LaVilla attracts interest from private developer

[Steve]

City considers various uses for 2 tracts there

By LIZ FLAISIG, The Times-Union


The evolution of Jacksonville's LaVilla district into a mixed-use neighborhood all but stopped with the 1999 opening of its restored theater and museum.
   
Restaurants, stores and housing envisioned in the Downtown Master Plan for the historic African-American area never materialized despite the lure of low land prices and city-sponsored incentive deals.

But LaVilla's stagnant existence could be on the verge of changing.

Jacksonville Economic Development Commission members voted unanimously on Thursday to consider private offers to develop 3.5 acres across from LaVilla School of the Arts and near the Ritz Theatre.

Developers may submit plans within city guidelines for 816 Union St. and a two-block area bounded by Union, Jefferson and Beaver streets.

Commissioners agreed the city should consider a variety of uses for both sites, though 816 Union St. has a 6,089-square-foot building that developer Jax Casual Dining LLC did not complete.

The former restaurant site, now back in the city's possession, was due to come before commissioners so the $2.4 million investment in loan and grant money could be recovered with a new development agreement.

A national retailer's interest brought the adjacent two blocks of city-owned land into the forefront for private development bids.

JEDC Executive Director Ron Barton declined to comment on the identity of the company interested in the two blocks.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/031408/bus_257681791.shtml

[Steve]

Watch it be Wal-Mart

[reednavy]

 

[second_pancake]

Watch it be Wal-Mart

D'OH! Either that or a McDonald's For the sake of downtown and LaVilla, let's hope it's a Publix or Whole Foods (we need another grocery store out that way), or even a casual dining restaurant like Applebee's wouldn't be bad.  I can't believe I'm condoning the establishment of national chain restaurants in a historic area, but what the hell.  It's either that or an empty shell sitting there.

[fsujax]

Too bad it couldn't be some sort of mixed use development with a national chain establishment located on the ground floor. In that case I wouldn't care of it were a Mc Donalds or Target or whatever! just as long as we fill in those vacant lots.

[thelakelander]

I don't care what it is, as long as the DDRB doesn't roll over and forces them to develop a pedestrian friendly structure that shields parking from the sidewalks.  By the way, for those who want national retailers in downtown, State & Union are most likely the best two streets.  They combine to carry a ton of traffic and are centrally located between Downtown, LaVilla, Durkeeville, Springfield and East Jax.

We did a story on this issue over a year ago:

Urban Connectivity: State & Union



http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/281/119/

[Steve]

Why do I not think that whatever is going there will look like that.

[reednavy]

Why do I not think that whatever is going there will look like that.

Because it's Jacksonville of course!

[fsujax]

Lake, why do you have to get my hopes up? then I just get let down when I realize we are dealing with Downtown Jacksonville. We can't even get signage done properly.

[thelakelander]

I believe if we keep pounding them over the head with good examples, they'll eventually latch on for the ride.  Besides, if sprawlbugs like Atlanta, Orlando and Charlotte can force developers to start designing their structures in this manner, there's no reason Jacksonville can't.

[zoo]

I'm guessing CVS. One block for the store, its dumpsters and surface parking. The second block is for a few more surface parking spaces and the retention pond since there's no master stormwater retention downtown.

[thelakelander]

Probably.  But this is where the DDRB is supposed to step in and demand better.  Even CVS has an urban plan on stock.  Its up to us to make sure they build it.

[Steve]

You might be right about CVS.  With that said, here are some intersting articles about their urban developments:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3374/is_n5_v17/ai_16784056
http://www.downtownkc.org/content.aspx?pgID=875&newsID=488&exCompID=82

This shows that CVS is willing to do the urban thing, if they have to.  What does this mean, the DDRB needs to hold strong on the master plan, and hold them to an urban development, unlike the recent crap that they have approved.

[JeffreyS]

Right now I can't picture any big retail store, without more people living downtown.  Am  I on the wrong track where do the customers come from? CVS makes sense.

[thelakelander]

State & Union are streets that could draw from a much larger market.  If all the Northbank neighborhoods were marketed as a single under utilized market, State & Union are the two streets that would be the most viable, due to the heavy east/west traffic flow.