Urban Construction Update: Winter 2025

[copperfiend]

The city has issued permits for the Vystar Park right field building that is already half complete:

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2025/jan/13/city-permits-construction-of-115-million-right-field-building-at-vystar-park/

This will also add an additional entry into the ballpark. Hopefully the city can figure out a way to add entrances to the arena too. It's a bottlenecked mess trying to get in for a popular event.

[thelakelander]

The arena got old real quick with that one entrance.

[jaxlongtimer]

The arena got old real quick with that one entrance.

I thought at one time you could also enter the Arena from the north side but maybe it was an exit only. 

My biggest issue with the Arena is there is no handicap drop-off up against a building entrance.  Forcing handicapped persons across the large entry plaza requires a driver to leave their car unattended in the street to assist a handicapped person to/from the inside of the building.  If you are leaving and have to retrieve a car from blocks away, you have to leave a handicapped person unattended in the building lobby.  The problem here is sometimes security wants to kick them out before you can return which puts them unprotected and vulnerable on the entry plaza.  That is both insensitive in bad weather and a security risk.

How this doesn't violate ADA rules is beyond me.

[Josh]

I've entered the arena on the north/side entrance as recently as last Icemen season. Not sure if that is still permitted.

[Ken_FSU]

Drove by the Gateway Jax site today.

Looks like we've got some work underway already! 

[Joey Mackey]

Impressive! Side note: How do you post photos on this forum?

[Ken_FSU]

Impressive! Side note: How do you post photos on this forum?

Crazy to see how different (in a good way) Gateway is.

No posturing, or dramatics, or insane asks.

Just confidently push through a reasonable incentive package, secure permits and approvals, and then just randomly get to work like it's no big deal.

Love it.

Joey, it's pretty easy. You just need to upload the photo to an online location and then use the photo link.

For example:
1) Go to https://postimages.org/
2) Hit "upload" and select the photo(s) you want to post
3) Copy the "direct link" url once uploaded
4) Hit the button above in the post options that looks like a photo frame, which will generate a set of image tags
5) Post your URL between the two image tags


From there, you're good to go!

[thelakelander]

It's exciting to see Gateway moving so quick. Kudos to them.

[acme54321]

You know what's been bugging me.  One Riverside.  Another example of a building where they show some rending to get it approved then remove any bit of architecture that makes it even remotely unique.  Does the city have any teeth to hold these developers to what they show when they are getting city incentives?

[jaxlongtimer]

You know what's been bugging me.  One Riverside.  Another example of a building where they show some rending to get it approved then remove any bit of architecture that makes it even remotely unique.  Does the city have any teeth to hold these developers to what they show when they are getting city incentives?

This... and that they built almost up to the edge of the river in relation to its mass and height.  No surprise.  I protested this project from the beginning but many supported it for the sake of "development is good".  The other riverfront projects being approved are likely to have the same outcome.  Ugly is.... Jacksonville aesthetics.

[Jax_Developer]

I don't know all of the details - but COJ is/was the main culprit for the delay at One Riverside. Due to their connection with McCoy's Creek, they were forced to wait for the city to obtain SJWMD permits.

For example, One Riverside completed their SJWMD permit 6/30/22. COJ completed their SJWMD permit 2/25/24. The COJ permit was vital for the grocer & phase 2 of course. For reference, COJ didn't file materials until 8/2022 & the sitework permit there was approved September, 2022 (building plans were filed well in advance).

Considering the complexity of the deal & the massive parking garage being used for the entire site, I'm sure there was hesitancy to complete the MF component w/o the retail or phase 2 properly planned out. I observed a significant amount of less workers once the Phase 1 MF building was dry'd in - which they did pop up pretty quick.

[acme54321]

I'm not talking about any of that.  I'm talking about the apartments.  The renderings has these big overhangs with angular supports that made it a little more interesting.  Gone.  Looks like a run of the mill complex you'd see on gate parkway. Meh.

[Jax_Developer]

I'm not a fan of it either & not defending it at all. I'm saying that I bet the apartments & other aspects of the site have been VE'd bc of the delay. They likely have accrued nearly a million dollars (or more) in additional interest expense bc of the city's permit & architectural features are (usually) the first to bit the bullet on a VE program.

[Tacachale]

The only delays at One Riverside I'm aware of was the retail, due to the work on the creek. That's all settled between the various interests and the creek work and retail phase are both moving forward. I do know the creek work is looking like it's on target for completion by the end of this year, which will be another (very complicated) Emerald Trail segment in the books.

[Jax_Developer]

The only delays at One Riverside I'm aware of was the retail, due to the work on the creek. That's all settled between the various interests and the creek work and retail phase are both moving forward. I do know the creek work is looking like it's on target for completion by the end of this year, which will be another (very complicated) Emerald Trail segment in the books.

Right, that had to have impacted the cap table is my only point. The parking garage is intended to apply to the retail/grocer component also, which they certainly are not delivering as fast as anticipated, with the cost already outlaid.