Jacksonville Landing: The Civic Council Speaks

[Metro Jacksonville]

Jacksonville Landing: The Civic Council Speaks



A statement concerning the proposed redevelopment of the Jacksonville Landing, on behalf of the Jacksonville Civic Council (JCC), by Downtown Task Force Chairman Bob Rhodes.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-aug-jacksonville-landing-the-civic-council-speaks

[KenFSU]

[edjax]

Of course Toney says how funny we were going to get more community involvement now.  Bottomline in my opinion he rushed the crappy design out last week as he knew the $11.8 was going to be up for debate with the City Finance Committee and he wanted something out to the public showing how diligent he has been to try and save it and get people talking about it again so he could secure the money.  He may be sleazy, but not stupid.

[thelakelander]

Yes, it's a work in process. If anyone has ideas for how the design could be improved, feel free to suggest. I'm pretty sure they are reading Metro Jacksonville.

[InnerCityPressure]

This is bang on.  The Landing should be the centerpiece of downtown.  With that, we "deserve a design that is iconic and inspiring."  It should showcase the river not put it across the street.  The fact that that idea was put to paper and released to the public blows my mind...

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

The fact that that idea was put to paper and released to the public blows my mind...

Not really.  IMO, actually putting something on paper and saying, "This is what we're going to do." is an easy, surefire way to get people to actually respond to something.  Use free labor to generate some renderings and to get a clearer idea of what the 'public' wants.

Once you get somewhat of a consensus and a prelim design, then you pay the professionals to fine-tune it.

[KenFSU]

The Civic Council has asked for community engagement and suggestions for the Landing. Clearly, most agree that Sleiman's design wasn't up to snuff, with lackluster architecture, stingy retail space, and those horrible roads running through the center and separating a predominantly residential Landing from the leftover scraps adjacent greenspace.

With the original plan out of the way for now, what does everyone think that a redesigned Landing should include in order to be, as the JCC says, "the unique downtown venue that our citizens deserve," "the downtown destination that reflects the true nature of the city," and "the single most critical project in regards to transforming downtown Jacksonville." What should it not include.

Mixed use?

Ideas for layout or architecture?

Any similar sites around the country (or world) that you think should be looked at for inspiration?

[exnewsman]

The last thing we need is to let the "King of the Strip Mall" decide what Jacksonville's Downtown waterfront should look like. We need something unique and special to Jacksonville - not a couple of apartment buildings with some retail. What will that do for the city? You could put that anywhere.

[TPC]

I've always liked the look of Paseo Marítimo de la Playa Poniente in Benidorm, Spain.

http://www.thecoolhunter.net/article/detail/1898/urban-spaces--we-need-more-of-them

[Tacachale]

What's most needed is a riverfront pedestrian space (like the current courtyard) that's surrounded by restaurants/retail (like the current courtyard-facing segment of the Landing), but is accessible from and integrated with Laura Street.

Pluses of all of the proposed projects have been opening up access to Laura Street and taking out the unnecessary Main Street ramp in favor of building space. We just need them to do it in a way that will really create the vibrancy we want. Additionally, the mixed-use residential element is a great, it just shouldn't take away everything that already works about the Landing.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Awesome read.

[JBTripper]

Take what we have now, and split it down the middle with Laura Street running down the center to the river (for pedestrians only). Build a band shell over the river at the end of Laura Street, creating a larger amphitheater that will attract events like St. Augustine is getting over Jacksonville right now. Fill out the two structures with bars and restaurants with balconies overlooking the amphitheater and river on the first two floors from the center out to the wings. In the center, go up another three floors with apts/condos - potentially with an elevated breezeway over Laura Street - and on the wings go up another 7-10 floors with retail, apts/condos and office space.

Just spitballing here but I think this is probably better than the last proposal I saw.

[KenFSU]

What's most needed is a riverfront pedestrian space (like the current courtyard) that's surrounded by restaurants/retail (like the current courtyard-facing segment of the Landing), but is accessible from and integrated with Laura Street.

Pluses of all of the proposed projects have been opening up access to Laura Street and taking out the unnecessary Main Street ramp in favor of building space. We just need them to do it in a way that will really create the vibrancy we want. Additionally, the mixed-use residential element is a great, it just shouldn't take away everything that already works about the Landing.

Completely agree. The existing riverfront courtyard has been the Landing's biggest success, and all future development of the space should center around an equally great, central, riverfront plaza. This area should continue to be the signature event space in the city, and when you peer down Laura Street from Hemming Plaza, you should be able to see the band playing at the Landing or the Christmas Tree in the courtyard, not Sleiman's dinky fountain.

Other random ideas:

- Mixed use is a fantastic idea, as long as you don't let residential and parking don't get in the way of commercial.
- The Landing is often the first place that tourists come in Jacksonville, and the space should include ways to educate visitors (and remind residents) about our great city and make them feel welcome. A video board, similar to the one that currently exists, presenting Jacksonville-themed facts and media (Jacksonville in Motion comes to mind) would be awesome.
- One of the most offensive aspects of the Sleiman design was the private rooftop pools. Any vertical development of the site should include public space on top of the buildings. Whether that be building mini-urban parks overlooking the central plaza (other cities are doing some amazing things with rooftop greenspace), or constructing rooftop restaurants or bars, or even utilizing the space for both depending on time of day, the site lines are too stunning to leave unoccupied or to waste on private apartment-dwellers. Unique rooftop space would be something the suburbs simply cannot offer.
- Wi-Fi and quality, free-standing food vendors would be great (think the coffee and breakfast carts at Bryant Park).

[tufsu1]

from what I hear, there may not be any $ coming from City Council this year either.  The Mayor's proposed CIP budget is based on borrowing and Council doesn't seem enthuse with the idea.

[whislert]

First, I need to ask why Hogan continues to the river?  Why isn't it terminated at Bay with the current "stub" converted to a pedestrian plaza integrated with and leveraging the Preforming Arts Center? and what about the parking lot east of the Main Street Bridge? If these two spaces are integrated into the Plan, the total area to work with is nearly two times larger. Why are we considering design of an iconic space without reference to these underutilized spaces fronting the river? A street stub and a surface parking lot? Really? This is the best use of St. John's riverfront land this city can come up with for a second go-round of the Landing? If so then it seems Slieman's proposal is simply aspiring to the low bar being set.