Courthouse design, another BMC building approved and a bar on the way

[thelakelander]

Courthouse Design Approved

One person who isn’t pleased with the way the Courthouse is designed is architect, City Council member and ex-officio DDRB member Bill Bishop. He attended the meeting even though, he said, “I realize I’m not a voting member.”

Bishop pointed out his comments were directed to the City, not the designers. He then said, “I believe we should go up, not out. This design uses too much land that could be sold to other developers.”

Bishop also said he thinks the end product will be “more of the same gray, fake classical stuff that’s already all over Downtown,” and added, “Considering the advances in Courthouse design I don’t think we have to settle for a cartoon version of classic design. This building would have been considered high-tech in 1935.”

Dave Schneider, the City’s project manager for the County Courthouse project, pointed out the appearance of the building as presented Thursday was approved in 2007 by the Courthouse Architectural Review Committee.

“I think when it’s a private sector project we shouldn’t have the authority to question the design but this is a public project,” said Bishop. “We’re building a monument that will be a prominent feature of Downtown for decades to come. I think we have an obligation to rise to a higher standard.”

After about an hour of discussion, the board voted to grant conceptual approval for the project.

A new bar at 119 E. Forsyth Street

Appollo Hospitality, LLC received a Waiver of Minimum Distance Requirements for a Liquor License Location at 119 E. Forsyth St. The as yet unnamed lounge is located across the street from the Florida Theatre

New Baptist Medical Office Building

Conceptual approval was granted for a four-story, 80,000 square-foot office building that will house doctors offices and clinical facilities. Located on part of an existing parking lot between Prudential Drive and Palm Avenue, the development will also include a pedestrian skyway linking the building with Baptist Hospital.

full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=50893

[RiversideGator]

Any renderings of the courthouse design?

[Jason]

Wow, the Baptist parking lot is finally being partially developed!!!  I wonder what the designs look like?!

I think its the same design as posted most recently.

[thelakelander]

The look of the courthouse hasn't changed.  I'll see if I can get a CD of the Baptist project and post here, next week.

[Jason]

For the Baptist building, at 20,000sf per floor that is not a substantial footprint (approx 175' x 120') but it will be nice to see something other than pavement on that huge lot.

[comncense]

Should I feel bad that I was only excited about the news of the bar? 

[jeh1980]

Now for the $350M question  . When exactly will we see the courthouse break ground? 

[fsujax]

December, I believe.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Build the D---! thing already.

[Matt]

I still think the courthouse design is stupid, but they are right about one thing: if the city ever does fill out around it, it will look pretty grand. Nice gathering place, for protests and what not... maybe some dictatorial speeches from the stairs... you know, the good old stuff!

Now if we can just get around the problem that filling out around such a building is extremely hard...

[thelakelander]

It will be a suburban eyesore and dead zone if they don't figure out how to include a courthouse square style plan for the wasted grounds immediately surrounding it.  For the life of me, I can't figure it out on why this important aspect continues to be ignored by our city.

[DetroitInJAX]

At least the Councilman is voicing the ideas of many of us on this board... build up, not out!

[JeffreyS]

This should have been completed long ago but it should continue to be delayed before building it as a campus.  The Federal courthouse gives us a great blueprint reduce the footprint.  It is like the city doesn't know about elevators and are afraid they will have to climb 12 flights of steps.

[jeh1980]

It will be a suburban eyesore and dead zone if they don't figure out how to include a courthouse square style plan for the wasted grounds immediately surrounding it.  For the life of me, I can't figure it out on why this important aspect continues to be ignored by our city.

A suburban eyesore? A dead zone?!? We all due respect, but doesn't that sound kind of ridiculous! I think that we just got to tell the city that the new courthouse needs a courthouse square style plan. The important aspects were ignored by the city because some of us might have not asked the city about what to do with the access land. I think the city knows what they're doing. No matter how they built that thing, it will not be an eyesore even if that courthouse design does look kind of suburban .

[thelakelander]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it.  With all due respect, it does not sound ridiculous and many have already told the city their concerns.  It's also silly to assume our leaders know what they are doing.  Our history has proven that this is a faulty assessment. 

Take a look at the flops over the years (in no particular order).

- A "suburban" community college campus that completely ignores its surroundings (just like the new courthouse plan).  Instead of having a campus laid out in a manner that opens up to the streets, bringing vibrant walkable life in that area, its considered no man's land between Downtown and Springfield.

- Being unable to make a decision on the convention center location - Another committee and study that failed.  Not being able to suggest a permanent location for the center leaves the transportation center plans and a few extra blocks in LaVilla in Limbo.

- Super Bowl failure - Many cities use the momentum and excitement of hosting something like the super bowl as a way to push community legacy projects forward.  In Salt Lake City and Houston, they took advantage of hosting big events to implement starter light rail lines.  Today, their communities have benefitted with billions of dollars in Transit Oriented Development.  In Detroit, they put up a state-of-the-art public square in the heart of downtown.  Now, despite losing over 1 million residents in the last 50 years, that area is as vibrant as it gets.  Now take a look at us.  All we ended up with was a few lighted bridges and poorly paved roads.  We blew a chance to get the skyway to the Sports District or get the Landing renovated and better integrated with downtown.

I could go on, but if you don't get the point after these examples, then you're not going to get it.  It can be argued that our current courthouse and police building on Bay Street are both eyesores with suburban designs that fail to stimulate as much business and life around them as they could, if more thought was given to how they interact with their surroundings.  We all should want the best for our community.  Accepting poor design and not trying to figure out how to get the most out of our public investment should be unacceptable.