Time to Demolish Former Courthouse Parking Lot?

[KenFSU]

$31 million Liberty Street project to take "a bite out of Downtown"

Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/02/17/31-million-liberty-street-project-to-delete-chunk.html

Love the project, but it's disappointing to hear that the design might not include much beyond just wrapping the riverwalk around the new inlet.

The renders look like it's literally just a hole:



That area is screaming for active use, but if the current is too strong for a natural water park or kayak launch, there's got to be a way to leverage it for passive use.

Pardon my MS Paint skills, but what about a pedestrian bridge overlooking a water feature?



Pedestrian bridge could be something handsome like this:



Or something suspensiony that evokes the Dames Point:



Or even something in line with the Southbank riverwalk:



And we've heard a lot about using light for placemaking along the river, what better way to do that than with a dramatic, lit water feature along the riverwalk? It provides symmetry with Friendship Park on the south bank, naturally beautifies the riverwalk, and I'd argue, makes the old courthouse site even more marketable to a potential developer.

It's gonna be such a unique feature, that big hole taken out of the northbank, we've gotta find a better way to leverage it than just leaving it as is. 

[Jim]

Monumentally wasted opportunity.

[jaxnyc79]

KenFSU's ideas look amazing.  There's definitely an opportunity for place-making that would make the surrounding properties a major draw. 

Can anyone opine on the chances that the old courthouse building might be demolished in the very near future, and the lot turned into a lightly landscaped green space while it awaits some sort of RFP.  Then perhaps the city falls in love with a sizable chunk of green space in the heart of downtown along the waterfront and decides to make it permanent.  Ultimately, we end up with this verdant, maybe lushly-landscaped amenity in the core of downtown?

[downtownbrown]

I wouldn't call it a "hole".  I would call it a vacuum.  And the vacuum will most likely be filled by whatever takes the place of the old courthouse.  I believe DIA was advocating for the Hyatt to make it a mini convention center.  Any developer worth his salt would move as much out into the water as he could.  The water is pretty shallow close to shore, so no reason not to build out a waterfront watering hole, etc.  Plus, good rumor is that Morton's is returning to the city, and going into the Hyatt.  Gets better and better...

[Gunnar]

$31 million Liberty Street project to take "a bite out of Downtown"

Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/02/17/31-million-liberty-street-project-to-delete-chunk.html

Love the project, but it's disappointing to hear that the design might not include much beyond just wrapping the riverwalk around the new inlet.

The renders look like it's literally just a hole:
...

That area is screaming for active use, but if the current is too strong for a natural water park or kayak launch, there's got to be a way to leverage it for passive use.

Pardon my MS Paint skills, but what about a pedestrian bridge overlooking a water feature?
...

Pedestrian bridge could be something handsome like this:

...

Or something suspensiony that evokes the Dames Point:

...

Or even something in line with the Southbank riverwalk:

...

And we've heard a lot about using light for placemaking along the river, what better way to do that than with a dramatic, lit water feature along the riverwalk? It provides symmetry with Friendship Park on the south bank, naturally beautifies the riverwalk, and I'd argue, makes the old courthouse site even more marketable to a potential developer.

It's gonna be such a unique feature, that big hole taken out of the northbank, we've gotta find a better way to leverage it than just leaving it as is.

Great idea ! Like it a lot.

[Adam White]

Good idea(s) Ken. I think a pedestrian/cycling bridge would be excellent.

[thelakelander]

Monumentally wasted opportunity.

I wouldn't get too upset about it. Everything Ken mentioned and more can still be added incrementally. However, some visioning needs to be happen on what type of activities (hopefully interactive) that should ultimately be included in that area.

[MusicMan]

Looking at the original proposal, it truly lacks any architectural quality or feature at all. NONE. So I understand Caldera's comment. Hard to believe a $31 million project is, as it stands, completely devoid of even one architectural  feature.

I like the pedestrian bridges, but if it's not part of the plan as it goes forward you'll never see it. Other 'priorities' will take it's place.

[thelakelander]

$31 million is a drop in the bucket for an infrastructure project. Take a look at the Overland Bridge project. That's closer to $300 million with no architectural features. The overpass at Atlantic and Kernan was close to $60 million with nothing special about it. They're essentially removing the failing deck over the river and rebuilding a portion of the Coastline Drive and Liberty Street bridges.

[MusicMan]

It looks like  a $31 million demolition project. The cost of "building anything" in this instance is what, 15% of the total? They're going to remove all the broken crap, and square off the opening, correct? His point is that it is completely without any attempt at creativity. With which I agree.

[thelakelander]

Roughly two blocks of bridges (Coastline Dr and Liberty Street) will be razed and replaced. In addition, the parking deck over the river will be demolished. Also, roughly a block of Market Street and Courthouse Drive will be rebuilt with a new riverwalk added.  It's less about creativity and more about cost effective functionality. With that said, this does not mean creativity can't be added.

[KenFSU]

Plus, good rumor is that Morton's is returning to the city, and going into the Hyatt.  Gets better and better...

[acme54321]

It looks like  a $31 million demolition project. The cost of "building anything" in this instance is what, 15% of the total? They're going to remove all the broken crap, and square off the opening, correct? His point is that it is completely without any attempt at creativity. With which I agree.

Like Lake said, they are replacing the Coastline and Market along the Hyatt.  I'm no civil engineer but the river is like 40' deep right off of Coastline and the current rips through there, so I would assume that replacing that bridge isn't that simple.

[Dapperdan]

Why not group the old courthouse into the demo as well? Get that land cleared to be more attractive for someone else.

[thelakelander]

^Seems like a separate project (also expensive) that would need to be funded with different funding sources, possibly delaying the immediate need to replace the failing bridges. I think it would be good for the city to make a decision on if they want to move the convention center to this area or not before possibly tossing millions to demo.  If someone else wants to do something with the site, perhaps a deal can be worked out where the city doesn't have to pay for demolition, freeing its limited funds to go somewhere else.