A Closer Look at the Transportation Center

[tufsu1]

I am not a huge fan of the design for the office building...but I actually think the Skyway module and parking garage is quite nice....it fits in well with the old station (tower /gate on the north side of the Prime Osborne)....and the garage is screened and includes ground floor retail!

[jason_contentdg]

So the huge parking lot is for people to drive downtown from the suburbs, park, then get on some sort of mass transit to move them around the rest of the +/- one mile distance to their office/downtown destination?

[Captain Zissou]

Get over the looks! Think about a building representing our transportation needs for increased mobility in Jacksonville.

Can we build a $120 million building and parking building, shops, skyway line, etc. and still afford new buses, streetcars, sidewalks and bike lanes, drivers and equipment, investment in new rail lines?

We have been 'getting over the looks' on many of the city's recent big projects.  We need to start designing both functional and beautiful facilities to create a great core.  A well designed building can be a big draw in itself, regardless of its function.  Sydney Opera House......

[JaxNative68]

The design is horrible.  Can someone explain to me why it looks like it was designed in the 1980’s (building forms and colorations)?  Was there an RFP put out from the city for the design of this project?  Or was it another good ole boy network hand out to RS&H?

Dog Walker:  You must have worked for Pappas at some point in time to have that opinion of him . . . and you are not the only one.  

[Jth]

Get over the looks! Think about a building representing our transportation needs for increased mobility in Jacksonville.

Can we build a $120 million building and parking building, shops, skyway line, etc. and still afford new buses, streetcars, sidewalks and bike lanes, drivers and equipment, investment in new rail lines?

This is going to be our transportation center for a long time. If we think it looks bad now, I can only imagine how hideous it will look in 20 years. I realize that certain architectural styles hold their value over time, however this structure does not fall into that category.

I know that we aren't going to get something like Berlin's new central train station(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Hauptbahnhof), but we could have gotten a much more inspiring design than this.

[tufsu1]

So the huge parking lot is for people to drive downtown from the suburbs, park, then get on some sort of mass transit to move them around the rest of the +/- one mile distance to their office/downtown destination?

what huge parking lot...you mean the existing ones?

The Phase 1 plan includes a small garage for 200 vehicles plus 65 surface spaces under the RTMC....which probably equates to the number of spaces being lost in construction.  

[hooplady]

I don't get it.  What's the purpose of (not one but TWO) park-n-ride facilities?  Is there a demographic who's going to drive all the way downtown and then ride public transportation to somewhere else?  Or is that for Amtrak?

[JaxNative68]

Get over the looks! Think about a building representing our transportation needs for increased mobility in Jacksonville.

Can we build a $120 million building and parking building, shops, skyway line, etc. and still afford new buses, streetcars, sidewalks and bike lanes, drivers and equipment, investment in new rail lines?

Public buildings say a lot about your city and they establish an image of your city on out-of-towners.  One should never say "Get over the looks!" when it comes to public architecture.  I don't know about you, but I do not want the impression of our city to be boring, bland, out dated and out of touch with aesthetic value.  Enough out-of-towners already have that impression of Jacksonville; it's time for that to change.

[JeffreyS]

Get over the looks! Think about a building representing our transportation needs for increased mobility in Jacksonville.

Can we build a $120 million building and parking building, shops, skyway line, etc. and still afford new buses, streetcars, sidewalks and bike lanes, drivers and equipment, investment in new rail lines?

We can not afford not to spend that money and much more. That is what you have to do when you neglect spending for so long. I get that we have spent a bunch of money over the last few decades on roads and corporate giveaways but we need to actually spend on good projects now.

[jason_contentdg]

So the huge parking lot is for people to drive downtown from the suburbs, park, then get on some sort of mass transit to move them around the rest of the +/- one mile distance to their office/downtown destination?

what huge parking lot...you mean the existing ones?

The Phase 1 plan includes a small garage for 200 vehicles plus 65 surface spaces under the RTMC....which probably equates to the number of spaces being lost in construction. 

I should say parking in general, because you have those...and a 2,000 space garage set for a future phase.

[comncense]

I thought I was the only one bothered by the "Get over the looks" comment. Just the design of this strikes me as a lame strip mall that you would find over on Beach Blvd somewhere. I'm sure this has to be a product of the "good ol boy" network. It really looks like there was no real effort or passion put into the design of it...

[jason_contentdg]

Get over the looks! Think about a building representing our transportation needs for increased mobility in Jacksonville.

Can we build a $120 million building and parking building, shops, skyway line, etc. and still afford new buses, streetcars, sidewalks and bike lanes, drivers and equipment, investment in new rail lines?

Public buildings say a lot about your city and they establish an image of your city on out-of-towners.  One should never say "Get over the looks!" when it comes to public architecture.  I don't know about you, but I do not want the impression of our city to be boring, bland, out dated and out of touch with aesthetic value.  Enough out-of-towners already have that impression of Jacksonville; it's time for that to change.

Yeah, just having a major public building that won't be outdated by the time it is constructed would be nice...

[copperfiend]

What "retail" will temporarily occupy those spaces?

[JaxNative68]

your usually lame Burger King or other mystery meat cafe that seems to always find a home within a bus station serving something that only someone stranded for hours by the bus could possibly eat.

[lindab]

We have not invested in rail upgrades in many decades. Now rail is  hot and wow, we are behind in infrastructure to make it happen here. Streetcars for urban transit make great sense but putting in new tracks, power lines, buying the cars, hiring the drivers costs big time.  Jacksonville can't do that; it costs too much.
JTA wants BRT for Jacksonville. Citizens want more sidewalks, bike lanes, bus shelters. Good grief, where the heck is the money going to come from? What are Jacksonville's most important transportation needs?

Building a fancy courthouse doesn't get us more judges and a better legal system. Building great looking schools doesn't give Duval a better education system.  You think, in terms of priorities, we should focus our money and effort on a great looking transportation center. I don't.