DIA wants the Landing to start with a park

[edjax]

Article now up also on Daily Record

[heights unknown]

HERE is what happened at the DIA meeting today (vote) on the 44 story apartment building proposed to be built on the old Jacksonville Landing site:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/downtown-investment-authority-approves-44-story-residential-high-rise-at-former-landing-site/ar-AA11S71Z

Not SUPER TALL but I'll take it.

HU

[thelakelander]

If they can pull it off, it will be the tallest built in downtown since the Barnett Tower +30 years ago. Seeing how much the skylines of Florida's other major cities have grown since that time, it's crazy realizing that.

[heights unknown]

If they can pull it off, it will be the tallest built in downtown since the Barnett Tower +30 years ago. Seeing how much the skylines of Florida's other major cities have grown since that time, it's crazy realizing that.

Tell me about it Lake. Though Orlando and Fort Lauderdale don't have the Height (no pun intended), they both now have numerous mid-rise to talls around the 400 foot or higher range, and density with towers between 300 to 400 feet. Jax is traditionally a "tall" city, and with 900k pop we need to try to live up to that.

[Charles Hunter]

I just hope they don't Value Engineer it to a 15-story plain gray cereal box.

Yes, the DIA has to approve the final design, but when have they shown any backbone when a developer asks for changes?

[heights unknown]

Here is more info, from WOKV, and the Jax Daily Record of what's going on with this new addition to Jax' skyline:

https://www.wokv.com/news/local/dia-approves-property-disposition-incentive-package-riverfront-plaza/6PJIJMOYKVDP5K2ZWT7TWQGMQQ/

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/dia-committee-advances-dollar36-million-incentives-deal-for-american-lions-tower

[Ken_FSU]

DIA slipped an updated plan for the park space into the presentation this afternoon.

Original is the first image, new is the second.

Looks like the living shoreline didn't make the cut.

Most significantly, it also looks like the Destination Play Space was moved off the river onto the spot where the Park Pavilion building was in the original concept.

The empty circular spot where the Destination Play Space used to be will now be RFP'd "at a later date" for restaurant space.

Also, looks like the "Rain Garden" was replaced with a reflective pool near the base of the sculpture.

[jaxoNOLE]

Disappointing to see the civic building axed. Makes me wonder how serious the city will be about maintaining and activating their new crown jewel if the most active part is value engineered away. But others here did predict it would be underfunded.

No surprise to see the living shoreline die. And I kind of like the reflecting pool.

[Ken_FSU]

Disappointing to see the civic building axed.

Equally disappointing are the timelines.

Sounds like we're still a year away from the start of construction on the park.

And we're giving American Lions a full two years to get DDRB approval, and until 2028 to finish construction.

Assuming the tower happens, I can't imagine they'd be able to build effectively in that space without taking over a large portion of the park for staging.

Feels like we're potentially looking at another six years before the space is finished.

Even if everything is built, it's a pretty colossal failure of decision making by the DIA to rush through an emergency demolition of the Landing, under the auspices that the space would be easier to market to private developers as a clean slate (clearly a false narrative given that American Lions was the only one to respond), only to let it sit vacant for close to a decade.

Even if we were dead set on demolishing the Landing, we could have given the existing businesses another 3 or 4 years without sacrificing anything.

Amazing how we turned away a successful, motivated partner with a great site plan over a $12 million subsidy, only to spend $23 million to buy him out, $2 million to demolish the property, $25 million to turn it into a park, and $36 million to subsidize residential.

[marcuscnelson]

DIA slipped an updated plan for the park space into the presentation this afternoon.

Value engineering was pretty clearly coming at some point. And the decisions seem to be exactly the big ticket items you'd get rid of so you can afford generally building the plan at all. Seems like a lot of restaurant space to be adding though, hopefully they'll actually get filled.

Equally disappointing are the timelines.

Sounds like we're still a year away from the start of construction on the park.

And we're giving American Lions a full two years to get DDRB approval, and until 2028 to finish construction.

Assuming the tower happens, I can't imagine they'd be able to build effectively in that space without taking over a large portion of the park for staging.

Feels like we're potentially looking at another six years before the space is finished.

Even if everything is built, it's a pretty colossal failure of decision making by the DIA to rush through an emergency demolition of the Landing, under the auspices that the space would be easier to market to private developers as a clean slate (clearly a false narrative given that American Lions was the only one to respond), only to let it sit vacant for close to a decade.

Even if we were dead set on demolishing the Landing, we could have given the existing businesses another 3 or 4 years without sacrificing anything.

Amazing how we turned away a successful, motivated partner with a great site plan over a $12 million subsidy, only to spend $23 million to buy him out, $2 million to demolish the property, $25 million to turn it into a park, and $36 million to subsidize residential.

Is there a reason they'd have to use the park vs the parking lot for staging?

But yes, this has been an absolutely ridiculous, long saga to placate one politician's ego over sticking it to political enemies. Shame of course that taxpayers are the ones paying for it.

[fsu813]

Value engineering was pretty clearly coming at some point. And the decisions seem to be exactly the big ticket items you'd get rid of so you can afford generally building the plan at all. Seems like a lot of restaurant space to be adding though, hopefully they'll actually get filled.

The only things removed at the moment are the living shoreline, which was never ever ever realistic, and the park pavilion, which is being switched out for a waterfront restaurant. Remember, the winning design was purely conceptual. The most expensive (and controversial) single item still remains in the updated design: the sculpture.

[jaxlongtimer]

We already had a park with a restaurant... River City Brewing.  How did that turn out?  The park became an apartment complex.  Want a restaurant, put it in the tower.

This is just the beginning of removing the green space and turning it over more and more to developers.  Outrageous!

[Snaketoz]

The Curry regime has set our downtown back at least 30 years.  Many mayors like to look back on their times in office and think of all the positive changes they brought about.  Look what we have lost since we lucked-out with Lenny.  Knowing local and state politics, he''ll probably be replaced with someone much like himself.  We lost a lot, but at least they didn't get away with JEA.

[Steve]

Curious if they plan to replace the destination play space. If they don't I think that's a pretty big miss IMO.

At a minimum I think they need to designate a space for some sort of destination playground.

[marcuscnelson]

Curious if they plan to replace the destination play space. If they don't I think that's a pretty big miss IMO.

At a minimum I think they need to designate a space for some sort of destination playground.

Isn't that the part near the top?

The Curry regime has set our downtown back at least 30 years.  Many mayors like to look back on their times in office and think of all the positive changes they brought about.  Look what we have lost since we lucked-out with Lenny.  Knowing local and state politics, he''ll probably be replaced with someone much like himself.  We lost a lot, but at least they didn't get away with JEA.

It all comes down to voters deciding whether they care enough about their city to make a decision on who runs it.