whats this all about? This is really a rough one from the t u story im reading
On another thread...... http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,742.0.html
And yet another thread:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,925.msg5653.html#msg5653
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,925.msg5653.html#msg5653)
any new developments with this over the last year and a half? I haven't been by the location in quite some time.
They're in the weeds
Has anything done well in that area?
This fiasco comes as no surprise to me. When I first heard they were planning to build this here I wondered was someone insane. Hopefully, one day something can come of this debacle.
Quote from: stephendare on September 14, 2009, 02:34:25 PM
Its empty and not a damn plan in site. At present there is a decision process about whether or not to tear it down.
Wow, what a waste. It is pretty much a finished building right (except for interior finish)?
I remember LaVilla Grill (I think that is what it was called;opened circa 1999) around the museum/theatre refurb. Went there a couple of times for lunch. Food wasn't bad. Service was. I guess that has been gone at least five years probably more? That would have been probably within a mile of the Sax site. Is nothing destined to work in that general area? Perhaps, things will look up once the courthouse is complete.
So if it's a 2mil homeless camp - why not turn into a restaurant/shelter for the homeless? Lord knows there are plenty of homeless people in this city. Use the wasted money for good.
Its a huge waste of taxpayer money and because everybody in this city is so suburban-centric, I think nobody actually NOTICED the fact that its probably the most blatant example of such waste in modern Jacksonville history.
Shame on the council and the mayor for allowing this to happen (and shame on past mayors and councils for blowing up LaVilla in the first place).
Quote from: stephendare on September 14, 2009, 02:34:25 PM
At present there is a decision process about whether or not to tear it down.
Nothing in the works that I could find that states there are demolition plans. The property is allocated to JEDC at this time.
Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldn't find a more recent one. Wife and I drove past this place today and I made a joking reference to it. She refused to believe it was a (from all outside appearances) nearly complete building being used for absolutely nothing. Are there any plans? Can the building be used for anything else? How unfinished is it? Who owns it?
There's a fairly informative thread titled "Homeless Camp No Longer" but it's from 2008, and this is from 2009 - surely there's some kind of update over the past three years? If I missed another thread, just point me in the right direction.
Just curious....
Quote from: Bativac on September 09, 2012, 10:00:07 PM
Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldn't find a more recent one. Wife and I drove past this place today and I made a joking reference to it. She refused to believe it was a (from all outside appearances) nearly complete building being used for absolutely nothing. Are there any plans? Can the building be used for anything else? How unfinished is it? Who owns it?
There's a fairly informative thread titled "Homeless Camp No Longer" but it's from 2008, and this is from 2009 - surely there's some kind of update over the past three years? If I missed another thread, just point me in the right direction.
Just curious....
The elections office is looking into the property for the new elections office. I hope they build it there, but that site is an eye sore.
Quote from: Bativac on September 09, 2012, 10:00:07 PM
Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldn't find a more recent one. Wife and I drove past this place today and I made a joking reference to it. She refused to believe it was a (from all outside appearances) nearly complete building being used for absolutely nothing. Are there any plans? Can the building be used for anything else? How unfinished is it? Who owns it?
There's a fairly informative thread titled "Homeless Camp No Longer" but it's from 2008, and this is from 2009 - surely there's some kind of update over the past three years? If I missed another thread, just point me in the right direction.
Just curious....
Here's a recent one: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-03-08/story/jacksonville-projects-sit-idle-after-being-infused-city-taxpayer-money
These types of projects are a prime example of the city's lack of understanding in basic urban planning. OK, you wanna build a fish restaurant & throw some tax payer money at it? Um, OK I guess. But how is this any different than using some other structure thats currently being unoccupied? And what if it flops (as restaurants tend to do)? Then what? Another failed project that sits & rots? Probably.
And here's a big one. Why in God's name put something like that in the middle of the barren wasteland that is Lavilla without some kind of comprehensive grand plan backing it up? Where would people come from to eat there?? No one lives in that area, because, you know, the city tore it all down. And there's not that many residents downtown in general to sustain something like that & its not very accessible to the ones who do. So its stuff like this that boggles my mind about the planning in Jacksonville. Its like they're just making shit up as they go. Probably are.
The worst thing is that these half-ass projects have a negative impact on the thought of spending to improve the urban landscape & quality of life improvements in general. But its not like you can really blame people for those feelings after one boondoggle after another. I'm beginning to think its done on purpose. Either that, or they truly are blundering idiots running the show.
peestandingup I agree with every word you said.