Urban Infill: Americana Restaurant

[vicupstate]

The renderings give the impression that the outdoor diners are physically/visually separated from the sidewalk traffic.  That's not a good idea at all, IMO.  Open outdoor dining is a great way to give an appearance of vitality and activity.  

Open outdoor dining is hard to control...this way you still have to be seated by a host/hostess.

You can still have a knee high wall to partition it off. The rendering shows only the top of the umbrellas showing.  That's overkill. Open it up.   

[ralpho37]

Great site plan.  Developers really need to start excluding surface parking lots in downtown projects.  Generating downtown pedestrian activity is definitely dependent on this.  This project is exciting to see.  Now hopefully the city will let them go through with it!

[JeffreyS]

I do think it will look great.

[Omarvelous09]

Anyone know who the developer is?

Pretty sure it's Jon Insetta, he owns the building. He's the restaurateur behind Chew and Orsay. Good guy, good restaurants.

[konstantconsumer]

it should be noted that it probably won't end up being called "americana."  still working on the name.

[downtownjag]

Anyone know who the developer is?

Pretty sure it's Jon Insetta, he owns the building. He's the restaurateur behind Chew and Orsay. Good guy, good restaurants.

Thanks, yeah he is a nice guy.  I'm curious about adding spec office space though; I wonder if he has tenants lined up

[JaxNative68]

vicupustate, look at the rendering carefully, it is a knee wall/planter with greenery growing out it that is obscuring the view of the table tops and umbrella bottoms.

Deuce, Zero parking on site is a little touch for restaurant patrons and clients/visitors to the office floors.  I don’t think you can compare Jax’s skyway to the DC area Metro.  The building could have parking incorporated into it (not the full zoning requirement, but at least around 1:1000sf).  Possibly one or two floors of parking sandwiched between the retail and office building.  The building design has an industrial feel to it, so this could be incorporated easily and tastefully.

In General, the interior of this building could use a little more natural light, maybe increase the size of the punched openings.  If you are going to build it, might as well go for LEED certification . . . a good argument for less parking.

[Deuce]

Wasn't trying to compare the two necessarily, just pointing out that for a location such as this that has bus service, the skyway, and a number of residential units within walking distance, there should be codified parking exceptions that allow a developer to reduce parking without going through a special exception process. Put in the county/city code and it's the rule not the exception.

[xian1118]

As far as the parking issue goes, aren't there about 1,650 parking spaces in a little garage on Kings Avenue not too far from here? Plus the valet line could be complimentary and save patrons time from parking in the first place.

Also, as far as Bay Street has come to being an entertainment mecca, I would gladly trade it for Kings Avenue adding a few more bars and maybe some loft apartments in other buildings. The parking wouldn't be a problem...add in the school board building and JEA property nearby and you've got yourself a winner.

[vicupstate]

vicupustate, look at the rendering carefully, it is a knee wall/planter with greenery growing out it that is obscuring the view of the table tops and umbrella bottoms.

It looks like waist height to me, with a dense wall of plants blocking the view from the waist level to to top of the umbrellas.  My point is that the folks walking or driving by might be drawn in, if they can actually SEE that people are eating at this location, and WHAT they are eating.  Likewise the patrons might like like there are actually outside and not in a 'room' with no ceiling.

Sidewalk dining is far too rare in Jax.  This is a chance to offer it, no to mention save the expense of that brick/plant partition .  

[vicupstate]

vicupustate, look at the rendering carefully, it is a knee wall/planter with greenery growing out it that is obscuring the view of the table tops and umbrella bottoms.

It looks like waist height to me, with a dense wall of plants blocking the view from the waist level to to top of the umbrellas.  My point is that the folks walking or driving by might be drawn in, if they can actually SEE that people are eating at this location, and WHAT they are eating.  Likewise the patrons might like like there are actually outside and not in a 'room' with no ceiling.

Sidewalk dining is far too rare in Jax.  This is a chance to offer it, not to mention save the expense of that brick/plant partition .  

[Southbanker]

it should be noted that it probably won't end up being called "americana."  still working on the name.

Oh, so this is going to be a local restaurant?  I assumed it was part of the Champps Americana chain (http://www.champps.com/).

[JaxNative68]

a full time valet service + leasing parking in a nearby garage and associative insurance = $$$$$, which would get passed on the tenants by higher rents which = less tenants willing to rent here than the a few blocks away for less $$.  There is a dollar threshold to all rental space that is directly connected to building amenities that can't be crossed.  This site is flirting pretty strongly with that threshold.  The developer might want to consider looking at the adjacent lot to the east . . . might be cheaper in the long run.  But it’s easy for me to make suggestions when it’s not my money being spent.

[JaxNative68]

vicupstate, knee or waste, we're only talking about +/- 12 inches.  If the planting is transparent enough, it will achieve your goal.  I agree with the lack of sidewalk dining in Jax, there definately needs to be more.  Having the outdoor dining elevated so that your eye to eye instead of eye to crotch with the street pedestrians in a nice touch, not to mention you're also getting a site line above the cars.  The planting, depending on the height and level of transparency, gives the dining area a better feeling of intimacy, but allows one to not feel boxed in, if you can see over it when standing or have a view (although partially obscured) through.  It also helps filter the car noise and street dust and debris.  With this economy, I'm willing to not make to may critiques of any new development that show progress.

[nicktooch]

it should be noted that it probably won't end up being called "americana."  still working on the name.

Oh, so this is going to be a local restaurant?  I assumed it was part of the Champps Americana chain (http://www.champps.com/).

yeh i think they were using the phrase "americana" like they would for anything from ruby tuesday's to cheesecake factory.