Quote"There are some people who we know in this room that are talking about bringing a CVS or a Walgreens in," panelist Laura Phillips Edgecombe said at a discussion after the Feb. 11 Jacksonville Women's Network tour.
Full article: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/pharmacy-hinted-for-new-vystar-parking-garage-downtown
Wow.
Would be a great get for downtown.
That said, 7,000 square feet would be a super small footprint for a Walgreens or CVS, which typically more than double that.
If it happens, I'd guess it would probably be more of a small drugstore focused on medicine (Walgreens has been piloting small pharmacy centric stores) than a traditional Walgreens/CVS store.
^They've been experimenting with smaller formats. I've seen a Walgreens as small as 3,000 square feet, although most tend to be somewhere between 8,000 and 14,500 square feet like you mentioned.
We have one right at 7k Square foot here in Orlando. It's in College Park and been there since at least 2008 (that's as far back as I can go in google street view). I feel like it's the perfect size for an urban location. They still have all of the basic items you'd need, just less variety and more condensed compared to a larger store.
Maybe we can brand Starbucks as a high quality purveyor of the stimulant caffeine and get one in DT Jax too.
Quote from: MusicMan on February 22, 2022, 09:10:45 PM
Maybe we can brand Starbucks as a high quality purveyor of the stimulant caffeine and get one in DT Jax too.
I don't think there'll be a Starbucks in the CBD anytime soon. Not enough consistent foot traffic / residents to support them. The one in the Landing closed a little over 10 years ago. Until people see downtown as a place to live, play and work there just won't be enough people to support some of the larger brands.
I could see something in Brooklyn. Follow the corridors with the higher AADTs.
After several years of delays, parking garage has gone vertical!
(https://i.postimg.cc/gkn002b7/4568-C657-C682-40-C2-AFB7-070-D300-B2-FE2.jpg)
Quote from: thelakelander on February 23, 2022, 11:00:55 AM
I could see something in Brooklyn. Follow the corridors with the higher AADTs.
Who gives a sh!t about Starbucks?!?
Brooklyn is getting something much better anyway.
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-hub-infill-development-proposed-for-brooklyn/ (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-hub-infill-development-proposed-for-brooklyn/)
Quote from: fieldafm on February 23, 2022, 03:28:05 PM
Brooklyn is getting something much better anyway.
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-hub-infill-development-proposed-for-brooklyn/ (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-hub-infill-development-proposed-for-brooklyn/)
Has work started on this? I don't get over to that area very often, but that article is almost 2 years old at this point.
"Who gives a sh!t about Starbucks?!?"
A lot of people not name Mike Field evidently. Every time we mention a peer city we want to be like, you can bet it's got a Starbucks (or two). It's sort of a base line bellwether for pretty much every city of worth in USA. Not Jax of course, which pretty much says something, whether you understand or not. Last time I check, two of the hottest areas surrounding DT, San Marco and Riverside, had them in critical anchor positions. Imagine that?
I'm far from an apologist, but a Starbucks isn't going to make or break Downtown Jacksonville. If you are drinking Starbucks, you are drinking terrible coffee anyway.
Ground Level Coffee and Back to the Grind Coffee have opened up since the pandemic started.
On weekends, Bread and Board, Chamblins, and Urban Grind are all open. In the evenings and into the late night, Headroom Coffee is open.
I'm much more concerned with the amount of unique things to do in DT Jax, that aren't available in Anywhere/Anyneighborhood USA.... and clustering those uses together in a walkable, compact setting. Starbucks goes INTO high traffic areas, they don't bring traffic to an area. Get that cluster of uses together, and naturally national credit tenants will be interested.
If the Ash family gave Starbucks free rent so they opened tomorrow in the Truist Building.... BFD.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on February 23, 2022, 03:59:00 PM
Quote from: fieldafm on February 23, 2022, 03:28:05 PM
Brooklyn is getting something much better anyway.
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-hub-infill-development-proposed-for-brooklyn/ (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/the-hub-infill-development-proposed-for-brooklyn/)
Has work started on this? I don't get over to that area very often, but that article is almost 2 years old at this point.
No. My understanding is that the hierarchy was Avondale (opened 4Q2020); Jax Beach (under construction now, the second floor/rooftop lounge is being built on the structure as we speak); St Augustine (work hasn't started, but is next on list), and then Brooklyn.
Hell, the Forrest Street/Riverside Avenue intersection is still undergoing construction.
Quote from: MusicMan on February 23, 2022, 05:09:03 PM
"Who gives a sh!t about Starbucks?!?"
A lot of people not name Mike Field evidently. Every time we mention a peer city we want to be like, you can bet it's got a Starbucks (or two). It's sort of a base line bellwether for pretty much every city of worth in USA. Not Jax of course, which pretty much says something, whether you understand or not. Last time I check, two of the hottest areas surrounding DT, San Marco and Riverside, had them in critical anchor positions. Imagine that?
I forgot. There is a Starbucks in the Baptist medical complex. Does that location count?
If you count that Starbucks you have to count the chic fil a too ;D
They do take all types of green money and the coffee tastes the same. It's really no different from a Starbucks being inside of a college campus or mall food court. They are just in a spot that has consistent foot traffic and accessibility to a concentrated population. Downtown would be better if it can replicate the type of density that the medical campus has.
Of all the complaints I've heard from people about downtown, not having a Starbucks has only come up on this forum. Nobody I've talked to has ever mentioned it
Quote from: jaxjaguar on February 23, 2022, 08:13:19 PM
If you count that Starbucks you have to count the chic fil a too ;D
The CFA is now a firehouse subs.
Quote from: Zac T on February 24, 2022, 10:32:40 AM
Of all the complaints I've heard from people about downtown, not having a Starbucks has only come up on this forum. Nobody I've talked to has ever mentioned it
I don't know if I'm personally upset about not having a Starbucks, but Starbucks IS a pretty decent bellwether of traffic in an area (both car and foot). Like Waffle House being open during a hurricane, not having a Starbucks in an area is a pretty good sign of a lacking economic base.
^this. I don't even drink coffee, but it's a good indicator of the health of an area. Similarly when I see a lot of big name brand hotels AND their subsidiaries in a downtown that's a sign an area is doing well. The fact that there are only 2 hotels on the northbank (3 if you count the new Brooklyn one) is pretty telling.
Its pretty obvious downtown isn't vibrant. We don't need Starbucks to tell us that. 10 or 15 years ago, we had two. DT was more vibrant then too.
There are several projects under construction that when complete, will help. Let's circle back to this discussion after a few of them open.
It's not logical to count the Starbucks in Baptist. It makes no attempt to reach anyone other than the staff that walks by (or patients and their families). It has no exterior signage either. Not even a "sandwich board" that I am aware of. Unlike the one at SM Square or in Riverside... highly visible in primo locations.
"If you are drinking Starbucks, you are drinking terrible coffee anyway."
Once again, not supported by the facts that Starbucks is the #1 coffee retailer in the world. Those pesky repeat customers!
It's also been a great investment for many shareholders.
DT Jax has Berkman II, lots of surface parking lots, vacant lots, and empty public owned spaces, but no Starbucks. I'm thinking there is a correlation. And like many other people I like the coffee. We had a great Bold Bean in San Marco, it co-existed with Starbucks not too far away.
ANYWAY..... my original comment was meant as a joke that Starbucks could be branded as a Caffeine dispensary..... a drug store of sorts.
Quote from: MusicMan on February 24, 2022, 12:44:45 PM
"If you are drinking Starbucks, you are drinking terrible coffee anyway."
Once again, not supported by the facts that Starbucks is the #1 coffee retailer in the world. Those pesky repeat customers!
Number one burger retailer in the world: McDonald's
Number one pizza retailer in the world: Pizza Hut
Number one sandwich retailer in the world: Subway
Number one taco retailer in the world: Taco Bell
Your argument that popularity equals quality really holds up.
Captain, go to Starbucks in San Marco and tell the folks who walk in this Saturday morning they're drinking terrible coffee. Let me know how that goes. Hell its way more expensive than its rivals, and still outsells them. But enough with reality....
Jax needs a Waffle House downtown lol
Quote from: JaGoaT on February 24, 2022, 12:58:36 PM
Jax needs a Waffle House downtown lol
Now THIS I agree with. I visited the downtown Birmingham Waffle House on multiple occasions when I was working there as it was the only restaurant open late at night. It was located next to the UAB hospital and campus which reminded me a lot of Baptist's campus on the Southbank.
I assume the main reason we don't have a WH is because we don't have enough traffic to support the 24 hour operation although despite being adjacent to UAB, I found that part of Downtown Birmingham no more or less vibrant than DT Jax at similar times of the night.