Downtown Jacksonville

[Viper]

150 feet? Not bad.

I actually liked both original bids but alas they were not to be. Let's hope a similar development gets approved once bids go out.

[Urban_Legend]

I hope the city paints a new mural on the Ball building's blank wall. I miss the old Jaguar mural, however outdated it was.

[Viper]

I agree, I loved that huge image of the Jags. Granted I hated watching each of those featured players depart for other teams only to see this huge reminder every day. Still, a new mural would add appeal.

[bobliocatt]

JEA puts riverfront land back on market

By GREGORY RICHARDS

The Times-Union

JEA is putting back on the market the riverfront land where the Southside Generating Station once stood, following talks with Mayor John Peyton over how much open space should be set aside for public use.

The city-owned utility will require developers bidding for the property, one of downtown's largest pieces of undeveloped land, to set aside 10 acres of the roughly 40-acre site for public use, mostly for a swath along the St. Johns River for a riverwalk extension.

Before Peyton stepped into the process in February, JEA was requiring 8 acres of open space. The mayor intervened not to get more land for public use but to maximize the land preserved along the river, said Peyton spokeswoman Susie Wiles.

Previously, the location of the open space wasn't well defined. Now, it's clearly marked on site drawings.

JEA plans to start the bidding process by Monday. Offers will be accepted for 45 days, the JEA board decided in a meeting Tuesday.

Some board members expressed concern that restricting the land's use -- especially its riverfront access -- might limit how much developers would pay. But board Chairman J.D. Collins said there was little difference between providing open space for Duval County taxpayers and generating more dollars to benefit JEA's ratepayers.

"It's kind of taking from one to the other, but really they're the same people," said Collins.

Jim Dickenson, JEA's chief executive officer, said the riverfront open space requirement would be flexible to meet the needs of the developers, but it must equal 6 acres.

Additionally, 4 acres of wetlands will be earmarked for public use and 5 acres will be dedicated for a JEA substation. That leaves about 25 acres of developable land.

"I'm optimistic it's going to be fine," said board member Jay Fant. "It's an extremely marketable piece of property."

JEA spent $24 million decommissioning the power plant in 2001 and it considered detailed proposals for the site in 2003. Deals between JEA and two prominent local companies -- The St. Joe Co., a developer, and The Haskell Co., a builder -- fell apart last year. Two independent appraisals authorized by the utility in February 2004 valued the acreage at about $27 million and about $29 million.

Haskell might again bid for the land, provided it finds a suitable development partner, said company spokesman Bob Renaud. "We're certainly keeping our options open," he said.

St. Joe could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Dickenson said JEA would not be obligated to accept any bids if prices are too low.

gregory.richardsjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4649

This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor..._18232276.shtml.

[vicupstate]

Kudos to Peyton and the city for making sure that space was reserved for public use, and a sizeable piece at that.

This also illustrates the advantage Jax has of having a city-owned power company. A private company would not have the same vested interest in keeping the mayor happy, and not selling an asset in order to benefit the public.

[vicupstate]

WOW!! Nothing is firm yet, but they certainly are saying all the right things!!!

Brooklyn area on St. Joe's agenda

Firm's interest could pump momentum into revitalization

By RYAN GEDDES

The Times-Union

One of Jacksonville's most powerful companies has been quietly meeting with city officials to gauge government interest -- and to determine its own role -- in what could be the next big revitalization project in urban Jacksonville.

Real estate development firm The St. Joe Co. is taking a close look at the Brooklyn neighborhood, and its interest is just one of several dovetailing events that could provide momentum for a process that has been more than 20 years in the making.

The roughly 40-block area between La Villa and Riverside neighborhoods has seen plans for its renaissance come and go since the 1980s, when the widening of Riverside Avenue was first proposed and developers began adding small-scale subsidized housing to the historic area. Despite those efforts, the neighborhood has remained somewhat neglected, but recent efforts to plan for its future have resulted in solid plans and an interested Brooklyn business community. The neighborhood is home to The Haskell Co., Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida, Fidelity National Financial and The St. Joe Co.

"Those companies have a real interest in their neighborhood," said Susie Wiles, spokeswoman and chief of special initiatives at the mayor's office.

Wiles said The St. Joe Co. executives have met with the mayor recently to discuss Brooklyn in broad terms.

"They were assessing the mayor's appetite for Brooklyn as a project," said Wiles. "They don't have a plan, but [the mayor] has been very clear he thinks there is an opportunity there."

Reggie Fullwood, city council representative for District 9, which includes Brooklyn, said he has met with The St. Joe Co. executives Peter Rummell and Mike Shalley about the neighborhood.

"I have had some conversations with them on Brooklyn as a whole, what their vision is and how they might help us to develop the area," said Fullwood. "They just stressed the point that they are very interested in the area and they want to be good corporate citizens."

Fullwood said "it is not a done deal" that St. Joe would operate as a master developer for a Brooklyn revitalization.

The St. Joe Co. CEO Peter Rummell did not return phone calls requesting an interview, but senior vice president Jerry Ray said the company "has no announcement at this time" regarding its interest in Brooklyn.

Once deemed part of the city's "west-central fringe," the neighborhood began to struggle, losing population and much of its economic base, when expressways first split it from Riverside in the 1950s.

And like its geography, much of Brooklyn's future lies in the path of progress.

Bounded on two sides by what eventually became the I-10/I-95 interchange, the neighborhood will be torn into again when the Florida Department of Transportation undertakes a six-year improvement project on the interchange.

But road improvements have not been the only changes to the area in the last 20 years. Corporations like The St. Joe Co. have set up shop in recent years on Riverside Avenue, along the St. Johns River, giving the neighborhood a newfound political and financial base. And a focus by Mayor John Peyton on downtown revitalization in general, and downtown housing in particular, makes Brooklyn a development opportunity.

In the spring of 2004, a group assembled by the mayor's office, the planning department and the Downtown Development Authority commissioned Urban Design Associates, a Pittsburgh-based planning firm, to study Brooklyn. Through a series of public meetings and in-depth analyses, UDA and Brooklyn stakeholders assembled in September the Brooklyn/Riverside Avenue Neighborhood Strategy Plan, a 32-page document outlining a vision for the neighborhood's future.

The plan envisions a Brooklyn split into three connected sectors that support a mix of commercial, retail and residential uses, emphasizing perpendicular connections to the St. Johns River, the greenscaping of McCoy's Creek, a central park, and affordable and market-rate housing.

In March, a group of developers, including The St. Joe Co., invited Richard Baron to a meeting of the Urban Land Institute in Jacksonville. Baron's St. Louis-based company, McCormack Baron Salazar, is a nationally renowned community redevelopment company that specializes in rebuilding neglected urban American neighborhoods.

"Clearly the city has made a push toward affordable housing, and Richard Baron is a developer that could probably do it," said Terry Lorince, executive director of Downtown Vision Inc.

While city leaders and business groups circle Brooklyn, neighborhood activists are planning a meeting to discuss the area and its future. Ayesha Covington, president of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association, said the group plans to gather in the neighborhood Monday night.

Fullwood said a meeting would also be arranged "in the next couple of weeks" between the planning department, the mayor's office and other Brooklyn stakeholders to discuss, among other things, how $15 million in bond money earmarked for Brooklyn and LaVilla should be allocated.

"I think this is a great opportunity to look at other areas, particularly LaVilla, learn from our past mistakes and really do Brooklyn proud," said Fullwood.

ryan.geddesjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4689

[bobliocatt]

Fullwood said a meeting would also be arranged "in the next couple of weeks" between the planning department, the mayor's office and other Brooklyn stakeholders to discuss, among other things, how $15 million in bond money earmarked for Brooklyn and LaVilla should be allocated.

Since its all but to late for LaVilla to become an actual neighborhood again, I wouldn't mind seeing the entire $15 million shifted to Brooklyn, if a viable plan is intact. I think the outcome will be much better, if the city focuses its efforts on totally revitalizing Brooklyn over LaVilla. LaVilla should get its shot in the arm, once the new Courthouse is completed.

[Captain Obvious]

just want to add my two cents ...

i attended a brooklyn planning meeting late last year. a big hurdle to brooklyn's redevelopment will be the current residents themselves. my impression is that the brooklyn neighborhood association is 100% opposed to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to do with their neighborhood's improvement.

as far as i could tell, this neighborhoods association (or at least the 3 or 4 representatives of it present at this meeting ... hopefully the rest are nicer people) is very happy with the slum-like state of the area, because they are all renters who enjoy incredibly low rents due to the bad surroundings. they don't want any improvement because then they'd have to pay fair-market rent for their property, which is currently grossly undervalued due to neglect.

[jjoshjl]

Good to hear someone taking interest in that area.

It will be good to see new projects revitalize that area. Probabaly isnt going to hurt the sky line in the long run either

[RiversideGator]

There cant be that many people who live there. The only residents I have seen appear to be transients and extremely low income people. While they may be good people, the current land use is clearly not the highest and best use for that land. I think the existing structures should pretty much be razed and new, tasteful buildings should take their place to create a new neighborhood.

[bobliocatt]

I'd like to see some of the existing structures remain. For example, many of the old brick warehouses and commercial buildings lining Park Street, have the potential to become an authentic urban loft and live/work type district.

[vicupstate]

I'd like to see something positive happen with the Lytle School too. It is a real eyesore now, but would look great after renovation. It could be used for lofts or as a recreation building as an extention of Riverside Park.

Speaking of that area, there was a plan to make the area under I-95 into a weekend farmer's market. Has anyone heard anything on that?

[RiversideGator]

For some reason, the powers that be decided that we had to make the area beneath the bridge a retention pond (along with the ones in the Brooklyn area). I cant imagine a worse place for ponds than here - they are completely inappropriate in this location. There has to be a better way to dispose of waste water. I smell an environmentalist.

[vicupstate]

I know at least a couple of forumers went to this...

Reminder: JaxPride will hold their annual Ideas & Actions forum on Wednesday, April 6 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Radisson. At the workshop, results from a recent charette concerning Southbank development opportunities will be unveiled and discussed.

[bobliocatt]

Southbank project's scope narrows

By RYAN GEDDES

The Times-Union

When South Shore Group Partners LLC first announced a plan for a residential project near the Aetna building on the Southbank, it was on a grand scale -- 550 units in soaring twin towers that would have become Jacksonville's tallest buildings.

But since the ambitious project's August approval by the Downtown Development Authority, international real estate developer Hines Corp. has agreed to partner with South Shore on its development. The new partnership now has a refined plan with a narrower scope.

And they say they don't need any city money to pull it off.

At its Wednesday morning meeting, the DDA unanimously voted to grant South Shore Partners the right to develop 300 residential units and 50,000 square feet of retail space on the group's three-acre parcel of riverfront land at 841 Prudential Drive. In return, South Shore Partners would build a 12-foot-wide Riverwalk extension in front of the property, grant the city easements for public access, connect the current Riverwalk to the new one under the Acosta and railroad bridges, and set the residential tower farther back from the river than the previous plan allowed.

"We have been actively working in Jacksonville for about nine years, and we have been looking for the right opportunity to do something downtown," said Walt O'Shea, vice president with Hines, which is also developing the Palencia community in northeast St. Johns County.

The private, Dallas-based company controls $11 billion in assets worldwide and has worked with such award-winning architects as I.M. Pei & Partners, Frank Gehry & Associates and Robert A.M. Stern Architects. The latter company also designed the new downtown library, scheduled to open this year.

The company has named famed architecture firm Arquitectonica International Corp. as the architect for the project. The twin-tower design prepared by Jacksonville-based KBJ Architects will not be used, O'Shea said. Arquitectonica is based in Miami with offices worldwide and has won numerous awards internationally.

Most Southbank residential developers have approached the city for incentives with their recent projects, but O'Shea said at the meeting that the South Shore partnership would not require financial assistance for Riverpointe. Developers of San Marco Place and St. Johns Center, both new residential condominium projects on the Southbank, have received about $15.6 million in incentives between them.

Hines does not yet have an estimate on how much the new project will cost to build.

Bob Rhodes, chairman of the DDA, said the Riverpointe project could be a turning point for residential development on the Southbank and that similar future projects in the area would be considered in light of South Shore's decision to completely privately finance their project.

"This reflects the fact that we have made market on the Southbank, and of course it is going to be considered going forward," said Rhodes.

The design of the proposed residential tower would have to be approved by the Downtown Development Authority's Design Review Committee. Hines has not yet set a date to meet with the DRC.

ryan.geddesjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4689

This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor..._18302405.shtml.

[vicupstate]

I found it odd that this article gives the impression that the project is "narrowed in scope", and implies that there will only be 1 tower, but does not explicitly say that. Nor does it quote anyone from the developer on anything.

[bobliocatt]

It seems to back up this older article that the project is now a two phase development.

Palencia developer eyes Southbank condo project

Stewart Verney The international real estate firm that developed Palencia northwest of St. Augustine will be a partner in a high-rise condominium project on the Southbank in Downtown Jacksonville.

Houston-based Hines announced a partnership Friday with South Shore Group Partners LLC to develop the first tower of a proposed two-tower condo project.

The proposed $100 million development, named Riverpointe, will include up to 300 condos and townhomes adjacent to the Aetna building.

The project had originally included two condo towers, but Hines Senior Vice President Michael Harrison said the company is concentrating on a single tower at this point. Hines has brought in a Miami architecture firm, Arquitectonica, to design the project, and plans to start construction by early 2006.

"If everything goes exactly right, it could happen in the fourth quarter of this year," said Harrison of the start of construction. "We just wanted to set out a realistic target date."

The site is between the Aetna building, formerly the Prudential building, and the St. Johns River. The developers are proposing a 120-slip marina as well as working with the city to extend the Southbank Riverwalk under the Acosta Bridge to the site.

Harrison said Hines thinks there is plenty of demand for Southbank condos, though he said the company is still doing market analysis and isn't ready to announce pricing. And Hines could work with South Shore Group Partners to build a second tower.

"SSGP still owns the other site, which is a phase two site," Harrison said. "That's still part of their plan and if everything goes well, we could do the second one."

[RideBikes]

The company has named famed architecture firm Arquitectonica International Corp. as the architect for the project. The twin-tower design prepared by Jacksonville-based KBJ Architects will not be used, O'Shea said. Arquitectonica is based in Miami with offices worldwide and has won numerous awards internationally.

I am not disappointed that the towers shown previously are not going to be built on that site. They were way over-scaled and looked silly!

Hope Arquitectonica comes up with a better addition to our skyline!

[RiversideGator]

I agree with RideBikes. The only good thing about the previous rendering was the height of the structures. Still, they did not fit well with the old Prudential Bldg. I think by having one taller building on the east side of the Prudential Bldg., the project will not so completely dwarf the old structure. I am hoping that it will be 700+ feet or at least Jacksonville's tallest building.

[vicupstate]

The owners of the Aetna Building are trying to convince its signature tenant to consolidate its Southeast operations in Jacksonville. Hal Dodt, the managing partner with South Shore Group, said he wants to sign Aetna to a lease extension and said he

[mwfsu84]

An 'icon' building. So we're talking about some sort of tower that will stand out, either through design or height - or both.

If I had to pick Jacksonville's current 'icon' building, I'd go with the Modis Building. The BOA Building is taller, but in most shots of the Northbank skyline, it's hidden behind the Modis tower. Plus the Modis Tower has a more distinctive look to it - some have said ugly. But as someone who grew up in the area, and remembers the old Independent Life Building during construction in the early 70's, I've actually grown fond of that building.

[RiversideGator]

Downtown Consultant Will Shake Things Up

3/23/2005 11pm report

By Jennifer Brice

First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The bright lights and fireworks of Super Bowl XXXIX may have faded, but the city of Jacksonville has a plan to bring the feeling back.

The heartbeat of downtown Jacksonville seems to run on a tight schedule. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. there is no doubt you'll find the hustle and bustle of people on the move. But once it's quitting time, downtown resembles more of a ghost town according to Ben Pennyman. "After 5 p.m. downtown doesn't have a big city feel."

The city is looking to shake things up. Consultant Tony Allegretti was hired by the city to capitalize on the Super Bowl's momentum downtown.

Over the next six months, Allegretti will create events and programs to enhance downtown. It will start with a grass-roots campaign called "Take Me to the River". The campaign asks the people of Jacksonville to bring a friend or family member downtown this summer, says Allegretti. He says it's a chance to grab some of the energy left over from Super Bowl. "You concentrate on what's going right. See what events draw people. We have such a deep cultural dish."

Allegretti's position is a six month contract with the city.

[Captain Obvious]

isn't/wasn't tony a poster on these forums?

if so, i hope he shares more details with us soon. congrats.

[jjoshjl]

Quick Question...

Does anyone know the building is that is going up next to the half completed overpass at the I10 I95 merger. It is next to the Parking Garage that is going up beside the BCBS building. It is still just a metal frame, but it looks like its about 4 stories. Anwyay, I pass there every day and was just curious what it was as it looked like it just showed up out of no where.

Cheers

[bobliocatt]

isn't/wasn't tony a poster on these forums?

if so, i hope he shares more details with us soon. congrats.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, Tony (The Urban Core) still posts here. I look forward to seeing what he has in store for downtown, as well.

Quick Question...

Does anyone know the building is that is going up next to the half completed overpass at the I10 I95 merger. It is next to the Parking Garage that is going up beside the BCBS building. It is still just a metal frame, but it looks like its about 4 stories. Anwyay, I pass there every day and was just curious what it was as it looked like it just showed up out of no where.

Cheers

Its a self storage center.