Urban Construction Update: February 2011

[TheProfessor]

What are they doing to TSI??

[pwhitford]

Okay, last time, I swear:  That is one God-awful, ugly looking courthouse.  Soulless and lacking all character.  But its better than a vacant lot!

[Bativac]

Good lord. That courthouse.

My mom was in town not too long ago and I drove her past the courthouse. She was flabbergasted. She mentioned that she was on a jury that looked at a case involving eminent domain (somebody felt they were being underpaid for their property). She was surprised at the size and scope of this thing.

The 5 Points Theater looks great. Glad the HVAC is getting upgraded. I'll never forget holding a 40 foot ladder for my dad while he finished the very last of the faux painting in there. He was never so scared in his life. I laughed. Later he reminded me that he was still the dad and I, his insolent child.

[iloveionia]

No offense, but the new construction/renovations for commercial props in San Marco are ugly.  They really look low budget.
The Courthouse.  Eeek.  Doubt people will come to see this.  u g l y.  Would have liked to see less glass and more grand steps to the entrance. 
What is Dr's Island on Main Street Springfield?
Is the Car Wash open yet?
I think the school conversion over in Riverside is decent.  I definitely like re-purposing the school. 

[TheProfessor]

The Sherwin Williams looks worse after the renovation. Isn't there an architectural review board in San Marco?

[deathstar]

I know the 5 Points Theatre is a better draw for $$$, but damn do I miss goin' to shows there. All the memories of when my friends band played there and I had to make my way to the top to hang the banner, then pray to God I didn't fall on my ass on the way down.

Would be cool to see a show there just one more time sometime in the future.

[simms3]

I'll go ahead an add to everyone's comments here.  That courthouse is FUGLY!

This is what we could have had:  Any one of these, especially the Canon Design that we actually almost went with, would have been soooo much better (even if they took up more space).

















The worst thing of all is that the current FUGLY disaster cost us close to $400M and all four of the original designs above cost us about half as much.  Even when it was found out that the Canon design was overbudget (the reasoning for scrapping it), it was only I think 67-75% as expensive as the current FUGLY version being built now.

[tufsu1]

not that I'm a huge fan of the new design, but let's at least compare apples to apples...the courthouse complex will cost around $350 million, which includes the land acquisition, garage, and renovation of the old Federal courthouse...I believe the new building itself is something like $225 million.

[ubben]

A Sherwin Williams paint store in San Marco next to Underwoods??? What's next, a Roto Rooter outlet? Score one for the Shoppes of Avondale!

[tufsu1]

Score one for the Shoppes of Avondale!

you mean the same shops that are fighting to keep Mojo's BBQ out?

[Captain Zissou]

A Sherwin Williams paint store in San Marco next to Underwoods??? What's next, a Roto Rooter outlet? Score one for the Shoppes of Avondale!

This would actually be more appropriate in Avondale, where there are hundreds of properties in need of renovation.  Hopefully this store will be for more general renovation and restoration, not just paint. 

[I-10east]

Any one of these, especially the Canon Design that we actually almost went with, would have been soooo much better (even if they took up more space).

IMO the first proposed courthouse is the only one that looks a lil' better than the actual courthouse, and even that gives off a "typical government building in Washington" feel.

The second one is awful, with that semicircle indentation with the fountain in the middle. Horrendous.

The third brown-roofed one looks like it should be in Santa Fe, NM somewhere. It looks too Southwestern.

The fourth one is the worst of all. I mean OMG, WTF is that igloo-like structure in the front? What is that structure on top, a belfry? Boy that thing is ugly, it's definitely no Capitol Bldg.

[thelakelander]

The thing that really stands out in the previous designs is that they paid attention to how the structure fit into the surrounding downtown environment.  For example, those concepts place main design features as central focal points along various view corridors and include well placed public plazas that open up to surrounding land uses.  We blew this on the current design but we have an opportunity better fit it into the surrounding area by constructing a public plaza instead of rebuilding Monroe Street.

[stjr]

None of the courthouse designs were high rise oriented like the Feds.  I am also thinking about how the state capitol complex is in Tallahassee.  It was a big mistake to take a vertical building off the list of design options.  We wasted acres of downtown with a non-urban plan and now have a broken street grid to boot.  A total design disaster.  But, hey, that's a Jax tradition.

[simms3]

Lake: I agree.  Even though the previous designs would have also taken up unnecessary space (according to us on MetroJax), they faced a better direction, addressed the local character/layout better, and made better use of public space.

I-10east: I'm kind of shocked that you think the current design is even comparable to any of the original bids.  Does the current design want us to pay attention to its vertical or horizontal lines?  The current design barfs on neoclassicism.  The original designs at least had good lines, good details, weren't "overwhelming" like the current design, had unique features, and what appears to be better use of materials.  The current design looks like faux white stucco with the lines showing (Berkman style).

The only design I am not a huge fan of above is the local KBJ design, but even that is much better than what we have being built right now.  Pretty much all of the above would have stood the test of time.  Our current building is not an architectural style, does not reinvent any styles, will show signs of aging within 5 years due to its material use, and is uninspiring.  I'm embarassed by it.  From some perspectives it is even harder to look at (from the side??? what is that).