A New Look for Avondale's St. Johns Village Project

[thelakelander]

The JBJ's Ashley Gurbal Kritzer noticed the difference between the San Marco meeting and others like the Commander....

San Marco embraces Publix deal, unlike infill opposition elsewhere

...Another of Jacksonville's historic urban neighborhoods, Avondale, has a track record of fighting commercial development. Most recently, a retail-and-apartment redevelopment of the St. Johns Village project on Fishweir Creek has gone through six months of negotiations with residents, and historic preservation activist Wayne Wood was recently quoted in the Florida Times-Union as describing the project as "monstrous."

Avondale's ire over a Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers at the corner of Ingleside and St. Johns avenues delayed that project by more than a year.

But the opposition goes beyond the city's historic neighborhoods.
In mid-2012, a proposal to build a Chick-Fil-A in Mandarin at the southwest corner of San Jose Boulevard and Oak Bluff Lane was ultimately defeated by public opposition.

full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/10/11/san-marcos-response-to-infill-publix.html?page=2

[Cheshire Cat]

Yes, the difference in attitude is pretty clear.  This NIMBY business and claims of "scale" etc because a few folks don't like change or feel threatened by it is foolish.  What amazes me most is that simply because Wayne Wood doesn't approve of the scale he honestly believes his take on project scale and design should be forced on the developer and the entire community of Avondale.  Amazing really.  God bless him, he has done plenty of good things for Jacksonville, I surely won't deny that but in this case as in the recent MM case with WLA, the few naysayers don't get to speak for the many as much as they feel entitled to do so.  This cantankerous no, no, no over this that or the other thing is really too much.  Especially when what is being proposed has been accepted in the neighborhood before (like outside dining for MM) or this scale business regarding the St. Johns Village.  What is being proposed is shorter than the current apt building and better looking as well as within zoning requirements not to mention the improvements in the retail portion. It's just a bunch of bellyaching in the face of positive change and it needs to stop. I am sure fed up with it. Wayne can huff and puff all he want's but his view is a single view and in this case he is wanting his view of Avondale to be the standard for everyone else.  It's a bit arrogant in my view.  No, let me restate.  It's a lot arrogant and reflects badly on Avondale. 

[mtraininjax]

It's just a bunch of bellyaching in the face of positive change and it needs to stop. I am sure fed up with it. Wayne can huff and puff all he want's but his view is a single view and in this case he is wanting his view of Avondale to be the standard for everyone else.  It's a bit arrogant in my view.  No, let me restate.  It's a lot arrogant and reflects badly on Avondale.

+1

Diane - Well said!

[icarus]

Yes, the difference in attitude is pretty clear.  This NIMBY business and claims of "scale" etc because a few folks don't like change or feel threatened by it is foolish.  What amazes me most is that simply because Wayne Wood doesn't approve of the scale he honestly believes his take on project scale and design should be forced on the developer and the entire community of Avondale.  Amazing really.  God bless him, he has done plenty of good things for Jacksonville, I surely won't deny that but in this case as in the recent MM case with WLA, the few naysayers don't get to speak for the many as much as they feel entitled to do so.  This cantankerous no, no, no over this that or the other thing is really too much.  Especially when what is being proposed has been accepted in the neighborhood before (like outside dining for MM) or this scale business regarding the St. Johns Village.  What is being proposed is shorter than the current apt building and better looking as well as within zoning requirements not to mention the improvements in the retail portion. It's just a bunch of bellyaching in the face of positive change and it needs to stop. I am sure fed up with it. Wayne can huff and puff all he want's but his view is a single view and in this case he is wanting his view of Avondale to be the standard for everyone else.  It's a bit arrogant in my view.  No, let me restate.  It's a lot arrogant and reflects badly on Avondale.

Very well written .. +1,000

[jcjohnpaint]

Very well said.  I am a new resident of Avondale, so this is good stuff to know. 

[grimss]

Moving this up the food chain, because I (belatedly) realized I posted this on the wrong thread:

At Planning Commission today, the project was approved with multiple conditions, including an increased parking requirement and an obligation to put $800K into an escrow account for dredging.

The next hearing will be before the Land Use & Zoning Commission. The project, as presently approved, includes 260 apartments (178 residential units on the Commander parcel, 82 units on the SJV--Loop parcel) and 10,000 s.f. commercial (including a 200-seat restaurant). Most recent plans are reviewable at http://commander-rezoning.com.