Armory Being RFP'd

[Steve]

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/city-puts-historic-armory-up-for-sale-redevelopment

The city-owned former Florida National Guard armory on the northeast edge of Downtown is for sale.

The city published a request for proposals July 3 seeking bids from developers to buy the 2.02-acre site at 851 N. Market St., with an option to redevelop an adjacent 2.97-acre property at 928 N. Liberty St. The building has been empty for nine years.

According to the RFP, the city also might consider a long-term lease with a developer.

I suppose good that the RFP isn't for Demolition.

[Bill Hoff]

For those that don't know, this property has had a lot of conversation & controversy around it within the past decade. COJ considered using it as a homeless center (SPAR squashed that idea through vigorous advocacy), then COJ considered allowing a Confederate group to use it, then there was a proposal for an arts center. Lots of energy, consternation & public discussion about all this - none came to fruition as it has major flooding issues. If you want to read about some of that drama, here are a number of links, roughly in order:

https://www-jacksonville-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.jacksonville.com/article/20121016/NEWS/801245452?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&template=ampart&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jacksonville.com%2Farticle%2F20121016%2FNEWS%2F801245452

https://www-jacksonville-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.jacksonville.com/article/20121018/NEWS/801245341?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&template=ampart&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jacksonville.com%2Farticle%2F20121018%2FNEWS%2F801245341

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/12/04/armory.html

https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20131202/OPINION/801241963

https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20130705/ENTERTAINMENT/801250280

https://www-jacksonville-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.jacksonville.com/article/20131209/OPINION/801241474?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&template=ampart&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jacksonville.com%2Farticle%2F20131209%2FOPINION%2F801241474

Wonder if Vestcor would be interested? Seems like something up their alley.

[Steve]

The flooding issues would be my #1 concern. Is there a city plan to mitigate that? I'm sure the Armory isn't the only building in the area susceptible to that.

[Tacachale]

The flooding problem will likely limit who's interested in the building.

[KenFSU]

^Aquarium to armory confirmed.

[Charles Hunter]

Uh oh. Someone at City Hall is going to lose their job.  Putting out an RFP before demolishing the building? That's not the way we do things, it's easier here. 

[Bill Hoff]

Update to the The Armory's redevelopment: 3 bids received, 2 from South Florida, 1 local.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/bids-opened-for-historic-national-guard-armory

[thelakelander]

Interesting collection of bids. Can't wait to learn more about each one.

[vicupstate]

The grocer idea sounds very promising but hard to believe.

Exterior Realty Inc. also responded as a no-bid.

Wut?

[Bill Hoff]

The grocer idea sounds very promising but hard to believe.

Dialogue critique:

How can something be very promising, yet hard to believe?

[thelakelander]

The grocer has a 10,000 square foot store in a suburban strip mall in Boca. It will be interesting to see what their thoughts are with 80,000 square feet of space in Jax at that location. With that said, I love seeing more diversified parties seeking development opportunities in the urban core. Considering the DIA just gave Vestcor three city blocks for free, would they be willing to gift this building as an incentive for its redevelopment? That's another part of this process that will be interesting to see played out.

[vicupstate]

The grocer idea sounds very promising but hard to believe.

Dialogue critique:

How can something be very promising, yet hard to believe?

Let me rephrase. The grocer idea sounds very desireable but hard to believe.

It would be great to have a specialty grocer, but hard to believe a sufficient market to support it is there yet. 

[Wacca Pilatka]

I'm not familiar with the grocery store - is this perhaps a destination grocer that would be interested in this space due to being in the State/Union corridor and drawing from beyond downtown and Springfield?

[thelakelander]

It appears to be a smaller, local specialty grocer in South Florida. The Armory site would definitely be a location that would draw from a larger portion of the population than downtown, Springfield and the Eastside. State and Union have a hell of a lot more potential from a commercial market perspective than the majority of the surrounding thoroughfares, due to their high crosstown traffic counts. Nevertheless, I seriously doubt a single grocery store of any kind would take up 80,000 square feet. So it would definitely have to be some sort of mix of uses or spaces.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Specialty grocer as a food hall anchor perhaps?

I always pictured the Armory as a great candidate for an arts center like the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, but Torpedo Factory is in the midst of a dense environment with complementing uses.