U.S.S. Adams Naval Museum Update Thread

[thelakelander]

Naval museum proponents still pushing project

05/02/2008

by Mike Sharkey

Staff Writer

Backers of a plan to bring the U.S.S. Adams to the Southbank to serve as a Naval Museum, tourist attraction and event site were back in front of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission Thursday.

Bert Watson, government relations coordinator for the Adams, told the Commission there are three major hurdles â€" a suitable city and location, approval from the Navy and funding â€" that must be overcome in order to secure the retired ship and moor it just east of the Acosta Bridge. Watson said progress is being made on all three fronts, however there is still plenty to do before the Adams becomes a mainstay of the Downtown neighborhood.

“The first is critical and we’re done with that,” said Watson. “City Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the project.”

According to Watson, it will take between $3.5 million and $4 million to bring the ship to town. That cost includes towing, renovations and a location to display the Adams. Watson said he has started the initial fundraising, but expects it to take at least a year to raise the money and prove to the Navy the Jacksonville community is serious about the project. He said a similar project in San Diego involving the U.S.S. Midway was funded primarily â€" about three-quarters â€" through in-kind donations

full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=49962

[stephenc]

WONDERFUL!! This will be a nice addition downtwn.

[David6600]

I'd love to see RCBC gone and the parking lot there turned into a nice green area/park. 

Wouldn't a wide, meandering brick walk up to the ship be nice through it.  What if along the walk there could be an old trolley car, an old navy plane (a one seater --- there's really interesting ones on Rte 1 going into St. Augustine), and a salvaged row/shotgun house (there's still a few in downtown, which I'm sure will be demolished).  Plaques in front of them discussing the history, etc. Anything else that could be cool but not very big and distracting to the downtown.  Jacksonville History Park.  That's cool. 

Just something different...ties into the old navy ship. 



 

[copperfiend]

I'd love to see RCBC gone

Why would you love too see it gone?

[thelakelander]

RCBC has a 99 year lease on the property.  Its a successful asset that should be kept and incorporated into whatever is done with that property, imo.  A successful local restaurant anchoring a waterfront park is more attractive than a waterfront park with no restaurant or dining options at all.

[Ocklawaha]

RCBC Gone? Oh hell no! As Lake has stated, incorporate it into whatever we do with the rest of the site. REALIZE this is Jacksonville (for Petes sake), San Diego has the MIDWAY, Pearl Harbor got the MISSOURI, Jacksonville NC got the NORTH CAROLINA, and Mobile has the ALABAMA... We're after the Adams? Perhaps after enough trips to that RCBC bar, we can convince the tourists they REALLY toured the IJN YAMATO!

Maybe a PT boat would be more our speed, I understand Commander McHale has one for sale.

Ocklawaha

[Steve]

RCBC has a 99 year lease on the property.  Its a successful asset that should be kept and incorporated into whatever is done with that property, imo.  A successful local restaurant anchoring a waterfront park is more attractive than a waterfront park with no restaurant or dining options at all.

Echo that - if we had to do it over again, I'd love to see a different physical structure there, but this is the challenge of urban development that some don't seem to get - you can't do it with a blank sheet of paper and a crayola.

[David6600]

Hi Copperfiend,

A little overstatement; mainly just don't like that big parking lot.  I like RCBC and don't mean to speak bad about them.  It's good to have that activity there. I just wrote a little too quick.   

But I think the ship is going near the Acosta -- it just seems a little awkward there won't be a little bit better of an entrance way to it.   

I'm also aware of city obligations regarding the lease --- didn't know I'd be chided to put back the crayola crayons though.  Mom?  Dad?   

One thing that is regrettable though - and the city's paying the price for it already - was not capitalizing with the pedestrian pier. 

With the riverwalk improvements and the marina by the Aetna building there would have been a nice stroll from the ship to the pier.  Perhaps you would get a nice view of the ship walking out on the pier (I don't know). 

Maybe it wouldn't have been a spectacular accomplishment but it would have nevertheless been some sort of synergy.  Would have made people linger and given them an ambience and some sort of a feeling that there is reason to be downtown (not just park, go on a ship and leave). 

Downtown is quite often dead.  You take your opportunities when you can get them. Bad move on the pier. 

[thelakelander]

I agree.  The destroying the old Fuller Warren was a bad move.  It would have also been nice if the old Acosta Bridge (torn down in the 1990s) could have been kept and converted into a pedestrian bridge.

[Charles Hunter]

I agree.  The destroying the old Fuller Warren was a bad move.  It would have also been nice if the old Acosta Bridge (torn down in the 1990s) could have been kept and converted into a pedestrian bridge.

Except the the New Acosta is in the same place as the Old Acosta, so that would have been difficult, or they could have torn down more of downtown/Brooklyn/Southbank to accommodate both bridges.

Actually, Ock, a PT Boat for the Maritime Museum (next to the Adams) isn't a bad idea - I remember taking a tour boat years ago that pointed out that during WW2, PT Boats were built in a shipyard on the southbank, near the Gulf Life ... oops Wachovia .. Building.

[thelakelander]

The new Acosta could have been built to the south, possibly as a double decker, or on either side of the old Acosta.  There could have been room if it were a goal.  We just wouldn't have ended up with the Acosta Bridge design we have today.

[Charles Hunter]

Good point, thelakelander, double deck to the north (toward downtown) I could see.  Else it would have to be south of the FEC bridge, since I don't think there was room between Old Acosta and FEC for anything.
Hmmm, south of FEC would have put it right through the Times Union building ....

opportunities lost ...

[Rynjny]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=594265147261803&set=a.113601395328183.12073.107140799307576&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

What you guys think about this?

[fsujax]

i like it better there than next to the Acosta Bridge.

[CityLife]

More info from their site:

http://www.adamsclassmuseum.org/

If this ever gets done, I'd love to see extra dock space near there to show off other interesting boats too. In just the past few months Jax has had the OCEARCH Boat and Shad Khan's yacht. St. Augustine also had a 170' replica of an old Spanish galleon for about 2 weeks recently. It would be great to have a revolving door of unique and interesting boats.

This museum and a brewery would bridge the gap nicely between the entertainment district and stadium district....and lets not forget Hogan's Creek either.