JEDC: Developer eyes four historic downtown buildings

[thelakelander]

The answer here is a simple one.  Leave the historic fund alone and take the $3.5 million out of the $8.2 million earmarked for Metropolitan Park.  This allows all projects to move forward.

By David Bauerlein
A proposal to help The Jacksonville Landing purchase a parking lot could quash the city's ongoing talks with a developer interested in restoring the vacant Barnett Bank and Laura Street Trio buildings downtown, the city's top economic development official told City Council this week.

City Council President Richard Clark recently introduced a bill that would tap the Historic Preservation Trust Fund to provide $3.5 million for the Landing to buy a parking lot a block from the downtown mall.

Ron Barton, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, sent council members a letter Wednesday saying JEDC is iin "active discussions" with a developer that has a contract to purchase the old Barnett Bank building and Laura Street Trio

"Such an investment would add residents and foot traffic to downtown," Barton wrote in the letter. "However, these buildings will remain in their current blighted condition unless the city is willing to entertain an investment. The logical source of funding for this project is the Historic Preservation Trust Fund."

Clark said he isn't backing off his legislation. He said the Landing has been waiting since it opened in 1987 to get enough parking dedicated for its merchants and customers.

"We need to do whatever we need to do to keep The Landing solvent and solve this 23-year-old obligation," he said.

He said he expects the bill will go before City Council committees next week for their consideration.

http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-05-13/story/developer-eyes-buying-four-historic-buildings-downtown-jedc-says

[brainstormer]

I completely agree.  I really think the city should focus on the central core surrounding the Landing, Laura Street and Hemming Plaza.  We have the chance to make this area something attractive and great.  Positive growth will spread if we can make the Laura Street corridor work.  Metro park can wait.

[JeffreyS]

The Landing is more of a priority but they should get the money elsewhere and it should still be now. Sorry Mr. Clark I like that you are taking the Landing situation seriously but you cannot scuttle the possible redevelopment of those for buildings.  Get the money but not from the historic fund. Demanding aren't we.

[Timkin]

Not surprising at all.  The City does not care if these buildings continue to crumble. It would not surprise me at all if they (the City) does not try to do away with HPC altogether ,and ignore totally, a named Historic Landmark status, given its track record of the last 50 years. 

If parking alone would solve the Landing's "solvency" problem, I might concur.. But I do not personally belive that is the entire problem.   Getting funding by taking from Historic Funding is wrong and I completely disagree with that happening.

[Ocklawaha]

Simple, kill the millions headed to an unused park... for it's destruction (Flex space my ass!) and invest it in downtown redevelopment. We have suffered through nearly 8 years of the Boy Wonders Double Talk... Hot Dog Carts, Hanging Baskets, Gateway Arches, and Bench Removal... Bull Shit!  It's time we start treating this like a real City and time that the politician's will feel the heat. I for one am tired of half ass nothing projects that have sucked us dry while real problems were ignored.

We need the Landing, Barnett and the Laura Trio they are Revenue Ready and if the city would just quit with the grandstanding we'd be shovel ready too.

In a city almost void of it's own historic fabric we have seen enough raiding history at any level.

OCKLAWAHA

[braeburn]

I'm confused and have a question: was this historic fund money available when parking was promised 23 years ago?

[Timkin]

I do not have an answer to that question..  Historic Funding Dollars should be used for just that.

For my part in it , the Landing could go.  It has struggled since the beginning.. I know it will probably NOT go,  the Laura Trio probably will first..because that is the mindset.  Stealing from "Peter" to pay "Paul"  . Its wrong.  it needs to end.

[Jerry Moran]

Bench Removal, the only good thing to happen to the Core in many years.  Credit the pioneer merchants and property owners for taking matters into their own hands.  At the back of the Main Library, well, the benches were removed for a special event, but never returned.  Congratulations Main Library.  

Now, how about requiring ID or a Library Card before granting entry to the Land of Unlimited Air Conditioning and Soft Seating?  "OPEN TO ALL (with proper identification)" the header over the door should read.  A hammer and chisel, or a bucket of paint, or some politically incorrect backbone would do the trick.

[Jerry Moran]

A poorly managed downtown is already taking care of the restaurant clientele problem.  There may be renewed interest in prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages for off premises consumption between the hours of 2 AM and 5 PM in the BID.  That's all I will say for now...   Sorry, all the new grocery stores that are opening in the Core. No Steele Reserve until 5 PM.

[vicupstate]

There are benches all over DT Greenville with nar a homeless person in sight. Won't homeless just sit on the sidewalk (which looks even worse) or on window sills, etc.?   I undertand the frustration but that is not a good long-term solution.

[buckethead]

What is the final solution for removing vagrants from downtown Jax?

Who casts the first stone?

[tufsu1]

Bench Removal, the only good thing to happen to the Core in many years.

how sad is it when removal of benches (a key downtown pedestrian feature) is considered a good thing

[TheProfessor]

I think there is enough parking for downtown.  People will find a place to park if they want to be somewhere.  First you have to make a place desirable!  I think historic money should go to the Laura Trio and not the Landing parking garage.  The Landing Garage is a totally separate issue and I agree they need a garage, but not on the dime of historic refurbishing.

[thelakelander]

Take the money out of Metropolitan Park's $8.2 million.  I don't know why they keep avoiding this one.  That park is a mile away from the core.  No matter how much money you dump in it, its not going to have a significant impact on downtown.

[jason_contentdg]

I think there is enough parking for downtown.  People will find a place to park if they want to be somewhere.  First you have to make a place desirable!  I think historic money should go to the Laura Trio and not the Landing parking garage.  The Landing Garage is a totally separate issue and I agree they need a garage, but not on the dime of historic refurbishing.

As the Metro Jacksonville article on the issue states, the parking is required for major tenants to move into the Landing.  Major national chains will make the Landing a desirable place.  

But you're right the money does not need to come from the historic preservation fund, like lake said, it needs to come from the park money.