Six awe-inspiring Jax skyscrapers never built

[Metro Jacksonville]

Six awe-inspiring Jax skyscrapers never built



The downtown Jacksonville skyline we know and love today would have looked dramtically different if these size skyscrapers would have been built as originally proposed.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-aug-six-awe-inspiring-jax-skyscrapers-never-built

[vicupstate]

Soon you can add Khan's Shipyard Dream Sim City to this list of things that never got built.

It's a real shame the Riverwatch building didn't get built before the crash.  That is the type of project The Landing needs nearby if it is to ever reach it's potential. That site was the last unpainted canvas that could have had a huge synergy to the whole vicinity.

[Gunnar]

Yes, quite a shame and it would have been a better use for this type of property than a parking garage.

[civil42806]

Where is the gigantic observation tower?  After all that would have been ......... wait for it.........a ..........GAME CHANGER!

[thelakelander]

Soon you can add Khan's Shipyard Dream Sim City to this list of things that never got built.

It's a real shame the Riverwatch building didn't get built before the crash.  That is the type of project The Landing needs nearby if it is to ever reach it's potential. That site was the last unpainted canvas that could have had a huge synergy to the whole vicinity.

What's worst is that there are many who believe the Shipyards is the most important project in DT Jax.....

SHIPYARDS

Coinciding with a renewed debate on HRO, Curry may also find himself in negotiations with Jaguars owner Shad Khan over his high-profile proposal to develop the Shipyards property on Jacksonville’s downtown waterfront.

Team President Mark Lamping has said he anticipates negotiations — which appear to be at a standstill since former Mayor Alvin Brown left office — to resume in mid-September. And Curry has said he will be personally involved in talks with Khan.

Khan wants significant public investment that, in some cases, downtown development officials are unsure they can accommodate. But many consider the Shipyards proposal the highest priority when it comes to reinvigorating downtown.

Khan has proposed a mix of housing, shops, offices, a hotel, mooring space for the USS Adams and a multilevel Jaguars practice field. But, like HRO, progress may have to wait until after budget talks.

“I would like to see a project like this move as quickly as possible ... It’s transformational,” said Daniel Davis, president and CEO of the JAX Chamber.

“Clearly right now the mayor’s No. 1 priority is having a successful budget. It’s kind of understandable that they would like to see that through before moving on to other important issues.”

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-08-11/story/mayor-curry-faces-complex-hot-button-issues-budget-hearings-set-begin#cxrecs_s

[Captain Zissou]

Riverwatch and the 2nd St Johns proposal would have been great additions.  The initial St Johns proposal was hideous.

I like Klutho's courthouse design better than anything we got from the RFP for the current monstrosity.  Not sure where the center of the core was back in the day, but I would hope it would have been in the center of the developed area.

[jcjohnpaint]

Can't help but think of 'Groundhog's Day'

[urbanlibertarian]

Interesting article.  Thanks.

[I-10east]

Some wiseguy will 'hilariously' say "With our history, most of those buildings would've been torn down anyway" blah blah blah...

Now that's out of the way, and no one has to say it...

I'm not necessarily anti-Riverwatch far as the building itself, but I thought that the proposed location was horribly clashing with the skyline.

[thelakelander]

^You should have seen the old AHL proposal for that site. You would have had twin Suntrust Towers sitting there. Also, here's a picture showing the second Enterprise Center tower that was never built.


State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/94424 - See more at: https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/94424#sthash.UpYGumVa.dpuf

[Jason]

Riverwatch and the 2nd St Johns proposal would have been great additions.  The initial St Johns proposal was hideous.

I like Klutho's courthouse design better than anything we got from the RFP for the current monstrosity.  Not sure where the center of the core was back in the day, but I would hope it would have been in the center of the developed area.

Those two are the one's I like the most, as well.  IMO, the Riverwatch location being covered with a parking garage is the WORST thing to happen to our downtown skyline in the last 20 years.  Both Riverwatch proposals would have looked great in that location. 

Thankfully, we still have all of the other surface lots around the CSX building for iconic towers.

[hiddentrack]

Thankfully, we still have all of the other surface lots around the CSX building for iconic towers.

I've always wondered if the city will ever come up with a plan for dealing with all the surface parking lots, or if they're just happy with them being there. Riverfront parking has always seemed like the weirdest thing to me.

What's worst is that there are many who believe the Shipyards is the most important project in DT Jax.....

The more I've thought about it, one way people could change that view and turn other projects (Landing, Barnett, Laura St Trio, etc) into the most important for DT Jax is to make them part of a single redevelopment plan. I'm not saying they all need to be done by the same developer, but someone should try coming up with a plan that can be sold to the powers-that-be as a single project where money could be thrown for a big impact. From eyeballing a map, the area between the Landing and Hemming Park looks smaller than the Shipyards so it shouldn't be seen as something too big to achieve. Put a group of interested parties together, come up with a plan that can generate some excitement, and start lobbying the city.

As long as these projects are coming to the city individually looking for money, they look like smaller-scale, lower-impact projects. Of course, as you've pointed out before, the entire Shipyards site won't be developed all at once or in a short period of time. But the Shipyards wins the argument for many people because it's presented as a single project while the others out there are out on their own.

[jaxjaguar]

Had the later residential developments started a year or two earlier, it's crazy to think how much different our skyline would look today. Also, the recent developments in Brooklyn probably wouldn't have occurred as the condos would just now be filling back up again.

Hopefully we see some more big projects like this soon. I'd love to see some cranes downtown on my next visit. And some new exciting buildings in a few years.

PS I'm pretty certain St James was scaled back just before it was scrapped. Here's a picture I took of the blueprints / 3d model.

[CCMjax]

Thankfully, we still have all of the other surface lots around the CSX building for iconic towers.

I've always wondered if the city will ever come up with a plan for dealing with all the surface parking lots, or if they're just happy with them being there. Riverfront parking has always seemed like the weirdest thing to me.

What's worst is that there are many who believe the Shipyards is the most important project in DT Jax.....

The more I've thought about it, one way people could change that view and turn other projects (Landing, Barnett, Laura St Trio, etc) into the most important for DT Jax is to make them part of a single redevelopment plan. I'm not saying they all need to be done by the same developer, but someone should try coming up with a plan that can be sold to the powers-that-be as a single project where money could be thrown for a big impact. From eyeballing a map, the area between the Landing and Hemming Park looks smaller than the Shipyards so it shouldn't be seen as something too big to achieve. Put a group of interested parties together, come up with a plan that can generate some excitement, and start lobbying the city.

As long as these projects are coming to the city individually looking for money, they look like smaller-scale, lower-impact projects. Of course, as you've pointed out before, the entire Shipyards site won't be developed all at once or in a short period of time. But the Shipyards wins the argument for many people because it's presented as a single project while the others out there are out on their own.

Regarding the first part of your comment . . . what's funny is if you google earth the surface lot area of Water Street you see packed surface lots but empty top levels of the adjacent parking garages.  I understand the companies in those buildings probably have deals where their employees can use the street level parking lots but are people even using the parking garages across the street?  Seems like a horrible waste of efficiency.  Get those cars in the garages where they are supposed to be and free up some real estate for some denser development.  Why wouldn't they have their employees park across the street in the garage and sell the parking lot portions of their properties?  Or maybe that's what the plan is if the market will ever support infill development on those lots?  I also thought that the one huge parking lot adjacent to the Acosta Bridge could be converted into a public park stretching underneath the elevated highway.  Could be a really cool creative way to make it almost like a half sheltered park.  If you walk over by that area it is hard not to picture the potential.

On the second part of your comment.  I agree, I think a master plan for Laura Street all the way from Hemming Park to the Landing would sell better than piecemealing smaller projects to the public.  Heck, you could even split it up into phases but sell it under the name of one project!  That is exactly what Khan is doing with the Shipyards.  There is no way that will be done in one phase and if you go the meetings that Lamping is hosting they are even saying that it will be multiple phases.  The only reason Khan is selling it as one project is because he is a business man and knows how to get people excited.  Do you really think everyone would get excited if he just said "oh here is a hotel we plan on building by the stadium."  But in reality that is probably how it is going to go.  From start to finish it would be a minimum of a 10 year project.

[ProjectMaximus]

The more I've thought about it, one way people could change that view and turn other projects (Landing, Barnett, Laura St Trio, etc) into the most important for DT Jax is to make them part of a single redevelopment plan. I'm not saying they all need to be done by the same developer, but someone should try coming up with a plan that can be sold to the powers-that-be as a single project where money could be thrown for a big impact. From eyeballing a map, the area between the Landing and Hemming Park looks smaller than the Shipyards so it shouldn't be seen as something too big to achieve. Put a group of interested parties together, come up with a plan that can generate some excitement, and start lobbying the city.

As long as these projects are coming to the city individually looking for money, they look like smaller-scale, lower-impact projects. Of course, as you've pointed out before, the entire Shipyards site won't be developed all at once or in a short period of time. But the Shipyards wins the argument for many people because it's presented as a single project while the others out there are out on their own.

How do you know somebody isn't doing this already? Somebody trying to be a master developer?