Vestcor's Next Project - Market Rate LaVilla Townhomes

Started by Steve, May 14, 2019, 01:45:40 PM

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Bill Hoff

#15
May 15, 2019, 10:57:56 AM
I guess beggars can't be choosers, but boy that design aesthetic is horrible. The Vestcoring of Brooklyn and Lavilla is going to look "meh".

Steve

#16
May 15, 2019, 11:09:15 AM
Quote from: Bill Hoff on May 15, 2019, 10:57:56 AM
I guess beggars can't be choosers, but boy that design aesthetic is horrible. The Vestcoring of Brooklyn and Lavilla is going to look "meh".


I've been trying to not focus on this, but yea.....the aesthetics are underwhelming. You can o good looking townhomes but I'm not sure they did that here.

It must be cheap to do. Color palette aside, drive down Southside Blvd by JTB and you'll definitely see buildings resembling this design style there. It's certainly not just Vestcor that's doing this.

Kerry

#17
May 15, 2019, 12:03:45 PM
They are only going to be affordable for the first people who buy them.  Every subsequent owner will expect market prices.  I wonder if they will come with a residency requirement.
Third Place

copperfiend

#18
May 15, 2019, 12:04:53 PM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on May 14, 2019, 02:41:01 PM
If the city requires them to spruce up Lift Every Voice and Sing park, I'm all for it.

Way to go Vestcor!  $100k on that space should go a long way.  Hopefully the city or some entity can match to make it great.  I like that developers are testing new projects on downtown.

I had to look up what Lift Every Voice and Sing park was. How have they gotten away with calling that a park?

thelakelander

#19
May 15, 2019, 12:47:48 PM
Lol, get used to it. That's your future Jax Landing park.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

thelakelander

#20
May 15, 2019, 12:57:24 PM
Quote from: Bill Hoff on May 15, 2019, 10:57:56 AM
I guess beggars can't be choosers, but boy that design aesthetic is horrible. The Vestcoring of Brooklyn and Lavilla is going to look "meh".

These neighborhoods need architectural guidelines. Don't mind the product but it sucks to see historically significant black neighborhoods being erased with architecture that doesn't pay homage to their original sense of place.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

heights unknown

#21
May 15, 2019, 04:20:39 PM
"Lift every voice and sing" park is fine for the Landing I guess; but I feel they should name the park that will replace the Landing, "demolish it and they will come" park.
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jaxnyc79

#22
May 15, 2019, 08:16:27 PM Last Edit: May 15, 2019, 08:22:57 PM by jaxnyc79
Is this Vestcor project made of Tin foil?
Jax is so far behind Charlotte, it's actually sad but also instructive.
Companies are exiting the suburbs for Charlotte City Center.  In-town parking lots becoming few and far between as vertical infill explodes everywhere.  And Charlotte has no kind of majestic river running through it. 
Not sure Lori is right DIA CEO.  I wish it was someone a bit more "investor-facing."  Someone who had a network of pools of capital.  Someone who could be a national symbol of Jax's resolve regarding its downtown.  Perhaps the DIA needs more a figurehead with brand resonance in the national or international investing communities.  The project "numbers" can work fine in Jax, I just don't think the city is on the investable radars of enough national development companies.  He who attracts the capital attracts the growth.  Jax should do more capital recruitment instead of just developer recruitment.  And this whole design guideline simplification stuff is small-minded nonsense.

thelakelander

#23
May 15, 2019, 08:49:00 PM
Just pulled up in DT Pensacola. About to take a walk and get some pics. You'll be jealous. This place was dead a decade go. Curry would brag all the way to the White House if he could get a street in DT Jax looking like Pensacola's main drag by the end of his term.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

tufsu1

#24
May 15, 2019, 10:28:21 PM
Quote from: thelakelander on May 15, 2019, 08:49:00 PM
Just pulled up in DT Pensacola. About to take a walk and get some pics. You'll be jealous. This place was dead a decade go. Curry would brag all the way to the White House if he could get a street in DT Jax looking like Pensacola's main drag by the end of his term.

no worry of that happening

thelakelander

#25
May 16, 2019, 12:28:17 AM
A few shots from a random Wednesday non-event night in DT Pensacola. If they can do this, we can in LaVilla and the Northbank.....





"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

Lostwave

#26
May 16, 2019, 09:13:05 AM
^^ Looks very similar to downtown St. Pete.

Kerry

#27
May 16, 2019, 09:24:41 AM Last Edit: May 16, 2019, 09:26:22 AM by Kerry
I just bought the book "The Next American City" by Mick Cornett.  Just reading from excerpt on Amazon I don't see Jax having the political leadership and civic will to do anything different than what we have been doing for the past 50 years, and even if we did, we are 20 years too late.  The next wave of urbanization has already moved down to much smaller cities.
Third Place

Jomar

#28
May 16, 2019, 09:47:43 AM
Quote from: Steve on May 15, 2019, 11:09:15 AM
Quote from: Bill Hoff on May 15, 2019, 10:57:56 AM
I guess beggars can't be choosers, but boy that design aesthetic is horrible. The Vestcoring of Brooklyn and Lavilla is going to look "meh".


I've been trying to not focus on this, but yea.....the aesthetics are underwhelming. You can o good looking townhomes but I'm not sure they did that here.

It must be cheap to do. Color palette aside, drive down Southside Blvd by JTB and you'll definitely see buildings resembling this design style there. It's certainly not just Vestcor that's doing this.

It's not just Vestcor and not just Jacksonville - generic "5 Over 1" style apartments are the ubiquitous aesthetic for new multifamily housing all over the country.  Here are two articles about the factors that have influenced this trend over the last decade.  They're worth reading if for no other reason than the great nicknames - Minecraftsman, Stumpies, Normcore, Blandmarks...

Why America's New Apartment Building All Look the Same
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-02-13/why-america-s-new-apartment-buildings-all-look-the-same

Why Do All New Apartment Buildings Look the Same?
https://www.curbed.com/2018/12/4/18125536/real-estate-modern-apartment-architecture

The Default Style of Pointless Variety
https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2018/11/30/default-style-pointless-variety

Captain Zissou

#29
August 06, 2019, 09:41:34 AM

QuoteA proposal by Vestcor Companies Inc. to develop eight city-owned parcels in LaVilla was scored as the top choice by a Downtown Investment Authority committee.

While I like the Vestcor proposal, I don't think it was the best option.  The scoring system definitely seemed skewed toward Vestcor because they are the larger company with a longer history of multifamily.  55 of the 100 possible points had nothing to do with the proposal itself.
JWB is new to the urban mixed use game, but their proposal was superior for the neighborhood.  Why is the city so concerned with ROI and track record of the developer when they are giving away the farm on the other side of DT?

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/vestcor-plan-recommended-for-lavilla-townhome-development
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