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Project History
Rendering of currently approved Bahri proposal.
On August 26, 2010, the Downtown Development Review Board approved the design of the Bahri Gas and Convenience Store at the high profile intersection of Main and Union Streets. The proposed project included a cafe/restaurant with outdoor dining and serving areas along Union and Main Streets.
Site plan of currently approved Bahri proposal.
The project site is presently under contract for sale for a new 7-Eleven store with modifications to the plan shown above. The largest changes involve the elimination of outdoor seating along Union Street, the elimination of a canopy connecting the building to the gas pump canopy, and a reduction in the convenience store's overall square footage.
Proposed 7-Eleven site plan.
Proposed 7-Eleven elevation facing Main Street.
Proposed 7-Eleven elevation facing Union Street.
Proposed 7-Eleven elevation facing State Street.
Rendering of proposed 7-Eleven gas pump canopy.
Approval of the proposed 7-Eleven project has been recommended based on the following conditions:
1. Applicant to receive a City Council approved Redevelopment Agreement and DRI/TCEA Allocation of Development Rights Agreement and any required amendments prior to issuance of building permit.
2. Applicant to receive approval for multiple signs on the north (State Street), east (Main Street), south (Union Street) and west side of the development. The signs will include building identification and building activities and will be placed on the building as identified by the architectural drawings submitted prior to Final DDRB Approval.
3. Applicant to receive approval for revised reduction of building square footage and removal of canopy connecting to building from gas operations.
4. Applicant to provide Landscape and Streetscape drawings prior to Final DDRB Approval.
5. Applicant to provide mitigation for elimination of outside seating area facing Union Street prior to final DDRB approval.
6. Applicant to apply for and receive a deviation to eliminate entrances on Main Street and Union Street frontages prior to Final DDRB Approval.
The Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) will consider 7-Eleven's request for conceptual review on Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 2:00pm. The meeting will be held at 1 West Adams Street (Police and Fire Pension Fund Building), Suite 200.
Development Update by Ennis Davis.
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thelakelander
December 06, 2011, 06:23:12 AMIt would be nice to see the interior layout of the proposed 7-Eleven. I wonder if it would be simple to shift the main entrance closer to Main Street?
vicupstate
December 06, 2011, 07:02:57 AMThe first plan is much better, is the change mainly to accomodate the car wash?
thelakelander
December 06, 2011, 07:12:41 AMHere is the original site plan. It appears that the changes are being made to reduce the building's size in favor of more space for on-site tanker truck delivery access around the gas pump area.
Revised 7-Eleven site plan
acme54321
December 06, 2011, 08:24:54 AMLooks like pretty much the same plan to me.
The only thing that bothers me is this:
6. Applicant to apply for and receive a deviation to eliminate entrances on Main Street and Union Street frontages prior to Final DDRB Approval.
They should keep those entrances or at least modify it with a corner entrance. Even though it will still look very similar I think they need to retain some sort of connectivity to those streets for pedestrians. What could be the reasoning behind this? Saving space?
Other than that looks like it should be a nice addition. The elimination of the cafe/outdoor seating doesn't really bother me. How many people would actually want to eat lunch at a gas station, or sitting right on Union St for that matter?
thelakelander
December 06, 2011, 08:31:40 AMNo entrances would be on Union or Main Streets.
Tacachale
December 06, 2011, 08:45:16 AMThis doesn't look as bad as I was expecting, but it does look like just another gas station.
ProjectMaximus
December 06, 2011, 12:26:02 PMyou can say that again!
thelakelander
December 06, 2011, 12:59:33 PMI agree. Without knowing the interior layout, I believe a corner entrance at Main & Union would be a great idea. The only real knock I see in the revised plan is now the entire building turns its back to downtown and the main intersection. Pedestrian scale urbanism and walkability is more than just sticking a building's walls next to the sidewalk. There needs to be stronger interaction in the form of opens and window displays. This could be resolved by making that tower element a functional corner entrance.
duvaldude08
December 06, 2011, 01:30:03 PMIm glad to atleast see that something is still happening. This project has been quiet for awhile.
JaxNative68
December 06, 2011, 04:29:44 PMgreat. another poorly designed eifs box for jacksonville. nothing like bringing your bad suburban buildings downtown.
JeffreyS
December 06, 2011, 04:45:26 PMIf 7-eleven is told they need to live up to the previously approved design I bet they will.
acme54321
December 06, 2011, 05:16:53 PMWho is on the DDRB?
iMarvin
December 06, 2011, 05:26:42 PMThis is exactly what I thought. This looks like it belongs in the St. Johns Town Center. I'm happy for the addition, but this is so plain and poorly designed.
dougskiles
December 06, 2011, 07:17:01 PMAndy Sikes
Tim Miller
Monty Selim
Jim Bailey
John Fischer
Chris Flagg
Jonathan Garza
Logan Rink
Roland Udenze
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville-Economic-Development-Commission/Downtown-Development/Downtown-Development-Review-Board-(DDRB)-Meeting-I.aspx
acme54321
December 06, 2011, 09:39:07 PMIs there anyway to contact those guys in regards to this proposal? Looks like there is just the email for the Coordinator.
JaxNative68
December 07, 2011, 05:28:07 PMcan you put who they work for next to their names? in the past this board has been filled with self interested contractors and developers.
acme54321
December 07, 2011, 06:12:35 PMThe COJ link has that info.
downtownjag
December 07, 2011, 07:36:26 PMThey better have a rented security guard patroling 24/7 or that place is going to be horribly overrun by homeless.
TheProfessor
December 08, 2011, 12:05:32 AMit looks like there is street access in the elevation
thelakelander
December 08, 2011, 12:07:09 AM^It's just a floor-to-ceiling glass storefront window.
TheProfessor
December 08, 2011, 12:59:27 AMThanks for the clarification. Does the zoning overlay require streetfront access to buildings?
thelakelander
December 08, 2011, 06:56:51 AMI believe so. Like JTA's greyhound bus terminal, that's one of the deviations they've applied for.
acme54321
December 08, 2011, 08:15:18 AMTrue.
Riverrat
December 27, 2011, 10:36:40 AMSo they eliminated the outdoor/sidewalk cafe seating? That's a bummer...while yes, I doubt it would be used regularly, I do think it looks better/more interactive to downtown instead of a wall or wall of windows. I also think a corner door would be best utilized.
And lastly, while the Downtown Orlando 7-11 missed the mark by walling off the store and thus cutting it off from pedestrians, I wish this location would "wall-off" the pump canopy like the Orlando location did and still keep the store street friendly.
Photo here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/3033905989/lightbox
Jaxson
January 08, 2012, 02:15:01 PMWhat frustrates me most about local architecture is reinforced in the previous posts. We have a great architectural heritage that includes some of most beautiful buildings that I have ever seen. It is quite inspiring to walk around and see gems like the Florida Theater, the Carling, City Hall, the old Furchgotts and others. It is less than inspiring for us to be unable to create new gems for the future - even in the most simple of structures that should be adding to our cityscape rather than just attempting to blend in like yet another blur on a suburban drive down Blanding or Baymeadows...