DVI Board strikes down Food Trucks!

[brainstormer]

While the annex isn't the most beautiful of buildings, I would kind of like to see it re-purposed.  Wouldn't it be nice to infuse new residents with more affordable rents into that area of downtown.  Close to restaurants, bars, the Landing, and many office jobs.  If we do build a new convention center, would it absolutely require tearing down the annex building?  Just a thought.

[thelakelander]

^Probably not.  It's a perfect structure for market rate residential with ground level retail/entertainment use.  My fear with this push to demolish these buildings before fully financially committing to a redevelopment of the site is that they'll end up looking like the rest of downtown.  A bombed out hole that can't generate the necessary foot traffic or market rate development because of a lack of existing building fabric to produce uses needed for these activities.  After all, most of downtown's surface parking lots are the sites of redevelopment projects that failed to materialize.  Unfortunately, we continue to overlook our mistakes and end up repeating them.

[Ocklawaha]

You guys are nuts to support these food trucks, don't you realize that the next thing someone is going to do is install a pool table in a pub? Naked 8 balls rolling all over the place... Damn!

I think we should all put on roller skates and carry fishing poles and have a mass meeting on the Riverwalk in front of the landing. If we have enough men we could storm the ramparts...

Meanwhile in downtown, I'm afraid it is business as usual, "Back to the Berghof!"

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^Probably not.  It's a perfect structure for market rate residential with ground level retail/entertainment use.  My fear with this push to demolish these buildings before fully financially committing to a redevelopment of the site is that they'll end up looking like the rest of downtown.  A bombed out hole that can't generate the necessary foot traffic or market rate development because of a lack of existing building fabric to produce uses needed for these activities.  After all, most of downtown's surface parking lots are the sites of redevelopment projects that failed to materialize.  Unfortunately, we continue to overlook our mistakes and end up repeating them.

Do they not realize that no matter the amount of dynamite you place in the building, you still have to remove the foundation?  How many stories is the annex, 10, 12?  That means there's probably piers extending down approx 30 feet into the ground or until they a solid bedrock.  That's a lot of digging and refilling before you can justify building anything else.

[Noone]

Good example of why downtown has struggled and will continue to do so, despite the amount of cash thrown its way.  More over regulation instead of properly researching pros and cons before decision making and continued demolition of building fabric without a viable funded redevelopment plan.

Also ignoring studies and recommendations of experts who we invite to our city and ask for help then flat out ignore their advice. Legislative protectionism.

[thelakelander]

^Probably not.  It's a perfect structure for market rate residential with ground level retail/entertainment use.  My fear with this push to demolish these buildings before fully financially committing to a redevelopment of the site is that they'll end up looking like the rest of downtown.  A bombed out hole that can't generate the necessary foot traffic or market rate development because of a lack of existing building fabric to produce uses needed for these activities.  After all, most of downtown's surface parking lots are the sites of redevelopment projects that failed to materialize.  Unfortunately, we continue to overlook our mistakes and end up repeating them.

Do they not realize that no matter the amount of dynamite you place in the building, you still have to remove the foundation?  How many stories is the annex, 10, 12?  That means there's probably piers extending down approx 30 feet into the ground or until they a solid bedrock.  That's a lot of digging and refilling before you can justify building anything else.

Probably not and I really don't think many care or have the professional background in urban planning to make many of the decisions they do.  There's no other way to explain the failure that the Northbank has become after decades of "revitalization" by demolition without anything resembling a viable plan.

[Bativac]

"In other action, the board approved a position to advocate for the demolition of the Duval County Courthouse and Courthouse Annex along East Bay Street after the buildings become vacant. In their place, the board supported the development of a landscaped public greenâ€"space without fences."

You gotta be kidding me.

At least if I'm downtown after 11 PM I might be able to get a taco from a van or something. Because allowing a business to sell something only around midnight and maybe at special events is a good incentive for the would-be entrepeneur.

[thelakelander]

In their place, the board supported the development of a landscaped public greenâ€"space without fences."

Landscaped public green space without fences overlooking a two block blighted concrete parking lot over the river.  The other block will give you a prime view of the blank walls on the back of the Hyatt hotel.  Yeah, that's a winner that will get people to come down there.  You want to see what this will look like?  Go two blocks down and count all of the people hanging out at the Shipyards site.

[simms3]

You know what it is?  They are protecting their "tax base."  It has gotten so bad downtown that their tax base consists of a dozen sandwich shops and convenience stores, half chain half local.  Wow.

[drhandbook]

In their place, the board supported the development of a landscaped public greenâ€"space without fences."

Landscaped public green space without fences overlooking a two block blighted concrete parking lot over the river.  The other block will give you a prime view of the blank walls on the back of the Hyatt hotel.  Yeah, that's a winner that will get people to come down there.  You want to see what this will look like?  Go two blocks down and count all of the people hanging out at the Shipyards site.

+1

[mtraininjax]

Do they not realize that no matter the amount of dynamite you place in the building, you still have to remove the foundation?  How many stories is the annex, 10, 12?  That means there's probably piers extending down approx 30 feet into the ground or until they a solid bedrock.  That's a lot of digging and refilling before you can justify building anything else.

Demo the old Courthouse on Day 1, Then Demo the Annex on Day 2 and have it land on top of the Courthouse, makes it easier to clean-up one mess rather than 2.

Annex is full of asbestos, it would have to become a JEA special to be reused. It is a dump.