New Projects, Venues Make A King Street District.

[Metro Jacksonville]

New Projects, Venues  Make A King Street District.



Following a decades long process of slowly implemented improvements along King Street, the area has been undergoing a water change.

Now a set of new establishments catering to Nightlife have created a niche cluster that has jumpstarted the onetime seedy little district's life signs and created a buzz and energy that promises to transform the area.

Metro Jacksonville takes a walking photo tour of the new venues, including a sneak peek at one of the new venues which is still under construction.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jun-new-projects-venues-make-a-king-street-district

[BridgeTroll]

Great review of the area!

[RiversideLoki]

Great review and pics!

[Keith-N-Jax]

What they said ^^^

[reednavy]

Now, if only they can get rid of that gas station and Burger King, and replace it with 2-4 story infill with ground retail for bars and restaurants. That BK seems to never be busy and it should just go, it is disrupting the energy of the area.

[tufsu1]

while the BK may not be ideal, I think it is ok in the district (just like Wendy's in 5 Points)...if there's a redevelopment that improves on the site, fine....otherwise I'll take BK over another empty lot

[jbroadglide]

Oh no not the BK!    How would I survive? No other fast food joints in the area..I'll starve.. Take pity on a bachelor who never learned to cook..

[fsujax]

hey...that BK served many a hungry students (myself included) from Lee High School back in the day! The district has really come a long way since the mid 1990s. First Guranty Bank from what I understand really started it all with the streetscaping project.

[reednavy]

The BK should at least be forced to remove that giant sign and get a smaller one at ground level. Hopefully a storm blows it out so they're forced to do that.

That kind of BK shouldn't be allowed, they could still be there, but in a more urban designed structure or as a ground floor retail tenant in a new building. The drive-thru can go go, but just my 2 cents.

[Steve]

^That kind of BK isn't allowed....now. The Riverside Avondale Zoning overlay would not allow that today.  However, like I can't rebuild a demolished building, we can't make them change now.

[reednavy]

^That kind of BK isn't allowed....now. The Riverside Avondale Zoning overlay would not allow that today.  However, like I can't rebuild a demolished building, we can't make them change now.

So they wouldn't allow a development like 1661 in that area?

[MusicMan]

I have it on good authority that JC's Daily Bread from Riverside Arts Market is looking for a home in Jax, maybe the print shop building near Park Place (it's for sale). Any thoughts out there?

[Captain Zissou]

Now, if only they can get rid of that gas station and Burger King, and replace it with 2-4 story infill with ground retail for bars and restaurants. That BK seems to never be busy and it should just go, it is disrupting the energy of the area.

Just don't take away my Panda House!  

Stephen, What do you think about the dining establishments closer to Park?  I think Jaxson's has been a great addition, but I don't feel like they've hit a tipping point like riverside has.  If the scouts you mentioned could fill in the area between the dining area and the bars with a mixture of the two, that would put King street on the map in a regional way.

[Captain Zissou]

Looks like it's a red brick building with loading docks facing King St just south of the railroad tracks.

[billy]

I think you are bang on, Zissou.  Doing something with the old Al Hilm would be a great start.  I hope they carry on the very contemporary design ethos that Scott has got going on.  Maybe Liz could be prevailed upon to open seating out on her own sidewalk or offer a bistro counter at night.  Its four blocks of expansion room.

Where exactly is this new brewery that the facebook post was referring to?

Is this the Davis brewery?