Music industry vet with film experience wants to buy Prime Osborn for $40M

[Anti redneck]

Nevertheless, if this guy has real investment and isn't asking the tax payers for money......let's welcome his venture.  40 million isn't enough for the Prime Osborne considering its potential pricelessness to Jacksonville as a transportation hub, however 40 million is a nice boost to our community.

Where does it say that he is asking for the taxpayers' money?

[Anti redneck]

Let him buy the current exhibition hall and leave the head house for the transportation center. We can't let Terminal go into private hands.

Talk about pipe dreams, the terminal coming back sounds like another one.

[wsansewjs]

If this guy gets the Jacksonville Terminal, Jacksonville can kiss its ass good bye and be screwed royally in the ass forever as the center would be transformed into this guy's wet dream of "Jollywood" (Jacksonville + Hollywood) where it never happens because there are no other Hollywood-related or even a dedicated film studios to stimulate an environment of that kind.

It is better suited to be the REAL and actual transportation center, not some half-assed idea of JTA's Regional Transportation Center. I would like to add that it is much CHEAPER to use Jacksonville Terminal as a transportation center than refit the entire building into this guy's wet dream and build a new convention center near old courthouse COMBINED.

-Josh

[thelakelander]

This whole project reeks of a night after hanging out with Rick James......



And when I'm feeling low,
She comes as no surprise.
Turns me on with her love.
Takes me to paradise.
Do you love me Mary Jane?
Yeah. Whoa-oh-oh.
Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?
Now do you think you love me Mary Jane.
Don't you play no games.

[Anti redneck]

Screw everyone who thinks the terminal should be brought back. The terminal is dead!! Listen to this guy's ideas for financing first.

[thelakelander]

Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream



"I'm gone, beatin my chest like King Kong / It's on, wrap my lips around a 40 / And when it comes to get another stogie / Fools all kick in like Shinobi."

I'll take this more serious when they show up with suitcases of cash like Marky Mark in the Italian Job.  In the meantime, I'll have some fun with it.

[Lucasjj]

No argument can be any better or more valid than one that includes lyrics from the Luniz.

[Anti redneck]

Well I'm just going to say this and I'll shut up about it. Yes, I agree there needs to be a good plan about money and financing. But if that comes into play, don't chase it away. Even if the terminal is a big deal, work with some other location. Does anyone see the transportation hub coming back into play? If so, work with the guy. But yes, there needs to be a good plan in place. Ok, I won't say anymore.

[thelakelander]

You'll need to keep the terminal in place because that's what the site was built for, that's the most efficient use of the space and best location for it given Jacksonville's infrastructure layout.  On the flip end, downtown is full of surface lots and we're talking about warehouses for movie studios.  If he's serious and has the cash, an alternative can be developed.

[Ocklawaha]

The Prime Osborn would be BEST utilized as a transportation hub connecting  Amtrak, the sky way, commuter rail, regional and local bus services.  The convention center would be best served in the old courthouse building near our city's greatest asset.....the St. Johns River.

This guy should consider the myriads of other vacant downtown properties i.e. Laura Street Trio, etc. for his studio's.  Perhaps even the Springfield warehouse district

The Prime Osborn should be for transportation

Do I hear an amen?

Honestly I'd rather preserve Laura Street Trio than the Prime Osborn.

It' s not an either/or question, they are both incredibly historic properties that have been abused and ignored far too long. Abused and Ignored Prime Osborn? You bet! Held up to the light of it's highly vaunted past, the PO screams failure in it's current role. The number one passenger train facility south of Washington DC deserves to be the gateway to our city once again.

Like I said in the other post, he's willing to pay $40 million for the old convention center. That should be more than enough to build a new convention center. If I was Mayor Brown, I would at least listen to what he has to say and find out what he's truly about. Honestly, I'd rather see something like this go in than a transportation hub. We already lost out in Disneyworld.

Radiator Springs Racers will be themed based on the world from Disney/Pixar's Cars. The attraction will be the most one of the most expensive attractions Disney has ever built, and one of the most expensive theme park attractions in the world at an estimated cost of over $200 million. Even if this guy had several times the amount of money claimed in his occasional press releases, do you really think a $40 million dollar "major movie attraction/studio" could compete? Marco Polo Park anyone?

Ok, jack the price up, then. Even if it were converted back into the transportation hub, you'd still be out of a convention center. My opinion, if this guy has the money, F#%K the transportation hub. These plans are way better!

So we would bulldoze the historic station and trade that stunning gateway for a bunch of empty movie sound stages? Um, I once worked at Dan Curtis Productions and Universal (real movie production facilities and on location shooting) and on a day to day basis a working studio is about as exciting as watching cotton grow.  20 hours on a California dirt road filming the same damn scene countless times for what amounted to about 2 seconds of film gets really old, REALLY FAST.

Talk about pipe dreams, the terminal coming back sounds like another one.

Actually, a large percentage of the people on these boards ARE the people that will make this happen. These are politicians and professional planners and consultants your discussing this with and the facts are the Jacksonville Terminal as a future transportation hub is both a official State and City project.

Screw everyone who thinks the terminal should be brought back. The terminal is dead!! Listen to this guy's ideas for financing first.

So Chicago should perhaps abandon O'Hare Airport? Maybe Atlanta should shutdown Hartsfield? How about New York City and Grand Central Terminal? Don't think rail and bus travel combined can have an effect in downtown Jacksonville? Everyone knows Chicago O'Hare Airport is the nation's busiest, handling some 182,942 passengers every day! Meanwhile Grand Central Station in New York handles 750,000 passengers daily! Not to say there are not many different factors in this comparison, just to point out a massive transportation hub in downtown Jacksonville might not be the dog you seem to think it is. About 225,479 people enter Florida daily.

Well I'm just going to say this and I'll shut up about it. Yes, I agree there needs to be a good plan about money and financing. But if that comes into play, don't chase it away. Even if the terminal is a big deal, work with some other location. Does anyone see the transportation hub coming back into play? If so, work with the guy. But yes, there needs to be a good plan in place. Ok, I won't say anymore.

Now your talking!

[duvaldude08]

You'll need to keep the terminal in place because that's what the site was built for, that's the most efficient use of the space and best location for it given Jacksonville's infrastructure layout.  On the flip end, downtown is full of surface lots and we're talking about warehouses for movie studios.  If he's serious and has the cash, an alternative can be developed.

Exactly! There is plenty of land downtown. Why build a studio and let the prime osborn be?

[Ralph W]

The old Norman Studio in Arlington was recently renovated (brought back from the dead) and is still toes up. 40 million, or a portion thereof, would go along way there and he could buy a couple of warehouses in Springfield or even build a new one at Cecil for the bigger stuff.

He could use the golf course at Cecil to bring in a remake of Caddyshack and utilize the bunkers in the woods for some spy thrillers.

[Timkin]

I wonder why his interest is in the terminal and not somewhere..say in Brooklyn?  Why the Train Station?   

I am okay with the guy bringing business to Jacksonville, but not at the expense of losing the Jacksonville Terminal forever.

I am with Ock and the masses  on this one.. The Jacksonville Terminal needs to be returned to what it once was.   Move the convention center where ever.. I don't really care on that , as long as it is out of the location it presently is in.  Return that complex to transportation.  That is what it was successfully for a long long time and returning it to that use, I think would make it even more successful today.

Jeez for the kind of Money this guy is looking to spend he could probably replicate a modern-day look-alike to the Terminal in a new-build anywhere in the proximity he is looking to locate.

He probably could get Annie Lytle School for next to nothing and for the kind of money he is looking to drop, buy several adjacent blocks in Brooklyn and accomplish the same thing.  I think Annie would make equally as interesting  Studio with a detached addition onto the back of the property.  Save a historic building and put it to good use. I have heard one of the proposals once before for it,  being used by an entertainment company in a similar scenario.  This is a prime opportunity.  Just a thought.

[cline]

Actually, a large percentage of the people on these boards ARE the people that will make this happen. These are politicians and professional planners and consultants your discussing this with and the facts are the Jacksonville Terminal as a future transportation hub is both a official State and City project.

While this is true, the bigger problem is JTA.  They are the roadblock.  Until Blaylock and is ilk are gone the terminal might very well be a pipe dream just like the movie studio is.

[John P]

Met that guy three years ago looking for investors. Hes an idea man but I hope he gets lucky.