Downtown Jacksonville

[asonj23]

Thanks for the update. I can't wait to see the Peninsula start to finally rise.

[bobliocatt]

More Auchter updates ... just posted by them recently, but they are from two weeks ago.

I keep on debating whether to put the Fidelity stuff in the Brooklyn or Riverside threads, so I'm just putting it here this time.

Fidelity is on the 7th floor. But what are those steel frames in the corner? Is that construction on an 8th and 9th floor, or merely the elevator shaft on top of the future 8th? Hard to tell with that rumor of an "expansion." Has anyone been by the site in the past day or so?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fidelity has topped out, at 8 floors. It should be interesting to see were this planned expansion, for the recently announced 800 jobs will take place. I wonder if they are considering killing off one of those planned parking decks, lining Riverside Avenue?

[urbanjacksonville]

I do not mean for this to sound harsh, but Brooklyn will never gain its identity if we keep calling it Riverside. I was just thinking about this exact issue the other day when I was reading about the Riverside YMCA renovations. It is is squat in the middle of Brooklyn, yet it is called the Riverside YMCA. Granted it is on Riverside Avenue.

[Captain Obvious]

I do not mean for this to sound harsh, but Brooklyn will never gain its identity if we keep calling it Riverside. I was just thinking about this exact issue the other day when I was reading about the Riverside YMCA renovations. It is is squat in the middle of Brooklyn, yet it is called the Riverside YMCA. Granted it is on Riverside Avenue.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suspect that if Brooklyn ever gentrifies its primary name could functionally become "Riverside." (I think most likely, people will just continue to call it one or the other interchangably). Like you said, considering its primary road is named "Riverside Ave" it kind of makes sense. All the big companies already call the area Riverside, most of the little shops on Park St. call it Riverside too. In a perfect world, I would prefer for the place to retain its original name ... however, if developers and businesses revitilizing the area think it helps to call it Riverside ... more power to them. Considering the state Brooklyn is in, respecting an abstract traditional name pales in comparison to having a livable urban neighborhood.

It also helps - or should I say hurts - that Brooklyn is so darn small area-wise, and basically has less residents than the average suburban cul-du-sac. The neighborhood that gave the name meaning ... well ... hasn't that died a long time ago?

The same thing is going on right now as the Southbank is being called San Marco. It used to be called Oakland, and even before that, it was South Jax. Are those name changes good/bad or does it even matter?

It's an interesting subject, I think. It begs the question, "what's in a name?" To what lengths should we preserve old names? And perhaps most important, is it really the name, or the community behind the name?

[Captain Obvious]

Also, UrbanJacksonville ...

Since you seem interested in historical names, here's a fun bit of trivia about downtown.

Hemming Plaza isn't Hemming Plaza at all. Its name is Hemming Park. Always has been. But sometime in the recent past, the TU just started calling it Plaza instead of Park - they probably just never bothered to look it up. So, now EVERYBODY in Jacksonville calls the place Hemming Plaza just because the TU made a mistake and stuck with it.

Don't believe me ... check google maps. At least the out of towners get our local names right

[urbanjacksonville]

I just really like the name and I feel like it adds another dynamic and some personality to our urban area. I enjoy Oakland much more than East Jacksonville and Tallyrand much more than Downtown Jacksonville. The idea of having lots of little areas with thier own identity reminds me of bigger cities like New York, Chicago or Minneapolis. You can walk for 6 miles in any of these cities and cross as many different named neighborhoods. I want Jacksonville to have that too.

Well said:

"respecting an abstract traditional name pales in comparison to having a livable urban neighborhood."

[bobliocatt]

Btw, a significant portion of Brooklyn, at least half (everything south of Forest) is actually Riverside. The construction of I-95 cut through Riverside and not along its border with Brooklyn, where the street grid changes directions. An example of this is Annie Lytle School, which sits directly north of I-95. It once formed the northern border of Riverside Park.

[Captain Obvious]

I wrote another long response, but it got deleted before I sent it ... so I'll be brief.

urbanajax ... I agree with your 6:19 post ... and I think Jax will have that atmosphere of neighborhoods. Remember, even NYC's TriBeCa is a contemporary creation (1970s) that changes boundaries all the time.

If we can have a neighborhood called "Ortega" that we actally pronouce "Or-tee-ga" with a straight face ... Jax will always have a unique feel!

[BosTech]

Well we are working on "Little Bosnia" :-)

Good enough,UrbanJax?

[RiversideGator]

The companies call Brooklyn "Riverside" because Riverside has (as hard as it is for long time Jacksonville residents to believe) become trendy. The same thing happens in New York and Chicago and other cities. As certain neighborhoods become trendy, people adjacent to these neighborhoods try to claim that they live in them too. See also the ever expanding "San Marco".

Hemming Plaza isn't Hemming Plaza at all. Its name is Hemming Park.

I too refer to this area a Hemming Park. I think the change from Park to Plaza occured in the 60s or 50s when they paved much of the park thereby creating a "plaza". I hate "Hemming Plaza" though - it just sounds cheesy to me. Bring back Hemming Park!

[asonj23]

Well we are working on "Little Bosnia" :-)

What area of town is "Little Bosnia" being created?

I also like Oakland better than "the South Bank".

[BosTech]

It was just a joke,co0nsidering how many bosnians are here,but there are few bars and resturants scatered not in one place.

But Jax if organized could have many of those little areas,it would be nice,something unique.

[RiversideGator]

Bos: What is the best, most authentic Bosnian restaurant in Jacksonville?

[Dale]

Bos:  What is the best, most authentic Bosnian restaurant in Jacksonville?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know Jacksonville's come of age when we start inquiring as to the best Bosnian restaurant in town.

[Viper]

I was going to ask if there even was one.

[bobliocatt]

More people for Adams Street.

The vacant 12 story Greenleaf Building has been purchased by Orlando-based Taurus Southern Investments for $4 million. The building will be converted into office condos within renovations to begin in less than two weeks.

Orlando-based developer buys Greenleaf Building

[Captain Obvious]

^ I have a family connection who is involved with the Greenleaf sale, and as a result, I got to tour the inside of the building a few weeks ago.

While the Southern views were mediocre (Old Barnett is all you see), the Northern views overlooking Hemming Park are stunning. I was sorry that I forgot my camera. The only pitfall of the building is that the floorplates are really tiny. There's also a ground floor retail space on Laura st. that looks perfect for a bank branch, or even a tiny bistro.

One really interesting bit of trivia about Greenleaf. The elevators are ORIGINAL otis elevators from the '20s. Eighty years old and still kicking. Someone mutilated the interiors back in the 60s/70s, so it's nothing worth trying to see. But I still think it's quite impressive that the actual machinery remains that old. (There is talk about replacing them due to speed concerns, since there are no 20s design elements left to preserve.)

[vicupstate]

^^ Thanks for the inside info. Captain. Always nice to get such info. How tall are the ceilings, I seem to remember a pic that made them look low, 7-8' or so. While it would be nice to see a residential conversion, office condos will be a huge improvement over a vacant building.

[Captain Obvious]

I don't remember exactly, but the ceilings were fairly low. probably 10 or lower. None of these 12+ foot ceilings like in modern offices.

Considering the cost of rennovations (already made and to be made in the future), The building is not economical as residential, unfortunately. You just can't get enough money per square foot. It would have been cheaper for them to knock it down and build a brand new 12 story office building (which obviously wasn't a consideration, considering the Greenleaf's status). Plus, it doesn't have any on-site parking. They lease space in a garage a few blocks away. It's much easier to get away with that for offices than residential, I think.

[BosTech]

I use to be returant called Sarajevo on Beach but it closed.There are some bakeries,stores and smaller bars/resturants but nothing fancy.

I am personally not impressed with food,its ok not great.My parents cook 100 times better not to mention that many of those "ethnic' resturants make look alike food that not necessarly tast like real stuff back in Bosnia.

There is a few stores on Bowden road,one on Old Kings,St Augustine.

By the way bosnian food is european version of middle eastern/asian food.

[Urban_Legend]

I just wish they would get rid of that ugly glass crap on the back side of the Greenleaf...

[RiversideGator]

Apparently the Peninsular is vertical. From my vantage point, I can see the cement pouring crane so they must still be working on the foundation.

[asonj23]

Woo Hoo!!!

I wonder if it will rise as fast as the strand is. It is about the same footprint, right?

[Lunican]

If by vertical they mean a couple pieces of rebar sticking 2 feet out of a big mudpit...then yes its vertical. There isn't even a foundation in place, but it is being worked on, past 5 O'Clock too.

[RiversideGator]

Lunican: I think that counts as vertical. It is out of the ground and on its way up. I didnt say it was 10 stories high.