Retail-less parking garage to receive final approval

[Noone]

The parking and the debt and guaranteed return given by the city for Metropolitan Parking Solutions and this new DIA along with the new legislation 2012-674 needs to be factored in evaluating any new parking related project.

[fieldafm]

The parking and the debt and guaranteed return given by the city for Metropolitan Parking Solutions and this new DIA along with the new legislation 2012-674 needs to be factored in evaluating any new parking related project.

Noone makes a good point.

How is the taxpayer assistance the City gave Metropolitan working out? 

Why then should taxpayers subsidize a poorly designed parking garage on prime real estate?

[dougskiles]

Why then should taxpayers subsidize a poorly designed parking garage on prime real estate?

I much prefer to see city money fund public infrastructure projects that are designed to create an environment attractive to business.  If we are going to incentivize private enterprise, it should be in the form of tax rebates upon performance (certain number of residential units created or high-paying jobs created).

[cline]

Why then should taxpayers subsidize a poorly designed parking garage on prime real estate?

I much prefer to see city money fund public infrastructure projects that are designed to create an environment attractive to business.  If we are going to incentivize private enterprise, it should be in the form of tax rebates upon performance (certain number of residential units created or high-paying jobs created).

Agreed.  We can't keep selling the farm up front.

[thelakelander]

This project breaks ground today:

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=541330

The $10 million, 607-space garage is expected to be completed by September 2014.

[fsujax]

Well, that should spark downtown. NOT!!!

[Tacachale]

A retail-less parking garage that doesn't serve the Landing, appending his name to already successful events, and continued pipe dreams of a downtown big box store. Add that to thoroughly botching the city's budget and surreptitiously torpedoing the Human Rights Ordinance. Mayor Brown Presents Downtown Jacksonville.

[thelakelander]

The garage isn't for the Landing. It's for the Suntrust Tower across the street.  With that said, it would have been great to consolidate all parking in the immediate vicinity into a larger structure since we're hell bent on doing this. At least, then, we'd free up several surface lots for infill.

[jcjohnpaint]

I have not seen an mention of it, but could the garage sustain more floors or structure in the future? 

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Why does Jacksonville contintue to allow zoning for parking garages without ground floor retail space? 

Ground floor retail space provides visual street life instead of a massive block long ugly parking structure that people feel unsafe walking past late at night and adds nothing to street level activity during the day.

[tufsu1]

Ground Floor retail space is planned with the garage....after uproar led to several design changes...now whether that retail gets occupied is a different story

[tufsu1]

A retail-less parking garage that doesn't serve the Landing,

it has retail spaces and will serve the Landing...Sleiman just doesn't get to control the revenue

[Tacachale]

Ok, great - retail added as an afterthought and it doesn't fulfill the city's obligation to the Landing.

[edjax]

Just a FYI.  According to article on Jax Biz Journal no retail until 60% occupancy.  Owner states only in the 50s now and would expect the retail to be added within 24 months upon the completion of the garage. 

[ricker]

I have not seen an mention of it, but could the garage sustain more floors or structure in the future?

^
This.