220 Riverside Breaks Ground: A New Day For Brooklyn?

[Metro Jacksonville]

220 Riverside Breaks Ground: A New Day For Brooklyn?



Does the ground breaking of 220 Riverside represent the beginning of an urban development boom in downtown's final frontier?  With 220 Riverside now underway, here is a brief summary of 220 Riverside's groundbreaking and a look at additional proposed projects in Brooklyn.


Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-nov-220-riverside-breaks-ground-a-new-day-for-brooklyn-

[Noone]

Very exciting news for Jacksonville.

[avonjax]

This just could be the project that jump starts everything again. I love the look too. Maybe there is hope....

[comncense]

As a native New Yorker, IF all of this becomes a reality, I'd be more than happy to become a Brooklynite again.

[jaxlore]

Now if they can just convert that Sky Way repair station to an actual stop we will be in business.

[duvaldude08]

I passed this morning as I took a detour to san marco blvd. ( the fuller warren exit in the morning is awful on I-10). I seen some guys out there getting set up. Im so anxious for this to get under way. I want to see a foundation laid like tomorrow!!! 

[boydbettis]

What is the latest on Riverside & Jackson...anything moving forward?

[CityLife]

I'm pretty bullish on Brooklyn and its potential and I've talked to many others who are as well. Riverside/Avondale has some infill constraints that Brooklyn doesn't, plus it is closer to DT, the Southbank, and 95, yet still close enough to the restaurants, shops, parks, etc of R/A to get those benefits as well.

I've always thought one of the biggest hindrances to getting streetcar and fixed transit, was the lack of developers/investors lobbying for it. Now the 220 Partnership/Hallmark will be all over it and hopefully the developers of the other projects will be too. Like Ennis pointed out, now there is a funding mechanism in place for it, as well as an example of the type of infill (220) that can be built along a streetcar line. 220 might as well be called a PTOD (Pre-Transit Oriented Development). Lets hope there is more on the way.

[Abhishek]

This is cool!

[acme54321]

I'm all for 220 Riverside, but the Riverside and Jackson project is rather lackluster.  That parking out front has to go.

[thelakelander]

I'm for both.  However, I agree that the Riverside & Jackson site plan needs to go back to the drawing board and I believe it will.

[Jason]

I vote for a "Brooklyn" sub-section under the Urban Neighborhoods section.

That article really puts into perspective all of the upcoming work and how huge an impact it will have.

[exnewsman]

I recall the original plan for 200 Riverside (as it was known back then when it was a hotel/office building) had a designated trolley stop with a cool looking transit shelter. I don't see that incorporated into this new design. With Unity Plaza on this site it would seem like you would want to still have that whether or not it's a hotel or an apartment building. Am I just missing it or did they remove that element?

[Jax96]

Like Jaxlore said, the skyway shop should be turned into a real stop. Then, the streetcar can tie into the skyway, and then there is no need to take it downtown and clutter it up

[thelakelander]

^I agree with you guys on finding a way to at least add a real skyway station at the maintenance center.  It would really suck if these developments open in 2014, with a grocery store, and the Northbank/Southbank residents are still required to drive to reach it despite the skyway being across the street.

With that said, the development next door was approved by the DIA today:

Downtown group approves plans for second Brooklyn development

Pope & Land Enterprises, the developers of the project, has asked the city to spend about $1.8 million to upgrade utilities in the area and for a $5.2 million revenue enhancement grant; that request is pending before the City Council.
The project is being hailed as a triumph for the area, even by those who have some issues with details of the development.

In particular, said DIA Boardmember Oliver Barakat, the "superblock" created by the closure of streets doesn't meet the city's goal of creating walkable development in the area.

"I voted for it because the numbers make sense," he said. "But we have to recognize we approved a project that is antithetical to our master plan."

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-11-14/story/downtown-group-approves-plans-second-brooklyn-development