Mayor taking proactive stance on downtown development

[thelakelander]

So this year's budget is year one of a plan to invest $1.2 billion into 223 projects over the next five years....

Mayor Lenny Curry's proposed 2017-18 budget includes a major Downtown project — demolition of the old City Hall and Duval County Courthouse along East Bay Street.

His capital improvement plan includes $8 million to demolish the buildings, with another $8 million for the continued remediation of the Liberty Street and the Coastline Drive parking deck near the structures.

"If we are going to attract private dollars Downtown, we must prepare Downtown for private investment," Curry said Monday as he presented the budget to City Council.

In the past, ideas surfaced for a new convention center on the property as well as a public park or other private investment.
Curry said while there are no plans for the sites, demolishing the structures is more "about demonstrating that we're action-oriented, that we're not going to sit around and talk about it."

"When you have old, dilapidated buildings Downtown, what does that say to private investors? It says the city's not serious," he said.

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/photo-gallery/the-jacksonville-budget-mayor-taking-proactive-stance-on-development

[FlaBoy]

There is no proposed change in the millage rate. Curry intends to set aside $150.5 million for this year's share of his proposed five-year capital improvement plan, a $1.2 billion investment strategy that includes 223 ongoing or updated projects.  Of that, $46.7 million would be paid for with available cash and grants and the remaining $103.7 million would be financed by debt. For 2017-18, Curry wants to begin work on 103 projects, including the $16 million to take down the old government buildings and repair the waterfront. He said another attraction to recruit private investment is to spend city money on infrastructure like roads, bridges and sidewalks. 

I like the Mayor's "get it done" mentality, but that statement is simply a re-hashing of the same old mistakes of the past...and unless there is a concrete plan on the table, let's done just go demolishing buildings...especially that Annex.

[Tacachale]

^Yeah, it would be a real shame to lose that building without a firm plan for something to replace it. We wouldn't get that level of density again for a long time.

[Jim]

Have a plan to replace before you repeal, err..., uh demolish.

[thelakelander]

It appears Detroit's sugar daddy Dan Gilbert thinks adaptive reuse is an economically viable option there.  Here's a few pictures from earlier this summer:














Back in 2006



Many of the revitalized buildings on Woodward Avenue were abandoned back when this 2006 streetscape aerial was taken.

I believe and I'm hopeful Curry's administration has something up their sleeve that will be funded in the next four years of his plan. If not, spending $8 million to demolish without considering adaptive reuse is a questionable exercise.

[Gunnar]

How is that not exactly the same thing that was done the last 30 years - raze much of downtown and adjacent to "prepare it for development" ?  Yeah, that's worked great so far....

[jaxnyc79]

If the buildings must be demolished, would it be possible to cheaply convert the area into publicly-accessible green space until a private developer becomes interested?  That way, we have a nice green asset with ample waterfront views until something else comes along? 

[thelakelander]

^I believe the plan is to sod it the way the Shipyards is sodded now.  Other than parking for Jags games, there's not much of the public taking advantage of all that green space two blocks east.  I doubt there will be much difference here. I just find it difficult to believe there's not something else coming down the pipeline that will be revealed at a later date.

[FlaBoy]

^I believe the plan is to sod it the way the Shipyards is sodded now.  Other than parking for Jags games, there's not much of the public taking advantage of all that green space two blocks east.  I doubt there will be much difference here. I just find it difficult to believe there's not something else coming down the pipeline that will be revealed at a later date.

It is a convention center without a doubt. That is what most of the stakeholders including Mousa and Delaney have pointed to. However, it is frustrating hearing those words come out of the Mayor's mouth.

[KenFSU]

The more I read about this, the less it makes sense.

In what universe are the old Courthouse and Annex discouraging private development and "dilapidated" to the point that we need to prioritize $8 million in capital spending to bring them down?

If the plan was to bring down the buildings and build a new convention center, I would get it. But I'm not convinced at all that this is the end game. All of Curry's talk involves getting the property ready for private investment and development. Curry doesn't mince words, and if his vision for the space is a convention center, I think we'd know about it already.

Curry has also mentioned returning the property to greenspace while we figure out what to do with it.

Can you imagine? Undeveloped riverfront property stretching from the old courthouse site all the way down to Metro Park, with only 1.5 Berkmans in between.

I'd also argue that Jacksonville has a lot of riverfront development aspirations already between the Shipyards and the District, and historically, supply of prime downtown real estate has outstripped demand. Why would we rush to flood the market with even more riverfront property?

I can almost imagine a cartoonish scenario where we level the old Courthouse, Annex, and Berkman 2, and then re-issue an RFP for everything between the Hyatt and Metro Park. Hell, maybe we'll bulldoze the Landing for greenspace like the T-U advocates and solicit bids for the entire fucking riverfront.

Unless this paves the way for a game-changing convention center, it's prioritizing a problem that isn't really a problem, and needlessly wiping out potential assets.

Imagine how much good that $8 million could go for fixing legitimate problems, like transforming Hemming back into a signature public space, or improving the Landing, or starting remediation work at the Shipyards, or rebuilding the historic preservation fund, or expanding the MOSH, or incentivizing completion of the Berkman, or whatever.

Just feels like a lot of mid-sized ad hoc ideas for downtown transformation that don't necessarily align to a bigger-picture plan.

[vicupstate]

The article clearly states there is NO PLAN for the site.

Curry said while there are no plans for the sites, demolishing the structures is more "about demonstrating that we're action-oriented, that we're not going to sit around and talk about it."

They are following the LaVilla model of 'tear it down and they will come'.

Why not just stick an "Available' sign on the properties and set the money aside for when there is an actual proposal.   

[FlaBoy]

The article clearly states there is NO PLAN for the site.

Curry said while there are no plans for the sites, demolishing the structures is more "about demonstrating that we're action-oriented, that we're not going to sit around and talk about it."

They are following the LaVilla model of 'tear it down and they will come'.

Why not just stick an "Available' sign on the properties and set the money aside for when there is an actual proposal.   

He says that right now in public but I don't buy it. There is something. If there isn't, this makes little sense. He basically contradicted this statement in his interview with the Times-Union. I have no inside knowledge other than I have heard from reputable people that there is a plan with a public-private partnership angle.

Those opportunities were one of the main topics Mayor Lenny Curry covered when he met Wednesday morning with the Times-Union Editorial Board.

On Curry's drawing board are possibilities like a convention center and hotel where the old city hall and courthouse now stand, more residences Downtown, more entertainment opportunities, development of the old Shipyards site and either the removal or completion of the Berkman Plaza eyesore.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/ron-littlepage/2017-06-23/ron-littlepage-progress-laura-street-trio-game-changer-downtown

I do think until they are willing to put those plans out there, there should be no demo of the Annex, which is historic in many ways, just as the JEA Building as mid-century architecture towers.

[jaxnyc79]

Is the convention business healthy, in the aggregate?  With social media and collaborative technologies proliferating, is the need diminishing for masses of people to gather for things other than sports and concerts?

[heights unknown]

So this year's budget is year one of a plan to invest $1.2 billion into 223 projects over the next five years....

Mayor Lenny Curry's proposed 2017-18 budget includes a major Downtown project — demolition of the old City Hall and Duval County Courthouse along East Bay Street.

His capital improvement plan includes $8 million to demolish the buildings, with another $8 million for the continued remediation of the Liberty Street and the Coastline Drive parking deck near the structures.

"If we are going to attract private dollars Downtown, we must prepare Downtown for private investment," Curry said Monday as he presented the budget to City Council.

In the past, ideas surfaced for a new convention center on the property as well as a public park or other private investment.
Curry said while there are no plans for the sites, demolishing the structures is more "about demonstrating that we're action-oriented, that we're not going to sit around and talk about it."

"When you have old, dilapidated buildings Downtown, what does that say to private investors? It says the city's not serious," he said.

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/photo-gallery/the-jacksonville-budget-mayor-taking-proactive-stance-on-development

Rummell has not purchased the property that the District will lie on from JEA? What's up with that?

[heights unknown]

There is no proposed change in the millage rate. Curry intends to set aside $150.5 million for this year's share of his proposed five-year capital improvement plan, a $1.2 billion investment strategy that includes 223 ongoing or updated projects.  Of that, $46.7 million would be paid for with available cash and grants and the remaining $103.7 million would be financed by debt. For 2017-18, Curry wants to begin work on 103 projects, including the $16 million to take down the old government buildings and repair the waterfront. He said another attraction to recruit private investment is to spend city money on infrastructure like roads, bridges and sidewalks. 

I like the Mayor's "get it done" mentality, but that statement is simply a re-hashing of the same old mistakes of the past...and unless there is a concrete plan on the table, let's done just go demolishing buildings...especially that Annex.

I agree. Wait until something tangible and "development ready" is on the table, and then demolish them. Work to get the property developed, market and promote the property to not only locals, but outsiders as well (nation wide). We do not need to be making the same mistake as in the past with demolish it, leave it empty, and they will come.