Courthouse project approved

[gatorback]

Jacksonville should continue what it does best. Like, sprawl, churchen, and building that courthouse come on people focus.

[heights unknown]

This is where the DDRB should enforce the addition of street retail and make the downtown environment takes advantage of the courthouse's foot traffic.  A ton of people will be visiting this particular area every weekday, between the hours of 9-5.  It will be a good location for retailers and cafes looking to capitalize off the traffic.  However, you're right in that this could be a huge dead zone (well it already is right now so it can't get any worse) at nights and weekends. 

One way to help stimulate business on the weekend would be the inclusion of some urban public space (perhaps at the courthouse's entrance) that could include space for uses that attract visitors around the clock.  In Toronto, their City Hall (which is more monumental then our courthouse will be), contains an outdoor concrete plaza with a huge water feature and monuments.  During the workdays, its a popular place for street vendors.  At night and on weekends the fountain and greenspace attracts visitors and serves as a drop off for local city tour operations.  The fountain also becomes an outdoor ice skating rink during the winter.

Very beautiful buildings.  Something like this would go over extremely well in Jax and would certainly spur more commerce and retail in the surrounding area.

Heights Unknown