A Southern Music Hall of Fame in Jacksonville?

[Ocklawaha]

I still like the Sax Restaurant as a location for almost any tourist dependent offering. While it's square footage might be smaller then Snyder, it would be an easy location to sell to tour groups. Within a couple of blocks of I-95, with entrance and exit ramps a stones throw away. The interior is unfurnished but complete, and the entire place is brand-new.
Pave the parking lot and do some landscape and signage and this would be an attractive building. The total square footage is between 6,030 and 7,764 depending on how it was finished out.

LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THIS BIRDS EYE IMAGE

[Charles Hunter]

Thanks. I know there is a tiny kitchen, I think in the NW corner - having done some soup kitchen work when it was still a church.  Still seems small for a museum.

As to Ock's Sax site - it does offer good expansion opportuinites.

[sheclown]

I would love to save an old structure and reuse it.

Hugh, what fills the space? 

We definitely need a "Jacksonville Heritage" portion --

[thelakelander]

Thanks. I know there is a tiny kitchen, I think in the NW corner - having done some soup kitchen work when it was still a church.  Still seems small for a museum.

As to Ock's Sax site - it does offer good expansion opportuinites.

Snyder Memorial

I'm not a fan of Sax.  That's one building and uncompleted parking lot, I'd like to see taken out and replaced by something more grand.  I may be a biased urbanist but it's too isolated from everything else (other than an interstate exit) for my liking.  Also, I can't imagine what amounts to a TGI Friday's stucco box becoming anything that attracts a large amount of people.  Seems like it would be something you visit once and never go back to again.

Part of me looks for spin off economic activities and synergy with things like this.  A Snyder has a Hemming Plaza/skyway station, surrounding businesses, etc. one can play and get innovative with.  The Armory has the chain of parks lining Hogans Creek and even Annie Lytle ties directly with Riverside Park and Five Points.  I also like Sheclown's position of utilizing an available or underutilized historic structure when possible.  Lord knows we have enough of them playing musical chairs with the city's demolition trigger finger.  The longer they sit, the better the chance that they'll go the way of the dinosaur.

These locations aside, two others I'd suggest would be the Florida Theatre and Seminole Club.  The Florida Theatre has like six or seven floors of space that can be gutted and better utilized.  Also, if the Snyder is too small at 12,000 square feet, the Seminole Club on the other side of Hemming offers 22,000 square feet of space with a fairly new elevator.

[Charles Hunter]

The Florida Theater seems a good option, too.  Lots of space above a beautiful theater.  The Seminole Club is an interesting option, although, if the HOF wants to serve alcohol, proximity to FBC would be a hindrance.

I was thinking, but didn't type, "one good thing" about the Sax site.  I agree, it would do nothing for downtown. 

[hughsimpson]

Yes I saw the photos supplied and even right now you could easily install the double sided DVD kiosks in that space creating what I call the Yellow Brick Road intertwining the history of the eight genres of music that originated in the South.

That being said I want to make it abundantly clear that my co-creator, Ron Rich, and I have past on the future vision and direction of the SMHF to Jacksonville. We created a concept and now it is time for the creatives of my hometown to bring it to completion!

I will certainly be there to share ideas that I have developed but the CREATION MUST OUTLIVE THE CREATORS!

[hughsimpson]

Just to clarify I was referring to interior shots of church and had not seen those of Sax, Florida Theater and Seminole Club. I understand that Florida Theater would not have ground level space. Do you think that would be mandatory in any scenario?

[thelakelander]

It could.  The Florida Theater has a ground level lobby with two elevators and a "grand stairwell", that is separate from the theater's main entrance.  There are also a couple of underutilized ground level storefronts adjacent to it.  You can see the entrance (behind the tree) in the image below:



You can't see much in this shot, but this was taken inside of it last year.

[hughsimpson]

Thanks, Lakelander for these photos of the grand old Florida Theater! Brings back wonderful memories:-)

Hugh

[SunKing]

What's the overall project budget?

[thelakelander]

Great question.

[sheclown]

What do we want in this project? 

[Debbie Thompson]

Looking at the info She Clown posted about the Armory, the lead/mold abatement number isn't as large as I thought it would be.  The City is working on a plan for Hogan's Creek now.  I wonder if, to gain an attraction such as this could be, they would throw sufficient incentives in to do the flood control, or do it themselves as they plan to do anyway.  With those two issues taken care of, the Armory would be ideal.  Such a grand building, on the Emerald Necklace, and a short walk to the Skyway. 

[hughsimpson]

The actual budget for renovation will have to be determined by you all in Jacksonville depending on the location. To actually build and equip the kioks and other cool displays could run $100,000 and up.

[sheclown]

What about 9th and Main as a starting point?  City owns it and is doing a rather poor job of maintaining it.  We could help in that regard.