7 Days & Waking Life: Downtown To Come

[Metro Jacksonville]

7 Days & Waking Life: Downtown To Come



Over the last week, a series of public announcements and events has come forth, that when combined and coordinated, could quickly breathe life into Downtown Jacksonville.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-may-7-days-waking-life-downtown-to-come-

[hightowerlover]

I personally hope that parking garage isnt built - it's such a waste of space for essentially a site that should be an office/hotel/residential tower on top of a parking garage.  i would hate for a short sighted recession plan to create an eyesore in the center of what could be the next gem of our skyline

[thelakelander]

If a garage is built, just make sure it is constructed to allow for future vertical expansion.  Btw, here is a rendering of the garage that Cameron Kuhn had planned for this site a few years back.



Another option would be to design it like this garage in downtown Greenville, SC.  Set the garage in the middle of the block and sell off a strip of property between it and the main streets (in our case Forsyth and Independent) for private development.

[wsansewjs]

Everbank needs to knock on the door of Bank of America, and tell them to GTFO of the building they are staying in.

Just saying...

-Josh

[Gravity]

short-sighted knee-jerk reactive measures seem to define this city

there are several dozen local projects, which in their own right are brilliant solutions, on long term and broader scale only proliferate the modular problems this city has.

We need an overhaul, not an oil change

[hightowerlover]

yeah but kuhn was going to hide that monstrosity behind his helipad tower

[BigGuy219]

I think this piece is overly optimistic and takes too much for granted.

As of the writing of this article, EverBank has not yet agreed to move downtown, several council members are calling for a moratoreum on fees, Sleiman has yet to get involved with the proposed parking garage to resolve the Landing drama, and Greyhound has expressed reservations about the location as it sits now.

I worry that counting these chickens before they're hatched is just going to get people excited, and then if they don't pan out, just dissapoint people again.

[thelakelander]

I don't think anyone is counting chickens before they hatch.  However, it is nice that revitalizing downtown has finally taken on a higher priority with this city.

[5PointsGuy]

Please, please, please. Get these things done. While the parking garage may not be the best thing, if it's done well, with shops on the bottom and potential growth on top, the revitalization of the transportation area, etc. Wow. This could change everything. We need to be in Mayor-Elect Brown's ear and the city councilors' ears.

[fieldafm]

While the parking garage may not be the best thing,

OR, you could argue that in a city with a million more pressing items and an even bigger hole in its wallet... why spend money on something that does not create value?

I agree with everything else.

Get these things done

Very well said.

[simms3]

We don't need a parking garage, especially there.  I think the most feasible thing would be to create a 4 story structure with some parking inside along with a courtyard, put some commercial space on the ground floor along Hogan with 2 story lofts on top and balconies.  Make it decorative brick to break up the blue glass and hark back to older buildings in Jacksonville.  Create a parking entrance point off of Water St between Suntrust and this little development.

There is a similar development in downtown Atlanta that I have a few pictures of.  I think what I am dreaming up should be much more iconic architecturally, but there is no way a tower is going up in Jacksonville right now.  Nashville's riverfront also has a dense collection of 2-4 floor brick buildings that bring far more activity there than towers ever can.





Speaking of tower, this is pretty confidential, but Novare is building 4-5 ~20 floor towers in different markets across the SE.  This is pretty much a done deal.  My company is arranging the financing.  Atlanta will host one down the street from me, and then 4 other SE cities will get one.  We can expect them to be the usual targets, though I confess I haven't looked into it yet.  I just know that each building will be the same except for slight skin changes to reflect the individual markets.  I wish Jacksonville were in the running to get one (I mean technically I haven't looked into it and we might just be, but FAT chance).

I'm sure besides Midtown Atlanta the choices are:

Buckhead
Downtown, Midtown, or the Gulch in Nashville.
Uptown Charlotte or possibly Dilworth.
Austin, TX downtown.
Raleigh downtown.
Tampa downtown or Westshore.

Those would be my guesses.

[Captain Zissou]

Please, please, please. Get these things done. While the parking garage may not be the best thing, if it's done well, with shops on the bottom and potential growth on top, the revitalization of the transportation area, etc. Wow. This could change everything. We need to be in Mayor-Elect Brown's ear and the city councilors' ears.

5pointsGuy,

Can you be our liaison to Jim Love? I hear you guys are close.

[tufsu1]

simms...Novare considered Jacksonville a few years back (when the market was better) and was strongly looking at the open lot on the river between the YMCA and Haskell...it was to be 50% hotel, 50% residential

[iMarvin]

I really have been happy with Jacksonville lately. It's been just so many positive things happening. This could be the beginning of Jacksonville becoming a GREAT place.

[Fallen Buckeye]

A parking garage would be fine right there IMO as long as there is space for ground level retail. The article seems to imply there would be. I mean there is a TON of space for towers to go elsewhere downtown when the market recovers. This garage makes downtown a more attractive place to do business. 'Nuff said.