Urban Core Construction Update - November 2009

[Captain Zissou]

What is the construction project in the Shoppes ofAvondale going to be?  I heard it was to be a restaurant, but I didn't trust the source.

[stjr]

Palms in a narrow roadway median make a lot of sence.  The shade trees need to be long the sidewalks where they can be enjoyed and more easily maintained.

Jason, I agree.  I would have liked to have seen live oaks, magnolias, etc. down the sides and our indigenous sabal palms (the State tree) down the center.  As FSU mentioned, sabal palms were the original landscaping for Main Street decades ago so it would have evoked the Old Florida, a unique part of our past, as well.

I also wonder, like others, about having medians built in such a way as to psychologically and physically divide the street into "separate" communities.

I do agree it is far better than the recent past but, once again, I just don't understand the "thinking" that goes into these plans.

[nestliving]

You know, I don't have as much of an issue with the Main Street project, but the medians are terrible.  While the residents are affected, I'm more concerned about the businesses that it can hurt.

I agree, they should rename it Main Highway instead of street...

[Seraphs]

Main Street is a huge improvement already.  The trees are awesome.  The only thing I can think of better would be a street car rail system like Canal Street in New Orleans.

[sheclown]

Main Street just looks pretty.  When I saw it today, after being gone for a week, I wanted to jump up and down.  HOORAY!

[tufsu1]

I noticed yesterday that the front facade for the Dragon Fly bar is being reconstructed

[coredumped]

I ate on top of the BofA tower after the parade on veterans day (awesome views!) and took a picture of the Courthouse from above.

Click for larger

[thelakelander]

Nice shot!

[Fallen Buckeye]

Does anyone know what they're doing out behind St. Vincents? They've got a lot construction equipment doing a lot of digging right by the river. It's like maybe some sort of patio eating area maybe?

[Overstreet]

Does anyone know what they're doing out behind St. Vincents? They've got a lot construction equipment doing a lot of digging right by the river. It's like maybe some sort of patio eating area maybe?

Its a remodel of the coffee shop at the breezeway between the main building and the parking garage doctors office buliding. Sorry building names are escaping me at this time.

[Captain Zissou]

I ate on top of the BofA tower after the parade on veterans day (awesome views!) and took a picture of the Courthouse from above.

Click for larger

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but that pic shows how much wasted, or at best poorly used, space there is on site.

[stjr]

I ate on top of the BofA tower after the parade on veterans day (awesome views!) and took a picture of the Courthouse from above.

Click for larger

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but that pic shows how much wasted, or at best poorly used, space there is on site.

Agreed, Captain.  It should have gone vertical like the Feds.  Check out the MJ Courthouse threads to see how silly this plan is.  A Downtown killer for the next 50 to 100 years!  Maybe it should be nicknamed "Peyton Place"!  How appropriate.

Wikipedia:

Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. "Peyton Place" has become an expression to describe a place whose inhabitants have sordid secrets.

P.S. It was also a sequel book, movie, and two soap operas.  The Courthouse has certainly been a soap opera and a very expensive one at that.  And now, another blight on Downtown.

[JaxNative68]

with the many different designs/previous project teams, you might call it a sequel as well.

[JaxNeedsHelp]

Deco Bistro looks awesome!

[Reaper man]

Am I the only one that hates how they have main st set up?  I bloody hate medians, all they do is get in the way of turning left. Roads are supposed to be for driving and getting from point A to point B is the most efficient way possible, not to look "pretty."  I can only imagine the amount of gas that is wasted each year trying to get around the damn things.