Downtown Frankenstein: Revisiting the 1971 MasterPlan

[Metro Jacksonville]

Downtown Frankenstein: Revisiting the 1971 MasterPlan



MetroJacksonville uncovers a futuristic plan would bring a smile to the faces of George Jetson, Buck Rogers, Dr. Spock and Chewbacca.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jul-downtown-frankenstein-revisiting-the-1971-masterplan

[duvaldude08]

WOW. I always wonder how different downtown would be if retail would have stayed. Retail leaving downtown is also the reason the skyway seems to go nowhere. The route it was planned for had retail in its path. Once the skyway was completed, retail was gone. Our downtown decline is an unfortunate story.

[finehoe]

Why were planners in the late 60s - early 70s so enamored with elevated walkways?  It seems self-evident now that having people go up a level just to walk around is foolish, but they thought it was the key to urban revitalization back then.

[duvaldude08]

Yeah I dont understand the elevated walkway idea either. Im glad that didnt come to frutation. Would have been a little weird 

[duvaldude08]

ahh I see said the blind man 

[Captain Zissou]

Charlotte has a system of elevated walkways and shops called The Overstreet Mall.  It's convenient for bank employees, but does nothing to add to vibrancy downtown. Most businesses in 'the mall' are closed weekends anyway.  I imagine it came from this line of thinking.

[finehoe]

Its a technology thing.  Think of the emissions coming from cars in 1971.  You cannot imagine how foul the air was.  Most of the buildings were still there, and the fumes were trapped---not to mention the smell of badly handled garbage from all the restaurants, hotels, offices and homes.  In the high heat of summer, street level in jacksonville could be suffocating if you werent in one of the parks.

That explanation sounds rather fanciful to me.  These things were proposed (and built, in some cases) all over the country, not just the steamy South.  Besides, is one-story above the street really going to remove you from the emissions and fumes from down below?

[Doctor_K]

Yeah I dont understand the elevated walkway idea either. Im glad that didnt come to frutation. Would have been a little weird 

Hover-converted cars.

[Actionville]

I thought the elevated walkways were intended to better accommodate streets for high speed automobile as opposed to pedestrian use (i.e. get em out of the way of cars)

[finehoe]

^^ Bingo!

[archiphreak]

I get lots of warm fuzzies everytime I look at that Master Plan....then I walk outside my downtown office, look around, and the warm fuzzies are no more.  Jacksonville has had so many chances to be a real major Metropolis....when will it happen?  It's all there, means, motive and opportunity.  Who will step up to take advantage?

[stjr]

Construction finally got underway in 1984.  Unfortunately several streets were closed during the construction phase and the project dragged on for two years.  For retailers who had been struggling for years to stay afloat, already dealing with the parking meter situation, urban blight, and aggressive marketing from suburban malls, the retail core's three major retailers (May-Cohens, JCPenney, and Ivey's) all shut down within a few months of each other.  With no major retail anchors and the Landing planned for the waterfront, the 1971 master plan was officially dead.

An issue that needs to also be considered is the impact and planning of construction on downtown.  The rebuilding of streets, Hemming Park, and the Skyway did as much or more to drive the final nail in the coffin for downtown retail.  Retailers can not lose their customer base for months and years at a time and survive.  That doesn't seem to be of much importance in scheduling and executing downtown construction projects.

Also, one of my beefs with the Skyway is that it's superstructure and supports act as a psychological  barrier between store fronts and street activity/interaction.  Evidence includes the decimation of retail on the streets the Skyway is routed on.  Per the map below, May-Cohens, Furchgotts, Levy-Wolf, & Rosenblums all bordered Hogan.  Not shown is JC Penney and Woolworths.  Also, as I recall, was stalwart jeweler, Underwoods.  All gone around or by the advent of the Skyway which ironically was suppose to support them (according to Skyway "visionaries").  Importantly, no one lined up to replace them after the Skyway was completed and in the 20-25 plus years hence.

[finehoe]

This is partially the reason as well, but remember that air quality has always been a major concern for planners.  Air quality and safety were the primary reasons mentioned in the studies.

This from wikipedia:

Besides pedestrian safety and convenience, the chief reasons assigned by urban planners for skywalk development are decrease of traffic congestion, reduction in vehicular air pollution and separation of people from vehicular noise.

[duvaldude08]

Construction finally got underway in 1984.  Unfortunately several streets were closed during the construction phase and the project dragged on for two years.  For retailers who had been struggling for years to stay afloat, already dealing with the parking meter situation, urban blight, and aggressive marketing from suburban malls, the retail core's three major retailers (May-Cohens, JCPenney, and Ivey's) all shut down within a few months of each other.  With no major retail anchors and the Landing planned for the waterfront, the 1971 master plan was officially dead.

An issue that needs to also be considered is the impact and planning of construction on downtown.  The rebuilding of streets, Hemming Park, and the Skyway did as much or more to drive the final nail in the coffin for downtown retail.  Retailers can not lose their customer base for months and years at a time and survive.  That doesn't seem to be of much importance in scheduling and executing downtown construction projects.

Also, one of my beefs with the Skyway is that it's superstructure and supports act as a psychological  barrier between store fronts and street activity/interaction.  Evidence includes the decimation of retail on the streets the Skyway is routed on.  Per the map below, May-Cohens, Furchgotts, Levy-Wolf, & Rosenblums all bordered Hogan.  Not shown is JC Penney and Woolworths.  Also, as I recall, was stalwart jeweler, Underwoods.  All gone around or by the advent of the Skyway which ironically was suppose to support them (according to Skyway "visionaries").  Importantly, no one lined up to replace them after the Skyway was completed and in the 20-25 plus years hence.

Agreed. I think Jacksonville has a long history of dragging our feet when it comes to planning of major projects. 30 years later we are still dragging along.

[Captain Zissou]

Does anyone know a timeline of when all the department stores closed and when the skyway was built??