New Southbank marina gets green light from DDRB

[thelakelander]

A new docking option for recreational boaters on the St. Johns River was approved Thursday by the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC).

The Marina at St. Johns Center will be located adjacent to The Strand and The Peninsula, the two riverfront high-rise residential properties on the Southbank east of the Main Street Bridge. The floating dock facility will be built above a 4.65-acre submerged land lease and will include 75 slips for vessels up to 70 feet in length. Dockage will be available for lease by the month and 15 spaces will also be available for the public to temporarily berth pleasure craft.

full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=51742

[reednavy]

That is a good step forward. The Southbank is slowly evolving into THE place to be downtown. I can eventually see that whole area from the river to I-95 full of mid and high-rise towers, with Treaty Oak Park as it's perfect greenspace.

[BridgeTroll]

Very good.  I have noticed that slips at Berkman seem under used...

[jeh1980]

It looks rather neat. The people who live @ the Strand and Peninsula can use something like that!

[heights unknown]

Could this be a sign or precursor that more talls/skyscrapers are in the plans for this section of the Southbank?  (i.e., Vue, etc.)

Heights Unknown

[vicupstate]

Could this be a sign or precursor that more talls/skyscrapers are in the plans for this section of the Southbank?  (i.e., Vue, etc.)

This has been in the works for years, long before the Vue was announced and shelved.  Given the economy, I think the Vue is years away from happening.

[Joe]

Yeah, even if real estate had a stunning rebound this year, you'd still be looking at years before the Vue were substantially completed.

I'll predict something on that site by 2015 ... but I'm not holding my breath until then.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Good cuz you'll be dead by 2010.

[heights unknown]

O.k. prognosticator; what's going to happen in 2010? Why don't you NOT tell us about it?!

Heights Unknown

[Doctor_K]

Or 2012.  The end of the Mayan long-count calendar and the latest end-of-the-world scenario.

Was the Vue going to be another one of those 'luxury' condo towers that 1% of Jacksonvillians were going to be able to afford? 

I still think that had a huge effect on things.  All those luxury towers and no mention of non-luxury-rate condos/apartments skewed the demographic unnaturally up-market. 

Come to think of it, with the market tanking and so many people upside down in their mortgages, are any of the residents of Strand/Peninsula going to be able to afford a boat to put into those slips??  I'd hate to see slips on *both* sides of the river so underused.

[Jason]

The marina will be open to the public, so anyone in the area can berth there. 

[Doctor_K]

Thanks for the clarification, Jason.

That in mind, here's the next question(s):

1)  If they're going to be public marinas, what destination exists on the South Bank to spur use of the new Peninsula marina?

2)  If the answer to the above is MOSH and RCBC, isn't the marina closer to those establishments a public marina also?  If that's the case, it seems like overkill.

[Noone]

Any update?

[Noone]

How does this compare to Shipyards III?
75 slips compared to 525 marina slips.
15 marina slips for the Public
15 Public parking spaces for the Public compared to?
What will be the position of the DIA?