Downtown Hotel to be Restored?
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/520679664_4mqeA-M.jpg)
With the courthouse finally underway, the return of life to the vacant Ambassador Hotel may be on the horizon.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-downtown-hotel-to-be-restored
Wow! hope this works out, last time I was in there was back in 95 and it was in serious disrepair at that time. Can't imagine the work required to get it up to spec now.
Please please please make this happen!
Great news! I wouldn't want to be the contractor dealing with new code issues, but I sure hope that it actually happens!
they protect "river views" for buildings this far off the river?
FINALLY! I worked on a proposal for a developer back in 2004 for the same piece of land. I'm glad someone is finally going to do something with this building. It's a beautiful structure.
Looks good.
This is great. A real silver lining on what I consider a bad courthouse design.
I am keeping my fingers crossed. If this project moves forward it may provide incentive for someone to rehab some other buildings in that area... :)
Best news in some time. I hope this one makes it to fruition.
:-)
Hell, I'll be in the first group lining up to try and get a room...
Ok, now someone pleae do something with the old JEA building and then that little stretch may have some life . Open up a ground floor restaurant and you are in business.
Any chance they'll let a restaurant/bar back into the old lounge space?
Its possible, but would you want to live above a bar?
thats would be awesome
Depends on the noise level. But I was thinking more along the lines of a restaurant with a bar; not a night club. People in other cities live atop bars and restaurants, don't they?
^I wouldn't mind. Ultimately it would depend on what type of restaurant/bar/lounge. If people are getting stabbed in there that's one thing. However, if its well kept, it would be a nice on-site amentity for building residents.
A building in Nashville.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/563010379_nLDQ7-M.jpg)
Quote from: Dapperdan on July 02, 2009, 10:09:01 AM
Its possible, but would you want to live above a bar?
The dude on Early Edition?
That's pretty much what I meant, lake. I'd like to see something both nice and local go in there. My dad once told me the lounge at the Ambassador was one of his after-work hangouts when he worked at the Federal Reserve (now the JFRD building) at Julia and Ashley. That was in the mid-'70s and early '80s.
If the walls in that downstairs bar could speak. I spent many a dollar in that bar, and had a great time down there. Hope they do something constructive with it, either hotel or apartments. It's been sitting much too long.
Heights Unknown
There was a chinese restaurant in the building years ago.
My Mom went there when she worked at Bell South.
I hope it works out, we own some buildings with Sam, the owner, he is a shrewd businessman, but fair.
I wonder if the parking situation is adequate for 50 units on the two lots Easton owns right there... beautiful building though I really hope this goes through. Maybe once the old JEA tower is foreclosed on, someone with vision can come in and revitalize it as well, not that I don't love the junkyard dogs they have living in there now...
Those two lots are supposed to be the site of 323 Duval, another project that has been delayed by slow movement on the courthouse.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-6838-323duval.jpg)
Quote323 Duval was proposed to be a 100,000-square foot, twelve-floor office building across the street from the proposed courthouse. 30,000 square feet of the project would serve as the new headquarters of Farah & Farah. This $28 million project also includes a 331-car parking garage and 15,000 square feet of retail.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-apr-forgotten-jacksonville-julia-street
It may take some time, but this area may see some vibrancy eventually.
Maybe a nice restaurant/bar with live music entertainment (acoustic/jazz style). Maybe they can have more than one business.
This place would be ideal for young lawyers looking to be close to the action, especially for the class of 2011!
Quote from: JeffreyS on July 02, 2009, 08:50:24 AM
This is great. A real silver lining on what I consider a bad courthouse design.
The new courthouse design isn't
all that bad. At least that thing is under construction.
Lake, thanks for posting the pic from Nashville. Image if something like that was built where the Main Street pocket park/homeless lawn/dog poop collection is.
Quote from: thelakelander on July 02, 2009, 03:50:39 PM
Those two lots are supposed to be the site of 323 Duval, another project that has been delayed by slow movement on the courthouse.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-6838-323duval.jpg)
Quote323 Duval was proposed to be a 100,000-square foot, twelve-floor office building across the street from the proposed courthouse. 30,000 square feet of the project would serve as the new headquarters of Farah & Farah. This $28 million project also includes a 331-car parking garage and 15,000 square feet of retail.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-apr-forgotten-jacksonville-julia-street
Being that the Courthouse is now under construction, I hope it brings back to life all of the previous proposed developments, such as 323 West Duval, and others, for that area.
Heights Unknown
Quote from: ac on July 02, 2009, 10:43:07 AM
That's pretty much what I meant, lake. I'd like to see something both nice and local go in there. My dad once told me the lounge at the Ambassador was one of his after-work hangouts when he worked at the Federal Reserve (now the JFRD building) at Julia and Ashley. That was in the mid-'70s and early '80s.
Your Dad probably didn't tell you that lounge was "off the chain" so to speak; but I'm talking off the chain in a good way. We had some good times in that lounge, and yes, it was an "after work" hangout for people that lived and worked downtown or near downtown...it was really fab; it was a little seedy, dirty, blue collar if you will but it was good...real good.
Heights Unknown
Quote from: jeh1980 on July 03, 2009, 01:49:15 AM
Quote from: JeffreyS on July 02, 2009, 08:50:24 AM
This is great. A real silver lining on what I consider a bad courthouse design.
The new courthouse design isn't all that bad. At least that thing is under construction.
I really just do not like the size of the foot print. So many blocks that won't interact with the public. I do think it will have positive impacts not much is Black and White sometimes you take the bad with the good.
You know, other cities will probably covet our new courthouse for one reason or another.
Back to the Ambassador, GET IT DONE!!! Apartments would be fantastic and very suitable for young professionals wanting to be close the the government district.
STREETCAR!!
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: heights unknown on July 03, 2009, 09:59:21 AM
Your Dad probably didn't tell you that lounge was "off the chain" so to speak; but I'm talking off the chain in a good way. We had some good times in that lounge, and yes, it was an "after work" hangout for people that lived and worked downtown or near downtown...it was really fab; it was a little seedy, dirty, blue collar if you will but it was good...real good.
Heights Unknown
I've always found that the quality of the establishment is in direct proportion to the proof, and quantity of the whiskey I'm drinking. OCKLAWAHA
This is great news! Love this building.
screw the new. please restore the old.
I go out of town and something awesome like this gets announced. I should leave town more often.
I believe the rendering that was shown on page 2 was the project Hionedes was shopping around a couple of years ago. Nice picture, but for some reason he seemed to have problems getting any bankers excited about it. Weird.
Developer wants to turn old hotel into apartments
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-07-16/story/developer_wants_to_turn_old_hotel_into_apartments
Nice history on the building in that article.
Thanks for posting it Lake.
Great idea! Upscale apartments or lofts while incorporating retail spaces would be ideal.
I wish some of the other older hotels could have been saved, as mentioned many times on this site.
Does anyone have any specific insights as to why they were torn down (beyond the tear-down frenzy of the 1970s)? I understand that the AT&T Building was built on the Mayflower site--not that that justifies tearing down the building, but at least it was torn down to be replaced with something--but have never read an explanation for why the Seminole and George Washington were torn down, and both not very long after they went out of service too. Something to do with the 1971 redevelopment plan that never panned out?
Was the Seminole torn down for the express purpose of the building old Duval Federal office building that was on that corner?
Quote from: thelakelander on July 17, 2009, 12:24:04 AM
Developer wants to turn old hotel into apartments
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-07-16/story/developer_wants_to_turn_old_hotel_into_apartments
Good news and good article. Would love to see the old Ambassador busy again and teeming with residents. Hope they do have some commercial entities in there, including a bar!
Heights Unknown
Quote from: stephendare on July 06, 2009, 04:49:10 PM
One would think that the last thing you would want is 'proof' of the whiskey you've drunk Ock. Neither the medical or the highway safety establishments would appreciate the shock to their systems.
Now Stephen, you do realize that my car has "auto pilot," after all, how else could I crawl into the back seat and sleep whilst driving home? With a priest as my witness, you also know that a high proof content in my glass goes down in one swallow... How is Father doing these days? I'm just wondering where you guys and gals found enough duct tape that night at TSI. I understand that y'all taped me into an upright position behind the steering wheel because I kept falling over... Hey that seat is very lopsided.
For the rest of you, with certain drinks the proof is the difference between drinking glorified used dish water and a velvet smooth Carmelo sweet drink. For example Southern Comfort comes in a 70 or a 100 proof bottle, ANYONE could tell the difference in a matter of seconds. You pay more for the 100 proof, but the smoothness more then compensates for the dollars.
Let's hope they put in a really nice pub at the old Ambassador. A small mall of local businesses would be fantastic, my favorite place in downtown used to be either the train department of the Cohen Brothers Big Store (today's city hall), or a tiny hobby shop which was about 1 block west of Main and somewhere between about Bay and Duval. Wouldn't it be a trip if something special like that went into the old hotel?
I just expect that this hotel project is the tip of a very big development iceberg. Imagine how big it would be if we included streetcars! People would have to jump out of the way of all the developments. OCKLAWAHA