Mayors Office: It's Time To Move Forward With Demolishing Landing

[thelakelander]

COJ took over today. The remaining tenants have been told to vacate within 30 days. Sounds like they're really getting some relocation help....

Full article: https://www.news4jax.com/news/city-gives-jacksonville-landing-tenants-30-days-to-get-out

[DrQue]

Absurdity runs thick through downtown Jacksonville.

[mtraininjax]

Absurdity runs thick through downtown Jacksonville.

Nothing smacks you with Absurdity like a trip over Paul Crawford's ROUGH ROAD and your next trip to the dentist....

[Bill Hoff]

The Mayor stated (via social media) that a RFP would issued after demolition.

[marcuscnelson]

The Mayor stated (via social media) that a RFP would issued after demolition.

Of course, because no one deserves a chance at adaptive reuse for the Landing.

Can't wait to watch this fizzle into nothing or turn out in bad faith like the Convention Center.

[Todd_Parker]

The Mayor stated (via social media) that a RFP would issued after demolition.

and the RFP will result in 2 responses - both being cost prohibitive to the city.

[Kerry]

The Mayor stated (via social media) that a RFP would issued after demolition.

and the RFP will result in 2 responses - both being cost prohibitive to the city.

You can take that prediction to the bank.

[thelakelander]

COJ took over today. The remaining tenants have been told to vacate within 30 days. Sounds like they're really getting some relocation help....

Full article: https://www.news4jax.com/news/city-gives-jacksonville-landing-tenants-30-days-to-get-out

As we said months ago in response to Brian Hughes claiming they'd work to relocate tenants downtown, that's not as feasible as people think. A big reason for adaptive reuse deals with being able to have a turn key commercial space that can be leased at lower rates to local businesses. Obviously, tenants (the majority of them local and minority owned small businesses) have been led in the dark by management and COJ and are now on the verge of losing it all. They can't afford rents in other places. It's become pretty disgusting to see some of the political cheerleaders and elitist in this town speak about how the place is a dump and they can't wait to see a vacant lot, while hundreds of Jaxsons are either losing their jobs or at risk of losing their businesses. Seriously, what has Coastal Cookies ever done to someone that their ok with them being bounced out with no place or equipment to set up after successfully operating there for 32 years?

Tenants in limbo as Landing nears last days

Rhoades-Jones did not think the eviction was going to happen this quickly. She hasn't had time yet to find a new space for her business.

"They just want to get us out as soon as possible," she said. "You can't penalize me just because (the property) was under litigation."

Rhoades-Jones is not alone in not knowing what to do next.

Although the Downtown Investment Authority recently sent each tenant a package with information on available spaces downtown, several said that they could only afford the lower rents at the Landing — not the average $19 a square foot they've seen elsewhere in the urban core. While some tenants have begun searching for space in suburban markets, this process can take months.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2019/05/01/landing-tenants-in-limbo-as-landing-nears-last.html

This is the type of stuff we saw coming that's a direct result of having people in and over their heads making unilaterally moves with significant public assets.

[Captain Zissou]

and the RFP will result in 2 responses - both being cost prohibitive to the city.

You can take that prediction to the bank.

The bank is slated for demolition next month. 

[Bill Hoff]

Arbus & architects: don't demolish without a viable plan.

Story:
http://arbus.com/a-choice-for-jacksonville/

[thelakelander]

I must say.....while I have been very negative about COJ's puzzling moves in downtown lately, I have been impressed by those in the community that are speaking up and offering different ideas and calling for common sense to be allowed to enter the discussion. In the long run, Jax will be better as a result of having residents that are active, educated and engaged.

[Tacachale]

I must say.....while I have been very negative about COJ's puzzling moves in downtown lately, I have been impressed by those in the community that are speaking up and offering different ideas and calling for common sense to be allowed to enter the discussion. In the long run, Jax will be better as a result of having residents that are active, educated and engaged.

I agree 100%. Folks are starting to see the destructive pattern for what it is, and are increasingly comfortable speaking their mind.

[Kerry]

Arbus & architects: don't demolish with a viable plan.

Story:
http://arbus.com/a-choice-for-jacksonville/

I like the "without a plan any success is just dumb luck" quote.  If stupudity was the key Jax would have more success than we would know what to do with.

[downtownbrown]

I must say.....while I have been very negative about COJ's puzzling moves in downtown lately, I have been impressed by those in the community that are speaking up and offering different ideas and calling for common sense to be allowed to enter the discussion. In the long run, Jax will be better as a result of having residents that are active, educated and engaged.

To the extent that this new interest is a precursor to actual market activity, I agree it's very positive.  My theory is that the vast majority of Duval residents have never been downtown, except for maybe a football game.  If there is a growing sense (probably among younger millennials), that having an actual downtown would be cool, then things will happen, a tiny bit at a time....

[KenFSU]

Add another $370k to the tally/bonfire.

The Mayor's Budget Review Committee last week approved moving $370,000 from other city fund accounts to the Landing for basic operating costs.

"We will need some (money) for a short time to keep certain components operational at the Landing when we become the landlords ... while we own it and until we evict all the tenants," said Sam Mousa, the city's chief administrative officer who will retire at the end of June, to be succeeded by Hughes.

Mousa told committee members that "once we demolish it," the city will no longer need the operational money for the Landing.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/jacksonville-landing-tenants-receive-eviction-notices-ponder-future