Barnett/Laura Trio Redevelopment to be announced

[jcjohnpaint]

Well it seems the Laura St Trio is in a much more fragile state and must be moved on now.  Does this give it precedence in consideration of tapping historical fund money? 

[iMarvin]

I really hope these 2 projects come true. I love the Barnett. It's like a mini NY skyscraper and just looks good. The Trio needs to hurry up. Those two hi-rises look like they could fall at anytime now.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I really hope these 2 projects come true. I love the Barnett. It's like a mini NY skyscraper and just looks good. The Trio needs to hurry up. Those two hi-rises look like they could fall at anytime now.

The Barnett was designed by Mowbray & Uffinger, NY-based architects who specialized in bank buildings.

[iMarvin]

I really hope these 2 projects come true. I love the Barnett. It's like a mini NY skyscraper and just looks good. The Trio needs to hurry up. Those two hi-rises look like they could fall at anytime now.

The Barnett was designed by Mowbray & Uffinger, NY-based architects who specialized in bank buildings.

Ooohhh, no wonder it reminds me of NY.

[MusicMan]

Just imagine if our empty headed governor had proposed to use the HighSpeedRail Money ($2 BILLION +) for supplementing these types of public/private partnerships, the state of Florida (and Jacksonville in particular) would
be a fertile ground for a virtually unlimited number of these projects..statewide!!

[thelakelander]

^The HSR money could only be used on HSR.  If we would have accepted it, it would have built HSR in our state.  Since we didn't, it's going to build HSR mainly in CA, NY and the Midwest.

[jcjohnpaint]

hence empty headed governor

[duvaldude08]

This is getting better and better. If the developers can lease space in the nearby parking garage for valet parking, MARRIOT CORPS stated they would operate the hotel. This project has taken a year to form, but it was worth the wait. Everything that is being asked (including the incentives) are doable. Man Im excited. 

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2011-06-22

[ChriswUfGator]

I suspect Marriott is probably banking on the proposed new Convention-Doggle going through, in making that offer. I wouldn't hold my breath for anyone to spend any real money on anything, until those redevelopment plans are solidified. And no doubt they will be, unfortunately for the taxpayers of Duval County.

[duvaldude08]

I suspect Marriott is probably banking on the proposed new Convention-Doggle going through, in making that offer. I wouldn't hold my breath for them spending any real money on anything, until those plans are solidified. And no doubt they will be, unfortunately for the taxpayers of Duval County.

Well that wouldnt make sense. If they didnt have the intent on actually doing it, it would not have not been stated. If that was the case the article would have read that if we lease spaces to the developers AND build a new the new convention-doogle, the Marriot would operate the hotel.

[Clem1029]

I suspect Marriott is probably banking on the proposed new Convention-Doggle going through, in making that offer. I wouldn't hold my breath for anyone to spend any real money on anything, until those redevelopment plans are solidified. And no doubt they will be, unfortunately for the taxpayers of Duval County.

It all depends on what type of hotel Marriott would turn it into, and what type of hotel the city would want downtown. They could probably manage to make it one of their higher-end urban Courtyards and go in there today without the convention center mattering a whole lot. However, if the desire is for a full-service Marriott (or even a Renaissance given the potential historical nature of the building), then yeah, there's going to have to be some serious guarantees (or, if not guarantees, then strong implications) of a whole lot more visitor traffic coming through downtown in one way or another.

[duvaldude08]

I suspect Marriott is probably banking on the proposed new Convention-Doggle going through, in making that offer. I wouldn't hold my breath for anyone to spend any real money on anything, until those redevelopment plans are solidified. And no doubt they will be, unfortunately for the taxpayers of Duval County.

It all depends on what type of hotel Marriott would turn it into, and what type of hotel the city would want downtown. They could probably manage to make it one of their higher-end urban Courtyards and go in there today without the convention center mattering a whole lot. However, if the desire is for a full-service Marriott (or even a Renaissance given the potential historical nature of the building), then yeah, there's going to have to be some serious guarantees (or, if not guarantees, then strong implications) of a whole lot more visitor traffic coming through downtown in one way or another.

Well from the what the developers stated, they are only asking for valet parking. Thats it. But we will see how "true" this is and what actually happens. I think they developers would know a little more than we would though. But of course in typical Duval fashion we have to put the conspriacy theory on anything thats sounds promising. 

[Clem1029]

Well from the what the developers stated, they are only asking for valet parking. Thats it. But we will see how "true" this is and what actually happens. I think they developers would know a little more than we would though. But of course in typical Duval fashion we have to put the conspriacy theory on anything thats sounds promising. 

Please don't get me wrong...I'm not saying there's a conspiracy theory here. I'm simply looking at it from Marriott's side. If they're going to put a hotel downtown, some of their brands make more sense than others depending on the given economics. A Courtyard or Springhill are going to have completely different expectations for success than a full service Marriott or Renaissance.

For example, a Courtyard downtown could probably be successful just picking off the low-hanging meeting fruit from the Omni or Hyatt (events for up to 100 people, not requiring all the "ballroom" style bells and whistles, at a competitive price point), and then pick up some overflow for some of the bigger events at the other two hotels.

A full service Marriott or Renaissance, on the other hand, is going to be competing in the exact same event space as Omni and Hyatt. Is there enough of that to go around today that would keep all 3 players happy? I think you'd be hard pressed to answer "yes" with the state downtown is in today. So to pull the trigger on a full-service hotel, there would have to be some expectations laid out that business and event traffic will significantly increase downtown. It might be in the form of a new convention center. It might be in certain policies that the city is saying their going to pursue. But one way or another, there would have to be an expectation of a significant increase.

I think it's awesome Marriott wants to get downtown. I just think there needs to be some tempered expectations over what type goes in...I can't put my finger on it, but I get the feeling that a Courtyard in that space would be very disappointing to a lot of folks around here.

[JHAT76]

A Courtyard downtown can be very nice especially when attached to other development.  Here is the Courtyard in downtown Louisville. 

http://www.louisvillecourtyardhotel.com/

[tufsu1]

there was a plan to build a Courtyard by Marriott on the 200 Riverside site...but that project is on life support, so maybe Marriott decided downtown would work well instead