Quote(https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/sites/default/files/styles/sliders_and_planned_story_image_870x580/public/306465_standard.jpeg?itok=xFHetCe1)
VyStar Credit Union anticipates opening the breezeway project at its Downtown headquarters by next year this time.
"Construction should start in the 4th quarter 2020 with a tentative completion timeframe of mid-2021," said Sandy Baker, vice president of communications and public relations, by email Aug. 31.
The city has been reviewing plans and work is underway to prepare for construction.
Full article: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/vystar-credit-unions-downtown-breezeway-to-open-in-mid-2021
Thank god for VyStar.....without them downtown would be even more depressing than it already is.
That looks really awesome; would love to see more renderings.
That's pretty cool. Is it going to be covered? It didn't seem to be, based on the pictures - but 'breezeway' always conjures up images of covered walkways for me, thanks to Susie Tolbert 6th grade center.
Looks great! Shame the Hyatt Place doesn't seem to be happening anymore. That block is still going to be really incredible when it's done. Looking back, truly a masterstroke by Ennis and others to push for the garage to have its current design. Something similar for the 225 Water Street block next door could also be cool, with the hotel going up for sale.
I hope it all works out. There's no foot traffic or strong ability to pull and support a group of vendors that can't be seen from the street. That part scares me. This is something else that would be stronger with the Landing site being a larger anchor destination to pull more people into the vicinity.
Quote from: thelakelander on September 02, 2020, 06:55:59 AM
I hope it all works out. There's no foot traffic or strong ability to pull and support a group of vendors that can't be seen from the street. That part scares me. This is something else that would be stronger with the Landing site being a larger anchor destination to pull more people into the vicinity.
That's a great point. "Clustering" or whatever, right?
^Bingo! A common thread in DT Jax revitalization struggles has been a tendency to not aggressively cluster pedestrian scale projects, that depend on foot traffic to be viable long term. As a result, each isolated investment ends up struggling to survive while we do RFPs, conduct studies, create more vacant lots for things that take forever and/or never materialize. For this breezeway and Bread & Board to be most successful, not only will we need VyStar's employees using it, we'll need to bring life back to the Landing site, get that Hyatt Place off the ground, support the Hogan Street food truck court, do something with ground floors of BOA, Wells Fargo Center, Enterprise Center, Omni, etc. And these types of issues need to be resolved as soon as possible, not five to ten years from now.
^This is also one, I'd think you'd want to flip or at least take the same approach with the Laura Street side. You'd want ground floor retail, dining, outdoor seating, signage, etc. interaction at the base of both buildings (Life of South and SunTrust Tower), the length of the block between Independent Drive and Bay Street. Then if you're the DIA, you'd immediately work with the Wells Fargo Center property owner to incentivize the revamp of that tower's first floor to allow for retail to open up along the street along Laura and Bay. Do this, you now have a full highly visible downtown block that is activated at the pedestrian scale on both sides of Laura Street.
When VyStar builds the garage on Laura between Bay and Forsyth, you do the same approach with BOA. That then gives you two full pedestrian oriented blocks of Laura and gets you too the Laura Street Trio parcel and 100 North Laura, which is where Visit Jax's visitors center is going in at. Rise and repeat the same strategy....
Quote from: thelakelander on September 02, 2020, 09:04:49 AM
When VyStar builds the garage on Laura between Bay and Forsyth, you do the same approach with BOA.
Speaking of which, what is going on with that garage? I mean VyStar owns the property now and will need it for their employees. I know they all haven't moved yet (many are WFH now) but wouldn't this be a good time to break ground on the thing?
Wasn't someone supposed to build retail for the garage on Hogan once the Suntrust Building reached a certain capacity?
If I remember correctly the company that owned the building at the time ignored that requirement and then sold the building to another company. In typical Jacksonville fashion there was no provision for this, so when the sale happened the retail requirement was negated. lol
Typical Jax government. Fumbling the football, missing vital free throws, and committing too many errors through all innings. Sheesh!