Alabama-based firm to redevelop the Ambassador Hotel
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1567023436_T9cHqVt-M.jpg)
Birmingham-based Arbour Valley Development, is moving forward with plans to redevelop the long abandoned Ambassador Hotel into Jacksonville's latest urban residential apartment community. Today, Metro Jacksonville shares proposed renderings of the exciting project.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-mar-alabama-based-firm-to-redevelop-the-ambassador-hotel
Very nice. Was $2,000,000 used at one time from the Historic Preservation Trust Fund for new windows to mothball this building?
Great News!
Fantastic. I love the addition of the seventh floor I think that's a great plan.
Looks great, hope it works. By the way, what would the mobilty fee be on this great project?
Fingers crossed...
I sure hope they don't lose heart. It's a huge project--but could be a signal for intensive renovation downtown if it works.
Wonderful news! Quick, somebody send them pix/info on Annie Lytle, they might fall in love with her, too!
Let's hope they can get it done.
Will be interesting to watch over the years. I wonder how much asbestos there is to remove?
Saweet!Hopefully it goes through.
Quote from: strider on March 06, 2013, 07:38:26 AM
Looks great, hope it works. By the way, what would the mobilty fee be on this great project?
Nothing. Downtown doesn't have mobility fees. It's understood that the proposed moratorium will take that advantage away, in hopes of seeing more fast food drive thrus, gas stations, tract houses, and strip malls pop up in the fringe areas of town. Unfortunately, for proponents, they'll have to overcome the concept of supply and demand.
Quote from: strider on March 06, 2013, 07:38:26 AM
Looks great, hope it works. By the way, what would the mobilty fee be on this great project?
$0...for several reasons
1. It is a reuse building (state law requires 110% trip credits)
2. There is no fee currently downtown...as it is all governed (and paid for earlier) by the downtown DRI Phase 1 Development Order
how does a glass and steel top floor addition maintain the historical character of a brick building? Are there pictures of a glass greenhouse on top from long ago?
I do think it is great that this is moving forward. Too many great buildings are being lost to neglect.
They will also get a ten year moratorium from County property taxes, but not school board or the others. Still a nice incentive for saving old buildings.
Looks good. Projects like this will make the difference. The city needs to do what they can to help it get done.
I'll believe it when I see it , I'm not getting excited anymore. Just look at the Brooklyn project that's not going to happen now. Furthermore, I'm even willing to bet money at this point, that this great project will never happen, nor will the Laura st trio, the Bokstwick, the Barnett building or Burkman II. I hear that Latitude 360 is also dead.
Is our urban core cursed and doomed at the hands of suburbia?
Are we just living in a fantasy world and kidding ourselves?
Well I guess you never know. Still staying positive on this one.
All small 1 BRs and studios? So it's a rental version of 311 W Ashley.
1 bedrooms are about the only thing in demand in the CBD; I think that's the right decision for the most part. I didn't see if there's any 2 bd's in the mix though...
As others have said...I'll believe it when I see it.
^ Agree... But certainly hope it happens. There was a poster on MJ a few years back who said this particular building would never be renovated.
One should always have hope.
I'd be all over a downtown 1BR if it weren't a shoebox.
"Just look at the Brooklyn project that's not going to happen now." Please elaborate.
Quote from: MusicMan on March 06, 2013, 09:23:34 PM
"Just look at the Brooklyn project that's not going to happen now." Please elaborate.
referring to Lincoln pulling out of the Pope & Land project....which doesn't necessarily mean it won't happen
It just means Lincoln won't be involved.
Send out a City/JTA news release on a new Skyway station in Brooklyn and a streetcar line from downtown through Brooklyn to Riverside and watch Brooklyn and LaVilla explode with new development.
Quote from: mbwright on March 06, 2013, 09:27:03 AM
how does a glass and steel top floor addition maintain the historical character of a brick building? Are there pictures of a glass greenhouse on top from long ago?
Because it doesn't attempt to copy the historic components of the building with cheap mass produced modern materials. You'll easily be able to tell between new and old. However, given the height of the building and urban context, you probably won't be able to see this addition from the street. As to the contrast of old and new, which maintains historic character, here are a few examples from across the US:
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-3358-p1060849.JPG)
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-3335-p1060777.JPG)
Indianapolis Central Library(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1429759358_3WMmXDc-M.jpg)
Near Petco Park in San Diego.(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/459276235_6GSP2-M.jpg)
In Downtown Washington, DC.
This is good news. It would really be great if the Independent Life/JEA building could get renovated and used.
I'm just saying I don't see these design blending. Your examples prove my point.
^At any rate, you probably wouldn't be able to see it unless you went up to the roof of the building or one nearby.
Quote from: mbwright on March 07, 2013, 10:47:26 AM
I'm just saying I don't see these design blending. Your examples prove my point.
That's the point. They aren't supposed to "blend" to the point where you can't tell the difference between the old and new.
i kind of like the blending the new with the old.
According to the federal guidelines, you're supposed to blend in terms of character, form, and scale. That was one of the issues that came up with the city's plans for the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the new county courthouse to the old post office building. At the time, the design didn't differentiate the old and new in accordance to federal rehabilitation guidelines.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Learning-From/Chicago-Historic-Preservation/i-8LRNsfV/0/L/DSC_0017-L.jpg)
Here is an example from Chicago. A glass condo tower rises from old storefronts on 'Jewelers Row'.
Quote from: tufsu1 on March 06, 2013, 10:55:37 PM
Quote from: MusicMan on March 06, 2013, 09:23:34 PM
"Just look at the Brooklyn project that's not going to happen now." Please elaborate.
referring to Lincoln pulling out of the Pope & Land project....which doesn't necessarily mean it won't happen
Giving the history of attempts to rebuild DT, and watching 99% of them falling through. I can just feel that the Brooklyn project is effectively "dead".
Quote from: thelakelander on March 07, 2013, 11:06:56 AM
According to the federal guidelines, you're supposed to blend in terms of character, form, and scale. That was one of the issues that came up with the city's plans for the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the new county courthouse to the old post office building. At the time, the design didn't differentiate the old and new in accordance to federal rehabilitation guidelines.
Sorry to go off-track, but does this mean that if the State Attorney Bridge were modern glass and steel it would have been OK, since it would be easy to differentiate from the historic Old Federal Court House?
To a large degree, yes. However, depending on the design, there could have still been minor changes required.
Quote from: urbaknight on March 07, 2013, 12:54:22 PM
Giving the history of attempts to rebuild DT, and watching 99% of them falling through. I can just feel that the Brooklyn project is effectively "dead".
I would not call this project effectively dead. Lincoln pulled out of it, but Pope & Land is the company who owns the property and Fuqua Development is the entity that would develop the retail portion of the property:
http://www.popeandland.com/properties/detail.aspx?id=73
http://www.fuquadevelopment.com/files/jacksonville/riversideandjackson.pdf
QuoteThe City Office of Economic Development's Downtown Development Review Board on Thursday deferred action on a request for conceptual approval of a plan to renovate the former Ambassador Hotel.
Arbour Valley Development LLC, based in Birmingham, Ala., proposes to convert the six-story structure into 57 one- and two-bedroom apartments priced for the workforce housing rental market.
full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2013-03-08
Unfortunately, that would require a change in business strategy. It's much easier to get council to take money from your pockets to increase the profit margins of the traditional strategy.
Cool. They're talking about making the old Tower Place Mall in our downtown district into apts. Cincyimages.com
What's going on with the old Tower Place Mall? Is the same developer looking at the Ambassador Hotel targeting it?
Quote
The Downtown Development Review Board deferred action Thursday relating to the Ambassador Hotel. A Birmingham, Ala.-based developer is proposing workforce housing in the Downtown landmark.
The City Office of Economic Development's Downtown Development Review Board on Thursday deferred action on a request for conceptual approval of a plan to renovate the former Ambassador Hotel.
Arbour Valley Development LLC, based in Birmingham, Ala., proposes to convert the six-story structure into 57 one- and two-bedroom apartments priced for the workforce housing rental market.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also has been locally designated as a historic landmark.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2013-03-08
Any recent news on this?
It's only been a month since the DDRB asked for more detail. I suspect this project is still in the conceptual design stage.