Laura Street Improvements unveiled

[Pavers]

Ennis and crew, your thoughts on the following article, re: Laura Street corridor, from today's Daily Record?

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=50526

07/30/2008

by Max Marbut

Staff Writer

“Downtown employees and visitors currently have no focal-point corridor,” said Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Deputy Executive Director Paul Crawford Tuesday when he met with a group of tenants at Independent Square. “Laura Street is going to be that corridor.”

Crawford was unveiling a comprehensive conceptual design that will change not only how Laura Street from the Landing to Hemming Plaza looks, but also how it functions.

Beginning at the south end in front of the Landing, a traffic roundabout will be built that will set up two-way traffic on a more pedestrian-friendly Laura Street. Plans include relocating the Andrew Jackson statue from the northwest corner of the Landing to a pedestal in the center of the new roundabout.

Also included in the concept for that block is, “enhancing the corners of the Modis Building with planters and adding shade trees,” said Crawford.

He also described what he called “portals,” wrought-iron arches supported by columns, one at the south end of Laura Street and another on the north end of the designated area at Hemming Plaza.

“These are typical of what you see at major corridors in other cities,” said Crawford.

Another aspect of the design is narrowing Laura Street, possibly to minimum standards, in order to encourage pedestrian traffic and slow down vehicular traffic. Roundabouts have been shown to reduce vehicle speeds to 20 miles per hour or less while making navigation more convenient through the elimination of traffic signals.

“Our goal is to make the tenants along Laura Street more successful by making the corridor more walkable,” said Crawford.

The design also takes into account the traffic signal control boxes that must remain in place, but that will have a higher function when the corridor is compete. Roofs will be installed on the boxes and they will be clad to create a location for wayfaring signage and even restaurant menus and coupons.

“We’re going to dress them up and it’s a way to give the retail community the tools they need to succeed,” said Crawford.

The entire four-block corridor will be improved and ready for retail tenants when the project is complete, including the block that includes the old Barnett Bank Building and the Marble Bank Trio. Despite both properties being currently in receivership, Crawford said now is the best time to improve the infrastructure along the sidewalks in anticipation of the day when street-level retail will be part of the next phase of the buildings’ future.

“We can put the infrastructure in while the economy is slow so the buildings will be ready for retail,” said Crawford. “The investment in Downtown has been needed for some time.”

Reaction from the Independent Square tenants who attended the presentation was positive, including from the building’s ownership represented by Eola Capital Asset Manager Caryn Carreiro, who said she’s confident Eola and the City can work around any issues that involve the property’s underground parking garage. It’s entrance is on Laura Street.

“We’ve dealt with street closures for special events before,” she said, adding, “we think this is a way to attract more retail (tenants) to the first floor. It’s an amenity that can attract more tenants to the building.”

Mary Wagman, KPMG office manager, also doubts the construction will create any major problems for the building’s tenants.

“If we can deal with fireworks and the Florida-Georgia game, we can handle anything,” she said.

Wagman, who said she has worked Downtown for 25 years and remembers when it was much more vibrant than it is today, also said of the concept for Laura Street, “I think this could bring that back.”

As for the construction timetable, Crawford said the engineering phase of the project could be complete by March 2009 and construction could begin as early as June.

[RiversideGator]

Great ideas!  I have been thinking for many years that the Jackson statue should be in a better position on a more prominent pedestal in a square of some sort.  Having it in the middle of a nice roundabout would be a good place for it IMO.

[vicupstate]

Overall it sounds good.  I am not getting a mental picture on the roundabout though.   

[thelakelander]

We posted some renderings of it a few months back.  Let me see if I can dig them up.

[thelakelander]

Here are some conceptual sketches of the improvements from a few months back

Lighting Laura Lives
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/790/119/

[thelakelander]

Ennis and crew, your thoughts on the following article, re: Laura Street corridor, from today's Daily Record?

I'm just reading the article.  Imo, its great to see that some of the things we've heavily lobbied for over the past few years are being incorporated into the city's plans for the urban core.

[heights unknown]

It's about time someone around here gets creative; Laura Street is the perfect central "street corridor;"  great choice!  Hope they do it right!  Hopefully it will draw retail and more commercialism into downtown.

Height Unknown

[02roadking]

I'm not sure if there is enough room for a fuctional roundabout there. It may be more like a Springfield rotary. Most folks don't know how to use those yet. Moving forward with this is a good thing. I would like to see them really light the corridor up more rather than build that archway stuff. Sounds kinda gimmicky, unless there was something to visit other than Chamblins, MOCA, Library or La Cena at night.

[Jason]

I'm most impressed with the idea to dress up the traffic signal boxes and turn them into way-finding signs.  Brilliant idea.

[Duke]

Not to be such a pessimist, but what sets this one apart from all the other "ideas" that have been presented but have never come into fruition.  Don't get me wrong, I think this is great and exactly what this area needs so I'm really pulling for this one, but I'll believe it when I see it. 

[thelakelander]

Nothing, except for what its worth, we can vow to say on top of it to make sure it doesn't fall through the cracks.

[Captain Zissou]

To me, this seems like it has a little more staying power than the hot dog carts of old.  It seems thought out, realistic, and just better than previous plans have been.  My only concern is that above a certain amount of usage, roundabouts can really cause traffic to stall.  I just hope sufficient planning will be done to prevent a bottleneck.

[Doctor_K]

Wouldn't the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Laura and Water effectively kill the Water St. streetcar idea from another thread?  

Since we're dreaming big here, I'll dream about that idea again  

[BridgeTroll]

  My only concern is that above a certain amount of usage, roundabouts can really cause traffic to stall.  I just hope sufficient planning will be done to prevent a bottleneck.

The only way to prevent mass mayhem is to force all residents of Duval, Clay, St Johns, and Nassau counties to a roundabout school... (Didnt Yes have a song about that...?)

[blizz01]

I think it looks pretty slick.  Are there still plans to cut a swath in the middle of The Landing (to provide a view of the river)?  Now I really want that weekend Farmer's Market there.........The article indicates that the Jackson statue would be placed on a pedestal - although hidden on the side of the Landing now, isn't it already?