Is Riverside/Avondale Ready For Mellow Mushroom?

[Metro Jacksonville]

Is Riverside/Avondale Ready For Mellow Mushroom?



Mellow Mushroom has announced they will begin construction of a new location in Avondale.  Instead of replacing two non-contributing structures, they have opted for an impressive adaptive re-use project that aims to serve as a future model for the community at large.

The benefits of a unique re-use project are wide ranging.  They minimize waste of good building materials, preserve neighborhood character, contribute to job creation as dollar for dollar these projects provide more funds to the local work force than a new construction project and provide an economic benefit to the neighborhood as surrounding property values increase when an abandoned building has been re-purposed.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-apr-is-riversideavondale-ready-for-mellow-mushroom

[Noone]

Great article Mike. Love the comparisons. Good luck with the legislation.

[Tonyinchicago]

The parking situation is becoming an issue.  The Avondale Merchant's Association, at the recommendation of Jim Love, has issued an email requesting that all retail and restaurant businesses tell their employees not to park in front of the shops on the strip.  In fact, the request specifies that they park down by Van Wert along Boone park because "it's only three minute walk".  The retail shops and the restaurants interest's diverge here.  The shops, for the most part, shut down by 5pm while the restaurant employees leave late at night.  Safety is my main concern here by having these individuals walk down dark streets late at night.  Really, the problem is not the employees, it's the unlimited amount of seating being added.  Has anyone but myself not noticed the gridlock that occurs on any given night on the stretch between Talbot and Ingleside, along Riverside ave any night of the week?  I am absolutely amazed that the residents and property owners have not been more vocal in opposition to  the changes in the overlay that has taken place over the past few years.  I think the MM addition and fantastic for the area, but, at some point someone, somewhere, is going to have to put the brakes on this Mushrooming (sorry, it is too easy) problem.

[ben says]

I am the only one who wouldn't givea damn how many people parked in front of my house? As long as I can give in and out of my driveway, who cares? Maybe I feel that way because I've lived in a real city with much bigger parking issues? Four years in Charleston and a year in NY really put this into perspective.

[mtraininjax]

When the Avondale Town Center was created, Ingleside was to have been a 4-way stop. For some reason the city decided to revert back to the stop light. A 4-way stop there would be a great way to slow down traffic. I have spoken with the Town Center folks in the city who thought that even closing Ingleside at Riverside Ave in the evenings would be a great solution, because it turns that area into a giant parking lot and makes the area more pedestrian friendly.

Yesterday I saw a Mojo's employee walking from down the street, Edgewood/St. Johns, apparently she had parked down that far and walked, I know, WALKED down to her employer a few blocks. Our city is full of obese people, and perhaps we could all use a bit more walking to become a healthier place to live, I know, walking a few blocks is so hard on the couch potato.

Is Riverside/Avondale Ready For Mellow Mushroom?

Did I just find out that Riverside is located within the Shoppes of Avondale? Perhaps we could leave out the Riverside in this piece, unless we think parking will stretch down to the Riverside area.

[thelakelander]

Our city is full of obese people, and perhaps we could all use a bit more walking to become a healthier place to live, I know, walking a few blocks is so hard on the couch potato.

Yes, its amazing what a little extra walking will do for someone's health.  I also agree with the concept of a four-way stop sign instead of a more expensive traffic signal.  The four-way stops would also be a great idea for half of downtown's intersections.

[mtraininjax]

The four-way stops would also be a great idea for half of downtown's intersections.

Just not Adams, Forsyth, or main, as I like synchronized lights to allow me to rapidly move through downtown.

[fieldafm]

One example I forgot to include:

Harlem Tavern has contributed to the resurgence of Frederick Douglas Blvd, which has now been dubbed 'Harlem's Restaurant Row'









Biergarten Loreley compares very favorable with Riverside's own European Street beer garden conversion, itself a former service station.









For comparison, E Street has about 22 parking spaces to Mellow's proposed 14-15 spaces.

In fact, San Marco also has good examples of service station re-uses

[fieldafm]

Perhaps we could leave out the Riverside in this piece, unless we think parking will stretch down to the Riverside area.

The concepts of better management of parking(supply is not the problem) and alternative transportation modes is something that applies to both Riverside and Avondale.

[simms3]

People need to learn to walk, and furthermore when areas such as these become busier and more people go out and parking is less available, you should start to see taxis.  I take a cab to go out to eat, and of course drink, quite often.  An article was done on the Va-Hi neighborhood a few months ago, which has more businesses, far more bars/restaurants, denser housing, and far less available parking.  I went there this weekend and parked half a mile away and cabbed back...and then walked about 1.5 miles from my condo to pick up my car the next day.  This is how life should be.  If it were NYC, a car would not even be in the picture, but that's not a fair comparison.

People in Jax need to make the transition of taking cabs out.  Get a group to meet at house, call a cab (there are texts and apps now), group cab into Avondale, eat, then drink, then hail a cab back (or in Jax's case get the bar to call a cab).  Simple.

[WmNussbaum]

Meeting tonight at 7:00 PM at Grace Church, corner of Herschel and Edgewood to discuss parking and growth in the Avondale area.

Mellow Mushroom will eliminate about 15 parking spaces around the service station building that now serve the area, and, natch, create a need for many more spaces. The only place the cars can go is into the surrounding residential streets. I'm a few blocks away and hopefully insulated from having to wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and move Bud Light beer cans, cigarette filters, and other rubbish from the street, but those living closer to the Shoppes can expect that on a regular basis.

Most of the restaurants and shops in the Shoppes are small storefronts, and I for one would prefer to keep it that way. Mellow, another growing chain operation with low to medium priced food, will be large, and will attract a class of diners less inclined to concern themselves with finding an appropriate place to discard their rubbish.

That's my biased opinion. What's yours?

[cline]

I for one would prefer to keep it that way. Mellow, another growing chain operation with low to medium priced food, will be large, and will attract a class of diners less inclined to concern themselves with finding an appropriate place to discard their rubbish.

Are you advocating attempting to zone out or prohibit certain certain restaurants due to the class of people they attract?  Not sure that is the best solution.

Yesterday I saw a Mojo's employee walking from down the street, Edgewood/St. Johns, apparently she had parked down that far and walked, I know, WALKED down to her employer a few blocks.

I have head that the management of Mojo's has been proactive about getting their employees not to park in front of the store.  I would imagine other restaurants could do the same with their employees.

[grimss]

If we get anything that looks like the Double Wide Grill, expect riots in the streets. I'd far prefer to see something like Leon's Full Service . . .

Everyone with an opinion--pro or con--should attend tonight's meeting at Grace Avondale Church at 7 pm. CM Jim Love and representatives from RAP will be there to record suggestions and concerns.

[Lucasjj]

I for one would prefer to keep it that way. Mellow, another growing chain operation with low to medium priced food, will be large, and will attract a class of diners less inclined to concern themselves with finding an appropriate place to discard their rubbish.

Are you advocating attempting to zone out or prohibit certain certain restaurants due to the class of people they attract?  Not sure that is the best solution.

I don't think that would accomplish what this person is saying on their post. I think what needs to be done is have the shops walled off and gated on each end. Therefore whoever wants to go there has to pass through the gates and can be screened so that only the right people get through. Obviously those who eat at low class places such as Mellow Mushroom are really only there to cause havoc and ransack the neighborhood, and we should all fear that.

[fieldafm]

Mellow Mushroom will eliminate about 15 parking spaces around the service station building that now serve the area

Based upon the conceptual design that was presented, Mellow will be adding b/w 14 and 15 legally defined on-street parking spaces (closing off the old station's driveways creates additional stall space, and additional parking stalls will be added behind the building). 

Which 15 spaces will be eliminated?