Terry Lorrince. Alive and Well.

[stephendare]

The graceful and charming executive director of Downtown Vision is very much alive and well at the helm of the Downtown advocacy group.

Despite rumors of her untimely demise, she seemed positively chipper when I spoke with her this morning.

There was gossip of course.

Apparently the contractor who exercised the Lein against Cameron Kuhn is apparently shoppin the Barnett Building and the Laura Trio out for sale and actually has some lively interest in the buildings.

Now of course downtown this could mean anything, but apparently someone is doing SOMEthing in the general direction of these structures, which is a departure from Standard Operating Procedure downtown.

Also, the subject of Downtown right now appears to be the widespread displacements being caused by the city as its concentrates around Hemming Park and abandons buildings on the riverfront and in the Florida Theatre.

What will happen to all that space?

[thelakelander]

I'm hoping a convention center facility goes up on a portion of the old courthouse property.  Ted Pappas has a sketch of a 1960's style concrete plaza with an observation tower in the middle of it, in the latest Arbus Magazine edition.  I'll scan and post it, in about an hour.

[thelakelander]

[fsujax]

Thats a convention center?? It looks horrible...how much paved open space do we need Downtown??

[thelakelander]

I don't think its a convention center.  I assume its some sort of musuem or cultural facility with a large concrete plaza.  Btw, I just noticed the City Hall Annex site is paved with planes on it.

[Lunican]

The building looks like a toll booth.

[Driven1]

I don't think its a convention center.  I assume its some sort of musuem or cultural facility with a large concrete plaza.  Btw, I just noticed the City Hall Annex site is paved with planes on it.

i have been to Tiannamen Square and this looks WAY too close to that. 

[vicupstate]

Frankly, before passing judgement, this idea/design should be vetted by a committee of the potential users.  Take this to the Main Street Park and get some opinions from the homeless.   

Given the broad expanse of useless space, I think they might give it two thumbs up.  The lack of bushes to crap in, might get some criticism though. 

[zoo]

B L A A A A A A A A C H G K!

[Jason]

I don't have a problem with the space needle as that would be a great addition downtown.  If the Baystreet side of the lot were turned into a multi-function convention center with street level retail and a hotel then we'd have ourselves one helluva development.  Not sure how well it will work with the proposed Shipyards pier though.  Although, who knows if the Shipyards will ever get built.

[thelakelander]

The Shipyards riverwalk area is coming along.  I got the opportunity to see it from the air at the top of MODIS, this past weekend.  We'll have to get some images online.

[RiversideGator]

Truly ghastly.   

[Lunican]

It really is. I can't believe they even published this.

[thelakelander]

After seeing this come online two years ago, nothing in this town suprises me.

[Southbanker]

We need to be ripping up the concrete around the broken Friendship Fountain instead of adding more exposed concrete on the other side of the river.  How bout some grass?

And are they ever going to fix the fountain?