Changing the Urban Landscape in 2010

[Metro Jacksonville]

Changing the Urban Landscape in 2010



2009 may have been a year to forget as far as downtown is concerned. Looking forward to 2010, here are five projects that have the potential to stimulate additional life in downtown.  


Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jan-changing-the-urban-landscape-in-2010

[thirdeye]

I thought all of the Brooklyn projects were dead and that the properties are all back on the market. Has something changed?

[Lucasjj]

I would love to see bike lanes through downtown. My girlfriend and I rode from Riverside to Springfield Saturday afternoon, and even though downtown was dead, it would have been great to have a straight shot through with a bike lane. It is such an easy ride, that with efficient bike lanes, there could be better connectivity in the core.

[thelakelander]

I thought all of the Brooklyn projects were dead and that the properties are all back on the market. Has something changed?

Brooklyn Park is dead.  200 Riverside still has a heartbeat.

[JaxNative68]

from what I hear, a very faint heartbeat.

[heights unknown]

Unless the City Government, and the people of Jax (Private interests) bond together to try and restimulate the area around the new Courthouse, nothing will happen; it'll pretty much be the same old same old.  The Courthouse in and of itself cannot be the lone stimulus for that area; it needs help from other sources, both City and Private, in order for that to be a success.

"HU"

[Ocklawaha]

It should be noted that the BRT on 5 downtown streets add to the visual and sustainable lifestyle by design, and NOT because it is inherit in BRT. It's NOT. As a rule, BRT is ugly, so ugly in fact video surveillance cameras facing the street turn off all by themselves. Credit needs to be given to JTA in that we are proposing to redevelop streets already in place, rather then spraying another layer of pavement across the city. Keeping in mind that bike trails, sidewalk decor, furniture and BRT are not mutually exclusive.


OCKLAWAHA

[reednavy]

I'm not a fan of the use of BRT, but anything to improve Riverplace would be a big plus. You'd think with it being a street with new residential towers and 2 of the best office towers in town that it would be smooth, have attractive landcaping, and better street lights and traffic lights.

Instead, right now it is like a 4x4 expedition into the woods.

[stjr]

Unless the City Government, and the people of Jax (Private interests) bond together to try and restimulate the area around the new Courthouse, nothing will happen; it'll pretty much be the same old same old. 

I agree, I don't know that the courthouse will do much for Downtown.  Most lawyers who care to be near it already are downtown.  The building is unapproachable with its fortress like architecture and stand-apart disconnect from the surrounding areas.  It certainly won't be pedestrian friendly, clearing out 7 city blocks for it and its garages and attendant annexes.

What has City Hall or the Federal Courthouse done for the areas around them?  Only new development has all been City projects.  Why?  Aside from being a great renovation of an historic building for City Hall, both projects lack street level retail and have only one public entry due to security issues so they are disconnected from the areas surrounding them.

Likewise, Laura Street is of questionable impact.  The expectations for it are what we heard when the City "renovated" (destroyed, per some) Hemming Park/Plaza.  Today, Hemming Park is nothing more than a smoking courtyard for mostly City and Federal buildings.  Almost all the surrounding retail it once enjoyed is gone and only the homeless seem to find pleasure in it.  Another mishandled downtown project.

I will concede these projects may keep the pulse beating Downtown, but just barely.  None of them will likely revive it.

By the way, Mayor Peyton on Stereo 90/WJCT/NPR this morning actually agreed with my point made previously that residential is the key to reviving Downtown and until we hit at least 10,000, we aren't going to go very far.  What I don't get is if he understands this, why we aren't investing first in amenities to further making Downtown more livable for a wider audience of home seekers over fixing up Laura Street which is nice looking but will do little to impact the revival of the area long term.

[A-Finnius]

I'm really pulling for "200 Riverside".  It appears to be a perfect fit for that area of downtown.  It would have street level retail and dining right?

[Ocklawaha]

Amazing revelations from Texas...  Read it and weep Johnny.

At the October 28 Livable Houston meeting, Molly Scarbrough, a senior planner with the City of Austin Planning and Development Review Department, spoke about how Austin is planning for transit-oriented development (TOD) even though it does not yet have a rail transit system in place.

Scarbrough explained that TODs are pedestrian-friendly areas created around a strong transit connection, preferably within half a mile of a dedicated transit stop. To take full advantage of the transit situation, the buildings are moderate- to high-density and are mixed-use. “We’re not talking about huge [density] increases here,” she said, but rather a series of buildings that might be five stories high instead of one or two stories. The buildings also must have an active ground floor with lots of windows and few setbacks in order to generate the most pedestrian interest. Densities are typically highest right next to the transit stop, she said, tapering off further from the center.

Transit-oriented development generally requires rail transit, not bus transit, Scarbrough said. “Typically, nationally, we’ve seen that there’s more investment with fixed rail,” she said, because rail is relatively permanent while bus stops might change or be removed.

OCKLAWAHA

[JaxNative68]

I'm really pulling for "200 Riverside".  It appears to be a perfect fit for that area of downtown.  It would have street level retail and dining right?

501 Riverside has both and has remained vacant for many years.

[CS Foltz]

Ock...........your making too many assumptions! One, that the current Administration can read and two, someone at their end actually gives a sh**! I do agree with your post but that requires forward thinking and some vision and some kind of a plan............Johnny's people just don't get it! JTA does not get it......sorry suckers........we are dealing with deaf, dumb and blind individuals that don't care about the populace, the future or the tax payers!

[reednavy]

501 Riverside has both and has remained vacant for many years.

I wonder what the asking price is for those spaces that are empty since the building was completed. It is an attractive location and it is brand new, so something must be turning retailers away.

[thelakelander]

What's 501 Riverside?  Is that Everbank?  If so, the retail spaces facing Riverside Avenue in the garage are poorly designed (not enough depth) and if leasing rates are too high, will be hard to fill.