Times-Union: Landing on-ramp coming down in April

[thelakelander]

I wouldn't worry about the aquarium thing. We can't get COJ to put public restrooms in the parks, there's no way it is going to fund a $200 million money losing aquarium. It seems these guys have their heart content on implementing this thing and all the public involvement is going to be tailored to designing this:

[itsfantastic1]

Just in case anyone is interested in a trip down memory lane....
https://www.jacksonville.com/photogallery/LK/20190220/NEWS/220009983/PH/1

[marcuscnelson]

I wouldn't worry about the aquarium thing. We can't get COJ to put public restrooms in the parks, there's no way it is going to fund a $200 million money losing aquarium.

So you're saying that instead of subsidizing Lot J, we could build an aquarium? Good to know.

If I remember right, the AquaJax concept is supposed to be at the Shipyards. If the Mandarin crowd wants that, they're welcome to donate to it. Now might even be a good time for it now that Khan's contract is off.

I wonder how many people looking these days have actually thought about the 2015 plans recently. Like, if there was a push to get this in front of people, would they like it more than the Curry sketch? Especially once you explain how much more likely it is that someone's going to get stabbed in an empty park because the office workers went home?

[Lostwave]

Just in case anyone is interested in a trip down memory lane....
https://www.jacksonville.com/photogallery/LK/20190220/NEWS/220009983/PH/1

Wow, I love the 2004 and 2009 plans.  I don't think I had seen those before.

[thelakelander]

Those were Sleiman's original plans. Unfortunately, all they resulted in was a big fight around parking and blocking view corridors of the river.

[Papa33]

The trip down memory lane reminds me that it was Tony Sleiman's idea to tear down the Main Street Bridge on-ramp to accommodate the revised plans.  Tearing down those ramp has taken life of its own (obviously) even without a concrete plan to develop (and I don't consider what is proposed by Curry to be concrete).

[Ken_FSU]

I don't consider what is proposed by Curry to be concrete.

No, it's just grass.

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Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week.

[heights unknown]

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2020/09/07/main-street-bridge-ramp-set-tear-down-jacksonville-landing-site/5711839002/

While the state gears up for demolition of the ramp, the Downtown Investment Authority is moving to bring in design teams who will compete for the winning vision of how to reuse the Landing site.

The current concept calls for most of the site to be public park space with two new buildings set back from the St. Johns River. The maximum height of those building would be mid-rise structures, Boyer has said.

The two buildings would be at back corners of the Landing site, separated far enough apart that there would be a broad opening between them for a view corridor from Laura Street all the way down to the river. Boyer said in order to maximize the amount of public park space, the most likely buildings would be two office buildings or an office building an a hotel.

The DIA plans to contract with three design firms that would get city stipends paying them to flesh out their plans beyond the conceptual stage. Then DIA would select a winning design.

"Iconic is an overused term, but we want them to be meaningful and special buildings because it's a special location in the center of downtown," Boyer said.

Unless I'm misreading this, it sounds like the DIA has already decided on Lenny's Lawn, with three firms bidding on how to best implement Brian Hughes' back of the napkin sketch. Small, mid-rise buildings, either both office (for which there's no market right now), or one office and one hotel. And lots of lawn.

WHY the hell do we need another Park? We have Hemming just a few blocks down from the Riverfront in the heart of downtown; isn't that, or shouldn't that be enough relative to having Parks downtown? Please, please Lori build something iconic down there on ALL of that property and yes you can do that with mid to high rise buildings down there. Think icon yes, but also think creativity and innovation. Need this forums help? Need my help? We're here because you people are doing a shabby and poor job of making our downtown "THE PLACE TO BE," and, "THE PLACE TO GO." Downtown Jax is dead now; at least at times during the year the landing was the focal point and geographic center, along with Hemming Park in the urban core/downtown. And please consider the Landing's previous Owner's proposal with no judgment and/or conviction relative to the spat he and the city had in the past; in my opinion and in my mind his proposal was awesome. This is all for now; I got this crap off my chest. Lastly, DIA and the Mayor and his administration really makes me sick!

[heights unknown]

Just in case anyone is interested in a trip down memory lane....
https://www.jacksonville.com/photogallery/LK/20190220/NEWS/220009983/PH/1

Wow, I love the 2004 and 2009 plans.  I don't think I had seen those before.

Yeah, I am "in love" with all of those plans, except for the last one, the recent plan with the city park and the two supposed mid-rise buildings on the end in the corners of the park near the entrance. Those earlier plans are "lick lips" material!

[bl8jaxnative]

It'll be good to see that on-ramp removed.