Riverwalk to be fully completed

[Cheshire Cat]

The Jacksonville City Council, led by councilman Don Redman has voted to pony up the needed funds to complete the last 900ft of Riverwalk.  There is still however on sticking point.  The property owners who abut the project don't want the concrete RW or the noise to build it.  This means the city has to go around them and "replace" the walk with wood.  They have until tomorrow to finalize if it will be concrete or wood.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542775

The Southbank Riverwalk renovation won't stop 900 feet short of its current footprint after City Council voted Tuesday to spend an additional $2 million to finance the project.
The original shortage drew much criticism in recent weeks from members who wanted to know why the changes altering the scope of the $15 million project weren't brought to their attention sooner. With the additional funding, the project now will cost about $17 million to replace the 3,600-foot wooden boardwalk.

Yet, just before the unanimous 19-0 vote, there was still discussion about the need for changes.

This time it was council member Don Redman, whose district includes the project, urging colleagues to contact the CEO of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and urging him to allow the city to replace a section of boardwalk with concrete instead of wood.

The hotel section of boardwalk will be replaced with wood instead of concrete because the owners and city could not come to an agreement over the project. By law, the city can replace the current wooden structure with the same material in the same mold, but concrete would require consent from the property owner.

Public Works Director Jim Robinson told council that negotiations with the property owner would have to end May 9, when the city will have to give instructions as to whether go with wood or concrete.

Concrete would be more expensive and require a change order, but as council member Warren Jones said, would mean less maintenance long term. Council member Bill Bishop said it would likely end up as "another seven-figure change order."

Robinson said it's also in the interest of public safety for concrete over wood.

Council for weeks has been told the financing decision had to be made before May 1, when subcontractor prices set last October would effectively end — meaning the $17 million project could cost even more with new prices.

"It is time to get this done," council member Denise Lee said before the vote was taken. "The money is there."

Other notes from Tuesday's council meeting:

• Much of the night was dominated by discussion about a non-binding resolution regarding the use of civil citations instead of arrests on youths, with State Attorney Angela Corey and Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti on opposite ends of the issue. The crux of the disagreement tends to be the inclusion of battery within the resolution. Corey said her office diverts youths and some adults after they are arrested and plans to continue the non-arrest diversion methods "we have always done." Vitti said he's seen "good kids arrested for making dumb, dumb decisions" and urged for a way to address the issue without using the criminal justice system. Ultimately, council decided by a 10-7 vote to send the matter back to three committees, where further debate could be heard.

• Council approved spending close to $100,000 on renovating two floors of the Florida Theatre building to attract tenants, possibly geared toward the arts and education communities. The floors have been vacant and in disrepair for some time.

dchapman@baileypub.com

@writerchapman

[edjax]

I am sorry but allowing the Crown Plaza and that dump of a hotel of theirs to not allow the new concrete decking there is ridiculous. 

[simms3]

The property owners who abut the project don't want the concrete RW or the noise to build it.  This means the city has to go around them and "replace" the walk with wood.

Really weird...I guess with the Crowne Plaza, knowing a little bit about the awful hotel market in Jax, revenue per available room is low and occupancy is pretty squeezed there, but the GM should be able to talk to the asset management team under ownership's umbrella and explain to them that the situation is temporary and will only serve to boost numbers in the long run, if there is any effect.  Maybe there is a loan coming due and that is the concern...so yikes (with hotels a valuation can go from $80M to $50M in the course of a week...).

The noise I really can't understand, actually.  It's a downtown hotel - so I'm guessing most guests are business travelers who are in an office during the day anyway.  Are they planning on working round the clock to replace the riverwalk?  Even then, unless all of the guests live in Wichita and have never been to New York, Chicago, SF, or other big cities, they are used to city noises.   

My former company had a corporate agreement with the Gansevoort Meatpacking.  Anyone who knows the meatpacking district in Chelsea knows what I'm referring to.  The hotel usually supplies a lethal dose of Dreamwater to guests, bedside, each night, and noise cancelling headphones.  LoL.  $800+ a night to stay here...better to come for play than for business!!!

[Ocklawaha]

On that other council debate on the arrest of kids for doing stupid things, to wit one William Bonney. William was arrested for a teen prank; stealing a basket of laundry. The sheriff wanted to make an example of him and the end result was an equally stupid 5 year prison term. When they finally let the kid out, his age stuck with him, forever known as Billy the Kid.