New life for Berkman II? Owners seeking Commercial CBD Rezone

[Kiva]

As much as the inner snob in me hates this project in theory, Downtown's redevelopment can't be solely built on Avocado Toast and Craft Cocktails. I just hope that if it is approved, strict design and maintenance criteria are conditioned in the approval.

What? Avocado toast is not going to save downtown? Heresy! 

[ProjectMaximus]

As much as the inner snob in me hates this project in theory, Downtown's redevelopment can't be solely built on Avocado Toast and Craft Cocktails. I just hope that if it is approved, strict design and maintenance criteria are conditioned in the approval.

What? Avocado toast is not going to save downtown? Heresy! 

I hear Bourbon and Bacon is gonna transform the Friendship Fountain.

[KenFSU]

By my count, we've got an almost comical $5 billion+ worth of projects being discussed between the north and south banks, most requiring public subsidy. Gonna make for an interesting Jaxson post one day.

Berkman II Hotel & Amusement Park
Jacobs Convention Center
Iguana Convention Center
Cordish Lot J Development
Hart Bridge Ramp Removal
Rimrock-Devlin Courthouse Site Development
The District
Laura Street Trio & Garage
Ambassador Hotel & Apartments
Aetna Residential Tower
Jones Furniture Building
Hyatt Place
Hotel Indigo
USS Adams
Emerald Necklace
Main Street Dog Park
Friendship Fountain/Park Improvements
Times-Union Center/CSX Building Node
JEA Headquarters Relocation

[thelakelander]

Also, the Ambassador approved for $6.4 million and $3.98 million approved for Vestcor's Lofts at Brooklyn:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/dia-pledges-millions-for-redevelopment

[KenFSU]

[Bill Hoff]

When is the last time an ask for incentives has been denied by the DIA? Just curious, perhaps I missed it.

[Captain Zissou]

Well, your comment on what belongs downtown and what doesn't speaks to your limited vision (at least when it comes to this interesting project). Maybe they make this happen, maybe they don't. But I like it.

You've so thoroughly skewered me with this line, that i've totally changed my perspective on downtown development.  A palm tree and a ferris wheel for every corner and let's make the city pay for it all!!

[Todd_Parker]

Should be able to get a pretty sweet view of the detention facility from the top of that Ferris wheel.

[KenFSU]

You guys need to get your verbiage straight.

Per the developer, it is NOT a ferris wheel.

It is an observation wheel, with climate-controlled passenger capsules.

Passengers within said passenger capsules will be able to tap in to the observation wheel's high-speed wifi network.

Why would passengers need to do such a thing?

The world may never know.

[KenFSU]

Should be able to get a pretty sweet view of the detention facility from the top of that Ferris wheel.

With the qualifier that I haven't spent much time in or around prisons, am I the only who thinks that the building doesn't necessarily scream prison.

It's pretty nondistinct and quiet from the outside.

Would out of towners necessarily even know what the building is if they weren't actively trying to figure it out?

Personally, I think the prison location problem might be a little overstated.

[thelakelander]

Our jail looks like a jail. Once you seen one urban jail, you can spot them all a mile away. I think the jail is a non-factor. The capsules will need to be climate controlled because the smell of roasting coffee beans can be pretty strong up there across the street from Maxwell House.

Anyway, do tourist travel to Jax to go to Dave and Busters or Adventure Landing? I have a hard time imagining this place will pull in loads of tourists. The scale of the project is of such where it would need to rely on additional complementing development being nearby. That's one of the reasons it needs nearly as much public money as we lost in the entire Trilegacy Shipyards fiasco.

[JaGoaT]

Do y'all think the jail will be relocated within the next decade? With so much development headed to that area does the jail stay?

[thelakelander]

No. It's too expensive and there's no development at the moment near it. Just a lot of talk.

[Tacachale]

The jail is 27 years old. With a big investment like that you hope to get 40 or 50 years out of it at least. While it's poorly placed for the way things have developed now, it wasn't at the time, and we shouldn't be dropping tens of millions of dollars just to move facilities that still have useful life left.

What we *should* do is plan long term for where it should go in the future, so we can adjust our downtown plans accordingly.

[Fallen Buckeye]

Devil's advocate...you could argue removing the eyesore raises the property values of surrounding properties which might offset of the cost over that time to some degree. Probably not $36 million but...