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Downtown Construction Update - March 2009

A look at the status of various projects under construction in and around Downtown Jacksonville during the month of March.

Published March 10, 2009 in Development     Digg Digg   Share this article on Facebook Share on Facebook   twitterTweet this!

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Berkman Plaza - Downtown




Ronco Group
- LaVilla



 

 

Brewster Hospital - LaVilla




Lofts on Main
- Springfield



 

Wafaa & Mikes (Now Open) - Springfield

 

Main Street Streetscape - Springfield

 

2111 Liberty Street - Springfield







 

City Hall Annex - Downtown

 

 Fu Hao Bistro - Five Points (building has been repainted since image was taken)

 

River Oaks - Riverside





 

 

Sushi House - Murray Hill

 

Prado Walk - Riverside




Oral Explosions Food Court
- San Marco





 

Kings Avenue Station - San Marco







 

HighTide Burrito Co. - Hendricks Avenue - San Marco





Photo update by Ennis Davis



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» 36 Comments

Hurricane

March 10, 2009, 07:13:33 AM

Let's get a new project on this list...  Has there been anything breaking ground in the last 4 months (besides small restaurants)?

thelakelander

March 10, 2009, 07:27:58 AM

It is a monthly "update," meaning you get to see projects evolve through the construction process.  Nevertheless, don't hesitate to give us a hand by pointing out projects we may be missing.  We'd love to cover them.

JoeMerchant

March 10, 2009, 08:49:00 AM

Hell I'm happy to be seeing small restaurants coming out of the ground.

David

March 10, 2009, 09:04:30 AM

Hey, can you make a 50 story skyscraper appear on the downtown construction update for April?

Just something to snazz it up!

Thanks

Cliffs_Daughter

March 10, 2009, 09:11:37 AM

Heck, I'm just really happy the 5 Points restaurant isn't that tacky Green anymore!  Tongue

City Hall Annex should be done very soon. Can't wait for that corner to open up again, it makes walking around that block kinda tricky w/traffic.

David

March 10, 2009, 09:18:21 AM

And just to clarify, has construction resumed on Berkman II?

thelakelander

March 10, 2009, 09:25:59 AM

Construction has not resumed on Berkman II.

thelakelander

March 10, 2009, 09:27:11 AM

Hey, can you make a 50 story skyscraper appear on the Downtown construction update for April?

Just something to snazz it up!

Thanks

Anything is possible for April Fools!

Deuce

March 10, 2009, 09:49:12 AM

At least there is some progress in this down economy! 3rd and Main could end up being a catalyst for more projects in Springfield.

fsujax

March 10, 2009, 09:58:55 AM

3rd and Main is coming along nicely. It is going to be a great addition to the neighborhood. It's a good example of an infill project. There are plans for a pizza restaurant on the ground floor. I am hoping for a Pizza Palace!

stjr

March 10, 2009, 10:19:29 AM

Hey, can you make a 50 story skyscraper appear on the Downtown construction update for April?

Just something to snazz it up!

Thanks

I can help you.  It's only about 40 stories - sorry to disappoint - but it helps downtown by freeing up 4 or 5 city blocks - it's called a VERTICAL County Courthouse!

ralpho37

March 10, 2009, 10:55:12 AM

Amen to that!

Bike Jax

March 10, 2009, 12:19:31 PM

3rd and Main is coming along nicely. It is going to be a great addition to the neighborhood. It's a good example of an infill project. There are plans for a pizza restaurant on the ground floor. I am hoping for a Pizza Palace!

Too bad you can't cross main street to get to it.

fsujax

March 10, 2009, 01:16:16 PM

maybe we can work on getting some of those medians opened up!

billy

March 10, 2009, 01:32:04 PM

Off topic, but did anyone go on the modern architecture bus tour at the Beaches last weekend?
If so, how was it? What houses were on the tour besides the Milam House and William Morgan's place
at Atlantic Beach?

Ethylene

March 10, 2009, 05:26:42 PM

I was there for the free portion. The program for the event is phenomenal just like last year. An extra handout covering tour details listed 25 properties. They could not possibly have stopped in to tour each. Some had to be drive by only. Copies of each brochure can be viewed in Special Collections at the Main Library.

billy

March 10, 2009, 05:43:59 PM

Is it possible to order copies?
I'm in Atlanta.

floridaforester

March 10, 2009, 11:10:48 PM

I hope that some of the Main St businesses can try to make another go @ profitability after the west side of the st has opened back up.  It was really coming along until DOT made it almost impossible to access these businesses.  The 3rd & Main project is looking good (should be nice views of the skyline from the south balconies) and I'm glad to see the main st bakery bldg with an establishment again.

On another note, is it just me or is the new name of the food court in the old "Applejax" bldg awfully ironic?  Just curious.

BTW, Great post, I really appreciate the updates on the projects.  Is there anything going on in St. Nicholas or San Jose (Old San Jose on the river)?

David

March 11, 2009, 12:13:34 AM

On another note, is it just me or is the new name of the food court in the old "Applejax" bldg awfully ironic?  Just curious.


You're not alone. A lot of us had a field day with the name in the original thread:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,4212.0.html.



Deuce

March 11, 2009, 09:22:46 AM

Bike Jax, fsujax - I was back channeled by someone on another forum that putting in walkways for the odd streets on Main was in the works. I don't have more details but they work for the city. They stated that "I worked with SPAR, Public Works, and FDOT in getting the stamped crosswalks put in. Normally they are not allowed at non-signalized intersections, but the state was willing to forego that policy since this is a 'Town Center' corridor." They will be at 3,7,9. That's all I know.

thelakelander

March 11, 2009, 09:40:59 AM

I wonder why 5th was left out?

Ethylene

March 11, 2009, 11:50:24 AM

Billy: Re Modern Classics at the Beach 2009

There were bunches and bunches of brochures available. You should contact the events key planner and Docomomo/US FL Board Member, Richard Sheildhouse. His contact information from the Docomomo/US FL web page, http://docomomofl.org/, is shieldhouse@docomomofl.org. I am sure he will be very helpful. When I look back at the program, I see they physically visited 5 of the Modern Classics including Morgan's Dune House where they concluded their tour with a wine and cheese reception. I can't wait to see what they'll do next.
 
I would have jumped on the tour but I definitely needed to be in Avondale to see Peter Max, at the R. Roberts Gallery, who was making a second trip to town in as many years, alas I was out of town last year! By the end of the day, all my synapses were still firing and I had a tough time falling asleep. (I might add Saturday's weather was a spectacular, sunny 80 degree day.) That's Jacksonville for you, when there's nothing much to do there is nothing, period. But at other times, there is so much going on you are forced to make choices and compromises.

billy

March 11, 2009, 11:51:57 AM

Thanks!

Ethylene

March 11, 2009, 12:02:20 PM

I almost forgot, in between engagements above, I stopped to see a Florida Highwayman exhibit at the Beaches Museum & History Center, http://www.beachesareahistoricalsociety.com/. Too cool! Sorry last post off topic. I do live/work in the Urban Core!

Deuce

March 11, 2009, 12:11:04 PM

I wondered why 5th was left out too. Plus they're going to need one at 2 eventually.

Bike Jax

March 11, 2009, 01:10:42 PM

Bike Jax, fsujax - I was back channeled by someone on another forum that putting in walkways for the odd streets on Main was in the works. I don't have more details but they work for the city. They stated that "I worked with SPAR, Public Works, and FDOT in getting the stamped crosswalks put in. Normally they are not allowed at non-signalized intersections, but the state was willing to forego that policy since this is a 'Town Center' corridor." They will be at 3,7,9. That's all I know.

There should be no need to go back and put crosswalks in a gridded street system. Those intersections should never have been closed up. We (Bike Jax) are also working to have not just the odd streets opened up. But all the streets opened up they way they were originally designed to be.

Do you really think anyone is going to walk up to 7th or down to 3rd to cross at the intersecting roads between? No they are not. Rest assured the death rate for pedestrians will rise on Main St. once construction is done and traffic gets comfortable and complacent with the ability to reach speed once more.

How far is a handicapped individual now required to travel just to across the street? I'm sick of hearing that this design is part of livable streets design. "Yipeee, Springfield has plants in the middle of the road." "It's so pretty." The only thing the current design does is speed up traffic. There is nothing livable about faster traffic. What you got is Baymeadows with plants.
 

Ocklawaha

March 11, 2009, 08:48:49 PM

And what do we do if Berkman II doesn't make it? Any ideas?

Berkman school of Construction Skills?

Berkman multi-level Convention Center?

Berkman BRT/TOD Bus Station?

Multi-Level Publix - bread is located at 10 - Aisle 3, Milk at 4 - Aisle 8?

Berkman Zeppelin Terminal?

What say you?


OCKLAWAHA

thelakelander

March 11, 2009, 10:25:54 PM

A highrise monument of the boom gone bust?

ProjectMaximus

March 12, 2009, 05:10:53 AM

^^They have on of those on the Vegas Strip.

BridgeTroll

March 12, 2009, 07:30:51 AM

Berkman Urban Climbing and Base Jumping Emporium

Jason

March 12, 2009, 11:25:21 AM

^ Nice!

I wouldn't think that building would be suited for anything other than residential or hospitality.  Surely, it'll be finished some day.

happical

March 12, 2009, 02:20:35 PM

NO NO NO, i hate the new vomit color on the Fu Hao Bistro, the green was a hell of a lot better.

nicktooch

March 14, 2009, 05:02:46 PM

yeh bc we really needed another asian cuisine within a 5 min radius... Huh i mean dont get me wrong i could eat sushi all day long (wasabi buffet on southside blvd 9.99 all u can eat sushi/hibachi), but couldnt we have thought a little more outside the box... say maybe a men's store like Armor was in avondale? american apparel like the one in gainesville would be awesome.

mtraininjax

March 17, 2009, 12:15:14 AM

What, no artist's market opening first week in April under I-95 in betweeen Brooklyn/Riverside?  Huh

thelakelander

March 17, 2009, 02:55:39 PM

We'll feature a comprehensive thread about the artist market before and after the grand opening.

ProjectMaximus

March 18, 2009, 04:25:26 AM

The stalled residential highrise in Vegas: St. Regis.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/greathomesanddestinations/06vegas.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=escapes&adxnnlx=1237364612-tQ3W9wz4dS88UHxyJloqZQ
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