200 Riverside Continues to Move Forward
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/787544417_wyuth-M.jpg)
While most major downtown projects and proposals have come to a standstill, 200 Riverside's developers have modified plans to keep the project moving forward.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-feb-200-riverside-continues-to-move-forward
Wow, someone in Jacksonville understands the concept of "ground level retail."
Glad to see its still in the works. Does anyone have any idea as to when it may start going vertical?
Quote from: Jason on February 15, 2010, 09:09:20 AM
Glad to see its still in the works. Does anyone have any idea as to when it may start going vertical?
when they get one more tenant...right now they have the building about 50% leased...they need it to be 70% prior to starting construction.
With the I95-I10 interchange scheduled for completion in the next couple of years, they should be able to use the easy interstate access to the office building as a positive negotiating piece. Perhaps they can find an employer looking to move out of one of the dying suburban office parks and into an esthetically pleasing and more vibrant area.
I agree. I can't wait for this to get under way. I live about 3/4 of a mile from the site and it will make an awesome addition to Riverside. Hopefully it will spur on more development once it starts up. That whole section near I-95/I-10 needs help.
If they turned that office building 90 degrees to actually face the river more, there wouldn't be that huge gap between the two buildings... and it would be much more visurally pleasing and they can still have all that surface parking lot just out of sight from the river. just seems like a very suburban placement to accomodate a few parking spots. but i do enjoy the interaction with riverside other than that.
oh and im looking forward to the retention pond getting re-shaped into a circle with an amphitheater could tie in nicely to the surrounding community
This is terrific news, but I wonder how one gets construction financing in this market. I could maybe see how a 70% pre-leased office building gets unfavorable terms from a local bank and/or a mezz lender, but I can't see a spec hotel getting financing at this point. Perhaps all (and a lot of) equity with plan to refinance once market stabilizes? Regardless, I hope it moves forward.
Quote from: brainstormer on February 15, 2010, 10:35:35 AM
With the I95-I10 interchange scheduled for completion in the next couple of years, they should be able to use the easy interstate access to the office building as a positive negotiating piece. Perhaps they can find an employer looking to move out of one of the dying suburban office parks and into an esthetically pleasing and more vibrant area.
believe me, that is part of their push...visibility from the interstate...but keep in mind that I-95 will be torn up in the next few years for the Overland Bridge project.
Also, when suburban office parks are charging around $20/sf, it isn't an easy sell at around $24/sf + extra for parking.
Great looking renderings! I suppose it doesn't quite live up to the original plans, but it's fantastic to see them pushing forward with a plan that still seems well thought-out and appropriate for the area.
To me, it looks like the allocation of retail and ground-floor street interaction is more than sufficient for the site. I think it's smart to focus the site onto the "park" and "plaza" which look like they'll have a good sense of place.
I hope they can manage to lease out the remaining 20% in this market. I wish them the best of luck.
"...and it will make an awesome addition to Riverside."
i Guess Riverside has swalled Brooklyn, more or less now, eh? I think this is true. And Avondale has swallowed most of "Fairfax" as well....
Office building looks decent for the area. But, the hotel looks pretty blah, especially with that color scheme. Can't they make that building's architecture more energetic without adding to the costs?
Riverside Avenue is a chance to start completely anew in an urban core area and these buildings will be leaders in setting standards for an area that should establish an unique identity. Can't someone in this town take a few chances with building design?
Saw the Indigo in Athens GA this weekend. Very cool.
Decent looking Office Building and Project; good to see that it is moving forward, moving up, and off the ground. Hopefully this will be another catalyst for othe projects in that area of Riverside stretching north to Riverside Avenue and into downtown.
"HU"
Quote from: fsu813 on February 15, 2010, 05:37:27 PM
"...and it will make an awesome addition to Riverside."
i Guess Riverside has swalled Brooklyn, more or less now, eh? I think this is true. And Avondale has swallowed most of "Fairfax" as well....
If calling an area by another name makes it more marketable, why not?
Should development become successful, the correction will be easily made. It will be distinctly different from riverside.
QuoteOffice building looks decent for the area. But, the hotel looks pretty blah, especially with that color scheme. Can't they make that building's architecture more energetic without adding to the costs?
Riverside Avenue is a chance to start completely anew in an urban core area and these buildings will be leaders in setting standards for an area that should establish an unique identity. Can't someone in this town take a few chances with building design?
My thoughts exactly. A boatload of money was spent widening Riverside Ave. which resulted in making it LESS pedestrian friendly than it already was. Supposedly the street was to be Jax's version of Miami's Brickell Ave. The original design would have done that.
With two Fortune 500 companies on this stretch, it would be justifiable that it be above the oridinary. Instead this is just run of the mill uses and design, particularly the hotel.
Speaking of urban hotel designs, the new Aloft Hotel in downtown Tallahassee turned out pretty nice.
(http://www.hospitalitydesign.com/hospitalitydesign/photos/stylus/103644-aloft-tallahassee.jpg)
^ This urban hotel would set a much higher standard for creating a look on Riverside Avenue than the proposed "suburban" looking one. But then again, Everbank is really the only building, maybe the TU that really looks urban on Riverside, so I guess the standard was already set pretty low. I don't really think that Fidelity and BCBS are all that unique other than having some height and neon lights around the top. I would argue that the BCBS buildings off Gate are much more unique looking than the one on Riverside.
I think the main thing that defines a building as "urban" is its relation to the street...the 200 site puts both the office building and hotel next to the sidewalk with virtually no setback.
Nice to see this project is moving forward, I like the renderings, can't wait for this to break ground :)
I actually don't mind the rendering(s) - while both are defined as 4 stories, the office building is actually about 50% taller & appears to have some substance. Hopefully, they utilize decent accent lighting - I'm a little conflicted when it comes to the horizontal neon strips being used as of late. That said, maybe Fidelity can courier over a section to BOA as ANYTHING would be an improvement over NOTHING........
All I can say is too bad the original plans had to be scaled down.
Quote from: tufsu1 on February 15, 2010, 10:09:11 AM
Quote from: Jason on February 15, 2010, 09:09:20 AM
Glad to see its still in the works. Does anyone have any idea as to when it may start going vertical?
when they get one more tenant...right now they have the building about 50% leased...they need it to be 70% prior to starting construction.
Not very encouraging, that's a pretty large portion of space someone still needs to take down. I am optimistic, but we've been hearing about this for quite some time.
I wonder if the hotel will move forward even if the office building doesn't, or not yet at least.
any updates on this? Please chime in
Again, frustration on bumping a development thread with no new news. If there were updates, I'm sure someone would post them.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 16, 2010, 03:33:18 PM
Speaking of urban hotel designs, the new Aloft Hotel in downtown Tallahassee turned out pretty nice.
(http://www.hospitalitydesign.com/hospitalitydesign/photos/stylus/103644-aloft-tallahassee.jpg)
I stayed at the Aloft by IAD not too long ago, and it was horrid. The architecture is cool, but man oh man does that hotel ever stink! Noisy as hell, no room service, annoying florescent lighting in the rooms (yeah I know that's supposed to be "green"), tiny towels (also supposed to be "green"), and then there was a glass wall between the shower and the main room, which means you can't have people in the room while you get ready. I could go on and on. I guess they must be doing something right, since they seemed to have a good crowd, but for the price I wasn't real impressed.
Maybe I'm getting old? I don't really get it when people rave about Southwest or JetBlue, either?
Man, I was so in agreement but then you lost me at JetBlue, lol.
Best flight of my entire life was a Las Vegas to Los Angeles JetBlue flight... on a Sunday evening.
Quote from: fieldafm on April 08, 2010, 05:36:40 PM
Man, I was so in agreement but then you lost me at JetBlue, lol.
Best flight of my entire life was a Las Vegas to Los Angeles JetBlue flight... on a Sunday evening.
Well, to be fair to JetBlue, I guess I would put Aloft more in with Southwest, comparing the nature of their products. At least JetBlue gives you a trick little tv screen and some free snacks. But neither offers an F cabin (so no free upgrades, free drinks, etc.). That pretty much kills it for me, and probably a lot of frequent travelers. That was where I was going with my comparison to Aloft, lol.
Skyway time boys and girls, get in while the dirt is turning and build it INTO the infrastructure.
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on April 08, 2010, 07:08:16 PM
At least JetBlue gives you a trick little tv screen and some free snacks.
With the way airlines are going now (charging you for
carry on baggage, ditching free soft drinks, $5 mini bottled water, etc) JetBlue's 'luxuries' are phenomenal, lol.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on April 08, 2010, 11:22:38 PM
Skyway time boys and girls, get in while the dirt is turning and build it INTO the infrastructure.
OCKLAWAHA
*that* would be phenomenal. A little too forward-thinking for this 'burg, but a phenomenal idea nonetheless.
I have to add a defense of Southwest. Best value and on time experiences I have had over the many years. I've seen them do things for customers and with flight adjustments that the legacy carriers would never dream of doing, even with their much higher fares. And, also, remember, free bags still.
SW fares aren't consistently at the bottom like old times, but still competitive.
Did they break dirt and I missed the pictures? Wake me when its 100% leased.
Quote from: mtraininjax on April 09, 2010, 05:23:11 PM
Did they break dirt and I missed the pictures? Wake me when its 100% leased.
LOL, wake me as well.
The four story Courtyard Marriott just screams "business park" ...why couldn't they do something a little more urban-chic-hip...like a Hotel Indigo, Aloft, Element, etc. Just a thought!
mid-rise puh-lease
gah.
8 or more.
or at least build the mini amphi- er, m, uh pond side plaza.
where's Trump when you need him.lol
would you rather the site sit empty for another 10+ years?
The Donald would never.. .lol
I only wish to see the proposed skyway extension built +through+ the PUD, allowing something edgier, more engaging and yes, taller.
good luck....extrending the Skyway might also be 10+ years away
Just get me a streetcar there by 2014!
can anyone tell me who the designers of this complex are?
Quote from: JaxNative68 on October 27, 2010, 02:54:00 PM
can anyone tell me who the designers of this complex are?
Hallmark Partners is the developer. Not sure who is doing the design for them, I think it might be Stiles Corp.
construction is being done by Elkins
I thought the original design was done by an Atlanta firm and the local architect of record was the now defunct Rink. Just wondering who is actually running the design train on this one as it get pared back drastically from what we have originally seen.
the leasable floorplans still say RINK....I think the design has been finished for over a year...nd perhaps they have hired one or more of the former Rink employees to follow through construction
Quote from: tufsu1 on October 27, 2010, 04:59:29 PM
construction is being done by Elkins
Elkins is only doing drainage improvements. They are still negotiating a contract with the bank on the office building and have nothing to do with the hotel at this time.
you mean office building not bank, right?
....with the bank.....
sorry.
Good to know this is still a go.
"HU"
rumor has it that the office building did not secure financing and is now dead....supposedly the hotel and commercial portions of the project (and residential perhaps later) will still be built.
Personally, I do not see how the commercial portion is going to be sustained. There is not enough of a walkable base in that area to support stores and restaurants, and the hotel is small. The office building was also small. What a shame.
According to Hallmark Partners, all the work you see going on at the site is for the COJ infrastructure improvements and not for the 200 Riverside project itself.
Quote from: exnewsman on November 17, 2010, 04:26:14 PM
According to Hallmark Partners, all the work you see going on at the site is for the COJ infrastructure improvements and not for the 200 Riverside project itself.
I hope they are paying for the improvements and not us taxpayers! One more grand plan, underfunded and not a lot of vision!
If 200 Riverside does not go up, I am not sure I will be disappointed. When times were good and the original plans were produced, I was very excited. When the plans were hugely downgraded to a borderline low density suburban development, I was very disappointed. I realize there are severe limitations in everyone's budget, but I am torn between whether I want to wait for a really good project or if I just want this scaled down version to go up and act as a catalyst for future development in the area.
Quote from: CS Foltz on November 17, 2010, 05:16:50 PM
Quote from: exnewsman on November 17, 2010, 04:26:14 PM
According to Hallmark Partners, all the work you see going on at the site is for the COJ infrastructure improvements and not for the 200 Riverside project itself.
I hope they are paying for the improvements and not us taxpayers! One more grand plan, underfunded and not a lot of vision!
This is planned FDOT work, already funded.
I for one think an urban-styled Marriot within the urban core is a good thing. Brooklyn Park has been foreclosed upon, so that project is officially dead in the water. 200 Riverside, whether grand or not, is a welcome addition to the desolate land of Brooklyn IMHO.
Quote from: exnewsman on November 17, 2010, 04:26:14 PM
According to Hallmark Partners, all the work you see going on at the site is for the COJ infrastructure improvements and not for the 200 Riverside project itself.
Well that blows
Yes, but we still have the Riverside Fire Station! YEAH!
A girl I know working for Hallmark was really excited about their plans for this place. Said they'll have a full-time event coordinator to run shows at the ampitheater.
Does anyone know why they ripped up the pond and landscaping that they had already done? When I drove by yesterday, it was all dug up and a giant pit is there now.
because FDOT built the stormwater pond to handle the road project only....now the City is making it larger to accomodate regional stromwater...and it will be made into a park with a promenade/ampitheater
Thanks. Since you seem to be in the know, why are they redoing that stretch of Forrest there?
Quote from: Lucasjj on December 07, 2010, 08:51:54 AM
Thanks. Since you seem to be in the know, why are they redoing that stretch of Forrest there?
I believe they are doing utility work that requires going under the road.
In the article on Sunday about the Courthouse, Barry Elkins was quoted as saying he plans to move his firm to a building along the Riverside location, before the new courthouse is built. He will sublease his space to a law firm. Can't remember the exact address, but the Elkins signs may be more than just denoting work on the site.
^the old st joe building, everbank plaza and the old blue cross blue shield building all have available space in them. could be moving there.
they were committed to 200 Riverside...but the office building part of that project is now dead
Quote from: tufsu1 on December 10, 2010, 04:48:17 PM
they were committed to 200 Riverside...but the office building part of that project is now dead
Well what part is still alive? I thought that was the part still going? Now Im confused. Im just going to wait and see what the hell pops out of the ground! LMAO
supposedly the hotel is still alive
Hopefully something happens with the project
220 Riverside is under construction.