu, the original drawings doesn't matter, those ramps are a permament of the bridge now. Main St WAS a two way street, it's no longer that way. I guess it's all good to tear down useful road infastructure, but buildings, oh hell nah!!!they are untouchable, and they shall be preserved at all costs. You can't get to buildings without roads, and sidewalks. What about the PEDESTRIAN friendly sidewalk on the MSB on ramp the many joggers use, I guess that yall wanna tear that down too.
There are plenty of examples of bridges and roadways that have been torn down and/or re-purposed. All I'm arguing is getting rid of the ramps, not the bridge.
Just out of curiosity, what road-building company do you work for?
^^^I don't work for any road company. Those ramps only take up little slithers of land anyway, yall act like they take up six acres or something.
Level the building, make it a pocket park and tell them to move into vacant space downtown. That building needs more than 2 million worth of help.
The location of the building is just terriable. Question: What was there first, the ramps or the building?
^^^+100
I think the ramps were there first, I think the Chamber building was built about the same time as the Daniels Building (now part of the Hyatt), and the Hyatt spans one of the ramps. Ever notice the Chamber and Hyatt buildings fit together like a jigsaw?
If my rusty memory serves correctly, the Chamber originally wanted their building to be up in the air, over the Main Street ramp to the bridge.
Quote from: Charles Hunter on February 06, 2012, 06:57:12 AMEver notice the Chamber and Hyatt buildings fit together like a jigsaw?
How so?
This looks nice:
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540572