Landmark downtown restaurant River City Brewing could make way for apartments

[thelakelander]

Based on your graphic and some of the photos below, it appears that structures (many low rises) are at least 70 feet back from the lake and sometimes quite a bit more.  In the views below, you can see the beauty of having significant setbacks.  Some of this reminds me of the ambiance of Memorial Park in Riverside, perhaps our prettiest urban area park.  Unfortunately, Jacksonville isn't headed this way.

They are set back because that pedestrian promenade you see, used to be Business US 92. A major part of their master plan was relocating the highway around downtown (Intown Bypass), which allowed them to convert Lemon Street into a pedestrian promenade on the southside of the lake and a linear park through downtown. Main Street became a two-way street. I'll try to find some before and after pictures to show later today.

Here are some more images showing the incremental implementation of Lake Mirror Park from the master plan:


In this 1950s aerial, you can see Main Street being split into a one-way pair (Main and Lemon Streets) to circle the lake into downtown.


A "before" image of Main Street, taken during the 1950s.


The implementation plan for Lake Mirror Park after the city took control of Main and Lemon Streets from FDOT.


Here is the summer 2020 "after" shot of Main Street.

While there has been very little demolition, additional private elements in the 1980s downtown master plan have come to fruition since the completion of the park.


A recently completed office building on the north side of the park.


Next door, an old warehouse has been converted into a food hall.


Inside The Joinery food hall


A small transportation center for Amtrak and Greyhound was one of the earlier projects around the park. The city moved Amtrak from a location outside of downtown, to this site to help cluster their investments within a centralized setting.


Next door to the Amtrak station, this project was supposed to an adaptive reuse of the Lakeland Cash Feed plant. However, the plant was significantly damaged during a hurricane. So a new building was constructed with a design that attempted to pay homage to what was lost. Below, a picture of the old Cash Feed Building. This is the type of place that Jax tears down on a regular basis (ex. Doro).




The former Lemon Street section of the park in July 2020. The tall building is the headquarters for Lakeland Electric.


This office building is now under construction on a former parking lot and closed section of Main Street. The $50 million building will be the new headquarters for a local insurance company.

Now the city is building a +$100 million urban park on the other side of downtown on a former railyard.



https://bonnetspringspark.com/

Didn't mean to take away from the RCBC project discussion. Just showing a real life example of how master planning a space like the RCBC/Friendship Fountain site can play out over time when there's a transparent community driven vision and master plan for a downtown.

[bl8jaxnative]

Is Lakeland still pushing forward a new-new Amtrak / bus station in another location.  IIRC a couple years ago they put forward a plan for one.  Is that still in play?

[tufsu1]

Is Lakeland still pushing forward a new-new Amtrak / bus station in another location.  IIRC a couple years ago they put forward a plan for one.  Is that still in play?

There was a study last year to look at potential locations for an intermodal center that would include Amtrak, Greyhound, and local bus service. One of the sites considered allowed for using the current Amtrak station, built in 1994. As the study progressed it became apparent that this site would not work. An alternate site, near the RP Funding Center on the west side of downtown was selected. More analysis is needed and funds need to be identified before dirt can be turned.

[thelakelander]

Related Group adds restaurant to proposal at River City Brewing site

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/related-group-adds-restaurant-to-proposal-at-river-city-brewing-site

[Ken_FSU]

Related Group adds restaurant to proposal at River City Brewing site

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/related-group-adds-restaurant-to-proposal-at-river-city-brewing-site

Love it.

They're modeling the space after Glass & Vine in Boca.

https://glassandvine.com/

[thelakelander]

It's good to see them listen to a community concern and respond in the manner they did. The project and park will be better because of it.

[heights unknown]

It's good to see them listen to a community concern and respond in the manner they did. The project and park will be better because of it.

Amen...maybe the Jaxson also had something to do with their change of mind relative to adding dining into it?

[Peter Griffin]

It's good to see them listen to a community concern and respond in the manner they did. The project and park will be better because of it.

Amen...maybe the Jaxson also had something to do with their change of mind relative to adding dining into it?

I'll bet not, honestly. This is our own special little echo chamber, we just happen to hit on the prevailing opinion about redevelopment occasionally.

[Steve]

It's good to see them listen to a community concern and respond in the manner they did. The project and park will be better because of it.

Amen...maybe the Jaxson also had something to do with their change of mind relative to adding dining into it?

I'll bet not, honestly. This is our own special little echo chamber, we just happen to hit on the prevailing opinion about redevelopment occasionally.

Perhaps indirectly. Multiple people that participate on this site spoke during public comment (one way or another), and the vote during the SIC meeting wasn't unanimous - the reason being it lacked a restaurant.

[fieldafm]

It's good to see them listen to a community concern and respond in the manner they did. The project and park will be better because of it.

Amen...maybe the Jaxson also had something to do with their change of mind relative to adding dining into it?

I'll bet not, honestly. This is our own special little echo chamber, we just happen to hit on the prevailing opinion about redevelopment occasionally.

People on this forum do more than just complain online 

[Steve]

My Public Comment for the DIA Board Meeting:

I'd like to thank both the developer as well as the DIA Board/Staff for revising this proposal to include a Restaurant – this was my biggest objective to the project and I'm now in favor of the proposal despite the additional incentive funding. I'd still like to raise my concern from the SIC meeting about parking in the area as now it seems that 30 public spaces will be shared by the Restaurant, MOSH, and Parkgoers. My ask during the SIC meting was for the city to consider increasing incentives in exchange for adding a floor to the parking garage that could be used for public parking. However, a simpler and cheaper solution may be just to allow for parallel parking on the roads in the area as that could add up to a fair number of spaces – plus our Downtown Master Plan encourages Parallel Parking to help create a sense of place. Based on other roads throughout downtown, the Right of Way is should be wide enough to accommodate parallel parking on both sides of the screen both Museum Circle and San Marco Blvd. Thank you.

[Tacachale]

My Public Comment for the DIA Board Meeting:

I'd like to thank both the developer as well as the DIA Board/Staff for revising this proposal to include a Restaurant – this was my biggest objective to the project and I'm now in favor of the proposal despite the additional incentive funding. I'd still like to raise my concern from the SIC meeting about parking in the area as now it seems that 30 public spaces will be shared by the Restaurant, MOSH, and Parkgoers. My ask during the SIC meting was for the city to consider increasing incentives in exchange for adding a floor to the parking garage that could be used for public parking. However, a simpler and cheaper solution may be just to allow for parallel parking on the roads in the area as that could add up to a fair number of spaces – plus our Downtown Master Plan encourages Parallel Parking to help create a sense of place. Based on other roads throughout downtown, the Right of Way is should be wide enough to accommodate parallel parking on both sides of the screen both Museum Circle and San Marco Blvd. Thank you.

My public comment was a summary of the article I wrote and the radio segment Lake did based on it.

[Steve]

My Public Comment for the DIA Board Meeting:

I'd like to thank both the developer as well as the DIA Board/Staff for revising this proposal to include a Restaurant – this was my biggest objective to the project and I'm now in favor of the proposal despite the additional incentive funding. I'd still like to raise my concern from the SIC meeting about parking in the area as now it seems that 30 public spaces will be shared by the Restaurant, MOSH, and Parkgoers. My ask during the SIC meting was for the city to consider increasing incentives in exchange for adding a floor to the parking garage that could be used for public parking. However, a simpler and cheaper solution may be just to allow for parallel parking on the roads in the area as that could add up to a fair number of spaces – plus our Downtown Master Plan encourages Parallel Parking to help create a sense of place. Based on other roads throughout downtown, the Right of Way is should be wide enough to accommodate parallel parking on both sides of the screen both Museum Circle and San Marco Blvd. Thank you.

My public comment was a summary of the article I wrote and the radio segment Lake did based on it.

Well said. I definitely think that reasonable public comments that are logical can have an impact.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

People on this forum do more than just complain online 

Not anymore.

I pretty much just complain online now.   

[Florida Power And Light]

I'll bet not, honestly. This is our own special little echo chamber, we just happen to hit on the prevailing opinion about redevelopment occasionally.

☑️