Laura Street Trio in Trouble? Updated status of six key Downtown projects

[oxman2016]

I wonder if the new (upcoming) city council would be more responsive to the project . . .

they won't be until the 800lb gorilla( being the 1.4 billion dollar deficet in the police/fireman pension fund) gets resolved. A lot of major downtown work is going to be on hold until this gets dealt with. The union leaders want their money for their retirement

[oxman2016]

Different responsibilities. If our port had the cash, it would be dredging the river instead of seeking cash from other sources.

it wouldn't be able to dredge the river because the Saint Johns River Keeper and the Sierra Club have sued to block it on grounds that it is bad for the environment.

[thelakelander]

^Sierra Club and River Keeper aside, there's still no funds available to pay the piper.

[heights unknown]

Tsk, tsk, tsk; what is happening to my Jacksonville. I thought we had got rid of the old "good ole boys" cronies who impeded and/or destroyed Jacksonville's potential and possibilities for the future...and then I hear (gossip?) this. Miami is looking like New York City, Tampa is beginning to stir once again, Orlando is also stirring, and Jacksonville seems to not be moving at all downtown for the exception of little rinky dink projects like bars, restaurants, street improvements, etc. I was really thinking about moving back to Jax because though it seems there's no significant projects on the line, it's still much better than when I was living there in the 70's, 80's and early 90's. I am now 58 years old, when I left Jax 21 years ago, there was nothing, I repeat NOTHING going on; yes, things are better than then...but when are we (Jax) going to reach the par of "world class" like Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, and even New York City; Jax's population, due to consolidation is illusory; and I guess the state of our downtown, and the way we handle things, are indicative of the small city mentality that we had before consolidation; heck, we sure are living up to it aren't we? Love Jax, always will, but I wish we'd just strip the consolidation thing, shrink back to our old city limits with maybe some annexed areas (new), and be the small city ranked 80th or so that we really are. And yes, things like this upset me and makes me mad; I just love Jax and it infuriates me when I see things like this.

Meh.  there is a way forward, and we are reaching toward it.

The Barnett Trio Project is still moving forward, theres just back stage stuff to get handled.  Thats all.

No amount of speculation or explanation about how things are done in other projects in other cities will change that.  Every deal is its own animal and works out its own path. 

The owners feel confident about the project, and that confidence, based on the conversations that Ive had, doesn't seem to be bravado.

There are projects in San Francisco and New York that take upwards of 15 years to get put together, regardless of all this smack talk about financiers deciding to build on the spot, the minute they have the cash.  They make movies and long running musical hits about it in fact (see "Rent").  If Toney Sleiman decides to build on suburban land that he already owns for something that is already zoned for that project, he works with the same lightning speed.

But Jville in its infinite wisdom, created layers and layers of process and control on any possible redevelopment downtown that makes any project take years.

As we have been saying on this site for ten years now, if the goddam 'redevelopment professionals' would just get out of the way, the Downtown would have already recovered, expanded and be in a healthy place.

Get out of the way, facilitate financing, give up some perception of controlling things, stop being dicks about it and let the market take over.

Thanks Stephen; I feel a tad better now but not by much. I agree whole heartedly with you and I too wish they'd (redev pro's) would just get out of the way. Thanks Stephen for a "sigh" of relief (somewhat). I Hope it all works out. Sad thing is, I grew up in Jax in the 60's; and I remember a hustling, bustling, New York type of fanfare and atmosphere downtown. A lot of you in this forum were hardly born back then and mostly know, or remember a dead, unalive downtown. I know we may never regain that overall in our downtown (vibrancy and shear life), but we can make noise and create a lot of interest relative to quality of life and residential living that will make DT Jax vibrant and alive again...and the Laura Trio can certainly help (and other developments on the proposal or drawing boards). Thanks again Stephen.

[vicupstate]

Everyone is saying that the city needs to get out of the way, but it seems that incentives are required or at least always requested in any deal, even the small ones. Therefore, the city is going to be 'in the way'.  I agree that the process for incentives could be streamlined and better defined, but if someone wanted to do a project without incentives, are they really that hindered by the city?  Isn't it more that the incentives are required to make the deals work, and the city simply doesn't have the money, but is too timid to actually state as much?   

[Tacachale]

^More or less. There are many areas the city can streamline or simply get out of the way (signage ordinance, sidewalk tables, DDRB review, permitting). But this is a case where the project wants city incentives to move forward. However, the city doesn't have the money available because of its debt, ridiculous budget issues, and its tendency to lose track of tens of millions of dollars at a clip. Not to say the city *couldn't* have the money, but they'd need someone who was going to make real decisions in charge.

[simms3]

^^^Or anywhere.

[camarocane]

Not to add to anymore speculation so I will say this is merely conjecture right now... BUT I overheard at One Spark the wheels on this project will begin turning this week in some capacity. What that is, what that means, I do not know. Permitting maybe? Anyone else have some more insight on this? Don't mean to stir the pot with misinformation if it is, just curious.

[edjax]

Not to add to anymore speculation so I will say this is merely conjecture right now... BUT I overheard at One Spark the wheels on this project will begin turning this week in some capacity. What that is, what that means, I do not know. Permitting maybe? Anyone else have some more insight on this? Don't mean to stir the pot with misinformation if it is, just curious.

Sure it wasn't a homeless person trolling you?

[Awlloyd7]

I also heard from a shop owner on Bay that she heard the Laura Street Trio will be "moving forward soon."

[acme54321]

Probably conveniently before the mayor election

[camarocane]

Sure it wasn't a homeless person trolling you?

If it makes you feel better, yes. I'm sure it wasn't a hobo that mentioned it. 

[thelakelander]

I doubt anything moves forward without a COJ commitment on funding. So far, that hasn't materialized.....at least publicly.

[edjax]

Sure it wasn't a homeless person trolling you?

If it makes you feel better, yes. I'm sure it wasn't a hobo that mentioned it. 

Wow, soooo sensitive.

[edjax]

Sure it wasn't a homeless person trolling you?

If it makes you feel better, yes. I'm sure it wasn't a hobo that mentioned it. 

Wow, soooo sensitive.