Town Center program heading to Avondale

[mtraininjax]

I just hope this will be merely an improvement to the general area as opposed to removing any of the already existing charm this area has.

The city is promising to be "finished" with the work by the holiday season of 2010. Its already 9 weeks into 2010, and they really have yet to Break Any Ground. I don't see any way to add the same solution developed at Park and King in 8 short months.

Can't wait for RAP to get involved and get it all done in 5 months. Should be an fun summer.

[Captain Zissou]

I was in San Marco square last night and just took a minute to look around. If that can be brought to Avondale it would be amazing.  There is less space to work with, but using the northen part of Ingleside would be great.  

The lions and fountain, the central gazebo with fountain and kids statue, the small statue in front of San marco bookstore, the monument on the north end, the sign on the south........ San Marco is such a great area for pedestrians to relax and enjoy the outdoors.  It will be tough to duplicate, but I'm optimistic.

[cybertique]

That lion fountain is an eyesore, off scale and gaudy.  The biggest plus to the Avondale project will be the improvements to the sidewalk, which currently is a hazard with it's uneven and broken surface.  On any given day you can see trash blowing around in the wind, overflowing garbage bins and weed infested planted areas.  The merchants are not maintaining the areas around their own shops. Not to mention that huge litter box with a rope fence formerly know as the Shell station. 

[Kay]

Although I am glad to see this finally taking place, considering the plan was released in January 2005, I would rather see them take advantage of the reduced cost by completing the plan for Stockton Street. With the John Gorrie renovation happening, and the new businesses that have been going into that area between Post and Myra, I think performing the plan there could have a bigger impact.

Since the shoppes of Avondale are already a defined point of interest in the neighborhood, by improving the Stockton area you gain another whole center. Also it would help the surrounding area, which has much more room for improvement. 

I don't think Avondale should be completely written off, but I just think improving Stockton would better benefit the Riverside area.

I guess one idea though might be that by showing the effect this has on a place like Avondale, it makes it easier to fund the other projects in the future.

There is a separate Stockton Street Town Center project that will be going out for bid soon.

[Lucasjj]

That's great to hear. Do you know the turn around time from sending this out to bid to having it approved? Just some sort of ballpark figure. I was going to write a letter to the representatives of this area to pretty much say what you quoted me writing above, but it seems as if someone or a group is already on top of this. I really think this would benefit the area and help in the development of that side of Riverside.

[Captain Zissou]

That lion fountain is an eyesore, off scale and gaudy.

Is there a better public statue in Jax?  It seems parents and kids love the fountain.  They climb on it, play around it, take pictures... etc. I know of many better areas in other cities (Charlotte, Austin, Charleston...etc), but not Jax. It is a public space that the general populace enjoys and interacts with.

[Miss Fixit]

That lion fountain is an eyesore, off scale and gaudy.

Is there a better public statue in Jax?  It seems parents and kids love the fountain.  They climb on it, play around it, take pictures... etc. I know of many better areas in other cities (Charlotte, Austin, Charleston...etc), but not Jax. It is a public space that the general populace enjoys and interacts with.

The statue is much loved and truly a landmark. There has been a statue/fountain in the square for many years; the current statue/fountain was the result of a design contest.  I recall that it was conceived by local architects Angela Schiafanella (sp?) and Alan Wilson.

[blizz01]

Is there a better public statue in Jax?

..........The Jaguar in front of the stadium.....

[Captain Zissou]

^ Any statue that unknowingly eats a kids head is a winner in my book.  That story will always be one of my favorite little nuggets of Jax folklore.  Poor kid, if he ever runs into me, I'll make fun of him forever.

[RWNeal]

^ Any statue that unknowingly eats a kids head is a winner in my book.  That story will always be one of my favorite little nuggets of Jax folklore.  Poor kid, if he ever runs into me, I'll make fun of him forever.

... errr... what?

[Captain Zissou]

The kid who got his head stuck in the Jaguar statue's mouth??? It was in '97. The kid was stuck in the Jaguars mouth for over an hour until they had to saw a tooth off.


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1997-11-27/sports/9711260808_1_jaguar-free-turkeys-alltel

[JeffreyS]

That lion fountain is an eyesore, off scale and gaudy.

Is there a better public statue in Jax?  It seems parents and kids love the fountain.  They climb on it, play around it, take pictures... etc. I know of many better areas in other cities (Charlotte, Austin, Charleston...etc), but not Jax. It is a public space that the general populace enjoys and interacts with.

The victory statue in memorial park is better. btw I love the lion fountain.

[RWNeal]

The kid who got his head stuck in the Jaguar statue's mouth??? It was in '97. The kid was stuck in the Jaguars mouth for over an hour until they had to saw a tooth off.


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1997-11-27/sports/9711260808_1_jaguar-free-turkeys-alltel

Oh, that's great! The kid should be in his early 20s by now, so he's fair game for public mocking!

[Fallen Buckeye]

That lion fountain is an eyesore, off scale and gaudy.

San Marco is the spanish form of St. Mark who often symbolized as a lion. Lions make perfect sense to me and I like them personally. I love all of the statues in that area.

I think we need more public art all over town. One great place to start would be to put a mural on the huge blank wall you see just at the intersection of US17 and Edgewood. It's actually a part of the US17 overpass but it's such an eye sore IMO.