A Public Square for San Marco
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/2204782142_W7RkRc3-M.jpg)
Metro Jacksonville shares renderings of a project that will anchor the heart of San Marco Square: The expansion of Balis Park.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-nov-a-public-square-for-san-marco
Great project. This is exactly what Jacksonville needs en masse. Unfortunately, even in high tax cities local businesses and residents can't rely on the city to fund needed enhancements and traffic improvements, and so have taken to alternative funding sources for all such projects. In Jacksonville, which has next to no taxes, this is especially the case. Hopefully a sign of things to come!
Brilliant! Great work SMPS.
This is wonderful. Great work SMPS and San Marco Merchants. This also has Doug Skiles and Lori Boyer written all over it, so congratulations to the two of you.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on November 09, 2012, 01:27:21 PM
This is wonderful. Great work SMPS and San Marco Merchants. This also has Doug Skiles and Lori Boyer written all over it, so congratulations to the two of you.
It literally has Doug Skiles (Envision) written all over it. I don't know if he also did the street view renderings, but those are pretty darn impressive as well.
Wow, what a great project! This is an exciting time for San Marco.
The good renderings were created by Logan Rink's team at DCOOP.
This has been a team effort. It would take me all afternoon to describe the hours put in by (in no particular order):
Kiley Efron (Taverna)
Rob Smith (SMPS)
George Foote (merchants president)
Desiree Bailey (San Marco Bookstore)
Diane Martin (SMPS president)
Mary Toomey (SMPS treasurer)
LeAnna Cumber (SMPS Events chair)
Anita Morrill (Empty Nest Events)
Sarah Marie Johnston (Bistro Aix)
Mark Rubin (local developer)
Mike Balanky (local developer)
Keith Kimball (local building owner)
Zim Boulos (owner of OES)
Eric Lycke (Haskell)
Steve Lovett & Tim Miller (ELM)
Valerie Feinberg & Dawn Emerick (HPC)
Wiatt Bowers, Mike Field & Ennis Davis (Transform Jax)
Janet Whitmill (SMPS parks chair)
Anthony Edwards (SMPS PR)
Reese Riggle (SMPS pres-elect)
Andrew Dickson (SMPS traffic/safety)
Mike Saylor
Chris Flagg
Very cool!
It's a shame this was not as part of the previous road work, but I do think it will really improve the area. Nice work.
Nice work! This will be a very nice improvement to San Marco.
beautiful- I can't wait
This eliminates a police car hiding spot at the west end sidewalk at the of the park .
Good. They need more public space areas. The square was starting to look like a southside strip mall.
Are there plans for tables and chairs? It would be nice to grab a sub at Firehouse and take it out to the park for lunch.
It's real purdy. I feel like there are other areas in Jacksonville that need to be improved upon first. If my tax dollars aren't being spent I'm all for it.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on November 09, 2012, 04:32:49 PM
Are there plans for tables and chairs? It would be nice to grab a sub at Firehouse and take it out to the park for lunch.
Depends on how much money we raise. Initially, it will be an open public space with some benches and trees. Eventually, I hope we can have an outdoor cafe vibe where people get food and take it to the park to enjoy. Logistically, we would have to figure out how to handle the tables so they don't get in the way of the larger events we want to host (like the art shows). We want to start slow so that we can see how the space evolves organically. Personally, I prefer the less is more approach with public spaces. The people filling the park will be infinitely more interesting than the fixtures (and more valuable to the businesses in the Square).
Nice work. This will be a great addition.
Congratulations Doug and all involved. Very exciting project for the community.
TransForm Jax was honored to be involved in this project...great job by Doug Skiles in getting this from concept to construction so quickly!
Great news! I've always hated that the center piece of San Marco "Square" was isolated by traffic. I'm asking for a bike rack with my name on it for Christmas!
Quote from: dougskiles on November 09, 2012, 05:07:08 PM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on November 09, 2012, 04:32:49 PM
Are there plans for tables and chairs? It would be nice to grab a sub at Firehouse and take it out to the park for lunch.
Depends on how much money we raise. Initially, it will be an open public space with some benches and trees. Eventually, I hope we can have an outdoor cafe vibe where people get food and take it to the park to enjoy. Logistically, we would have to figure out how to handle the tables so they don't get in the way of the larger events we want to host (like the art shows). We want to start slow so that we can see how the space evolves organically. Personally, I prefer the less is more approach with public spaces. The people filling the park will be infinitely more interesting than the fixtures (and more valuable to the businesses in the Square).
Tables and chairs? I think we all know what that would lead to. Yes, chess, checkers and card games in a park/plaza. Unacceptable! ;-)
This is awesome... Just what the square needs!
Absolutely fantastic idea!
And maybe the adjacent restaraunts could team up to offer temporary seating in the park when the weather is right. Or they could simply put some of their own seating in designated areas for their customers?
Wow - beautiful work. Congratulations to everyone on that impressive team. Great model for other neighborhoods to follow (Doug, you know I'm going to be hitting you up for suggestions soon!).
While this IS with certainty a fantastic element of the SanMarco Blvd redesign, it isn't really news, nor was it ever a secret.
What I do wonder about is why so many folks remained so quiet for so long about such an exciting park expansion.
We didn't want to count chickens before they hatched. Perhaps an even better way to describe it is that we didn't want to expose the eggs to unneeded danger before they hatched.
I'm glad you like the plan. Come to the San Marco Art Festival if you want to learn more about it. We have a booth near the Lions with order forms for the donor bricks.
I saw Doug working hard yesterday from across the way. I was over at San Marco Books doing a book signing for them. Planning to head back over there in another hour or so.
Since there's already going to be a great call of work on the area, why not also close Balis Steet and make San Marco eastbound only to Hendricks? Would be smoother flow than the proposal, and allow the district to extend the green area a little more.
Balis is an important through street considering it connects with San Marco Place and Carlo street. This would also cut off access to the big parking lot behind the fire station for southbound traffic, which would meet some opposition.. If you get rid of Balis, then you should get rid of Alford between SMB and Hendricks.
Quote from: scottjsmith on November 27, 2012, 01:09:37 PM
Since there's already going to be a great call of work on the area, why not also close Balis Steet and make San Marco eastbound only to Hendricks? Would be smoother flow than the proposal, and allow the district to extend the green area a little more.
and how would you propose people go west?
Quote from: tufsu1 on November 27, 2012, 02:25:51 PM
Quote from: scottjsmith on November 27, 2012, 01:09:37 PM
Since there's already going to be a great call of work on the area, why not also close Balis Steet and make San Marco eastbound only to Hendricks? Would be smoother flow than the proposal, and allow the district to extend the green area a little more.
and how would you propose people go west?
I'm assuming they would take Hendricks up to Atlantic and turn west. After mulling it over, it's not crazy, but I don't think it will fly.
having run some traffic models for the square, it would add significant delay for westbound travelers as well as those travelling north on Hendricks (for 2 blocks)...and while delay might not be a bad thing, one of the selling points on this happening so quickly was that it actually reduced travel time.
Another reason to keep Balis open is that it provides better access to the shops on the north side of Square. Without which, we wouldn't have received their support and assistance to make this project happen.
Glad to see the ideas, though.
Update....
QuoteAfter streetscape, park renovation, San Marco Square 'will be amazing'
By Beth Reese Cravey
Sometime in May expect to hear loud hosannas from San Marco Square.
Ground was broken Friday on an $80,000 donor-funded renovation of Balis Park, which, with its signature white bandstand and three bronze lions, is the centerpiece of the square.
In about six weeks, the park will have more green space, a new traffic pattern through the square that eliminates the existing traffic signal, on-street parking and safer pedestrian crossings.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-04-05/story/after-streetscape-park-renovation-san-marco-square-will-be-amazing#ixzz2PdBNsmAK
the roadway reconstruction is already underway....Balis has been rebuilt and new medians on Atlantic are going in
awesome!! now let's just get that east san marco project going and a skyway extension...fifteen years from now it's gonna be great! ;)
I'm sitting in the square right now and I couldn't even remember what it used to look like so I had to dig this up. What an improvement, a huge win for the neighborhood. Game changing I dare say...