Urban Construction Update - August 2022

[thelakelander]

A brief look at the status of various developments under construction in and around Downtown Jacksonville.

Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/urban-construction-update-august-2022/

[marcuscnelson]

Wow, lot of updates. Nice to see quite a bit actually under construction, including a great deal of housing. Hopefully that will help with prices around here somewhat.

Surprised some older project names are still in here, like The District (now RiversEdge) and the Football Performance Center (now Miller Electric Center).

A little disappointed in the look of the Edward Waters project, walling off campus doesn’t come off to me as particularly attractive. Some of those fences look way taller than they really need to be. Also noticing that the space between the big entry pillars only looks maybe six feet wide, which seems unfortunate for the potential of widening sidewalks/paths at all in the future.

Along those lines, having driven through campus a few weeks ago, I wonder how necessary four lanes on Kings Road really is. Looking at FDOT data it seems that road sees at most 18k cars per day, which the FHWA says could be handled by two lanes with a lower LOS. If you supplement that with improved bus service (whether that’s in the form of FCF-style with dedicated lanes or just higher frequency) could be really nice for campus and community development.

[jaxlongtimer]

To add, WW Gay is building a new $15 million HQ's in the RYD at Stockton and Edison.

[fsu813]

1637 N. Main hasn't seen movement in quite a while. Same owners as The Drew Mansion and several other large Springfield projects which have stalled.

1349 N. Market is being renovated into a prep/test space for Hakka Kitchen, the popular Chinese food restaurant on Beach Boulevard. Owners may change the plans a little when it gets closer to being finished, that's the idea right now.

1401 N. Main is now the Dreamette! Grand opening is this weekend, August 13th. It's had a 2 week soft opening - they nailed the adaptive reuse aspect, and an excellent product.

[thelakelander]

A little disappointed in the look of the Edward Waters project, walling off campus doesn’t come off to me as particularly attractive. Some of those fences look way taller than they really need to be. Also noticing that the space between the big entry pillars only looks maybe six feet wide, which seems unfortunate for the potential of widening sidewalks/paths at all in the future.

Along those lines, having driven through campus a few weeks ago, I wonder how necessary four lanes on Kings Road really is. Looking at FDOT data it seems that road sees at most 18k cars per day, which the FHWA says could be handled by two lanes with a lower LOS. If you supplement that with improved bus service (whether that’s in the form of FCF-style with dedicated lanes or just higher frequency) could be really nice for campus and community development.

The EWU project is a horrible one and big time waste of money in my opinion. It comes off as the institution being afraid of its own neighborhood and walling itself off from it, as opposed to it being a centralized economic anchor.

As for Kings, FDOT tried to do a road diet a few years ago. Unfortunately, neighborhood community leaders fought it. At the time, there was still an outdated belief that more lanes meant more economic development opportunities.

[thelakelander]

Will get these updated, as well as add better images of Miller
Electric Center.

Surprised some older project names are still in here, like The District (now RiversEdge) and the Football Performance Center (now Miller Electric Center).

[Charles Hunter]

There's a lot going on.

A suggestion - some of the descriptions say "was scheduled to be complete in Spring 2021 [or whenever]" - it would be nice to know the currently projected completion date.

[MusicMan]

Can someone share an update on the proposed storage center at the former site of "METRO",  859 Willowbranch Ave?   

Does not look as if they have started anything at all.

Found it here: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/metro-storage-takes-another-step-in-riverside

[thelakelander]

Nothing was under construction at the metro site but the project is going through permitting.

There's a lot going on.

A suggestion - some of the descriptions say "was scheduled to be complete in Spring 2021 [or whenever]" - it would be nice to know the currently projected completion date.

The Fuller Warren Bridge project website claims a summer 2022 completion now. That's not happening, so we'll keep an eye out for future updates.

[acme54321]

Crews were putting up railings today on the pedestrian bridge, hopefully that means it will be open soon.

[Ken_FSU]

Anyone know if the new FIS garage has retail space?

Can't tell when I drive by if that glass section that juts out toward Riverside Ave is decorative or if it houses retail space.

[Ken_FSU]

Will get these updated, as well as add better images of Miller Electric Center.

Jags have a live construction cam up: https://app.truelook.cloud/dashboard/716/1189/live?code=ethylubkpwjdwi0gvaaelh8ga

[thelakelander]

Anyone know if the new FIS garage has retail space?

Can't tell when I drive by if that glass section that juts out toward Riverside Ave is decorative or if it houses retail space.

That glass part along Riverside Avenue is a small retail space.

[Ken_FSU]

Not sure the details, and I doubt it's anything too major if no permits have been issued, but I saw the first action at the Bisbee Building that I've seen in ages when I was walking over to Jumping Jax today. Almost looked like interior demo. Workers tossing debris out the windows into dumpsters.

There's also been intermittent work going on at Snyder Memorial. There's a crew there today. Mentioned it a month or two back, but keep hearing a rumor about a wine bar at Snyder. No clue if there's substance to it or if it's just one of things that gets repeated enough to where people start believing it. Can't recall seeing an RFP put out for the space.

[MusicMan]

"Construction on $21 million The Hendricks at San Marco continues. The 133-unit, four story multifamily project is being developed by Corner Lot Development Group and Harbert Realty Services will include a three-level parking garage and be completed by February 2023."

I'm a little shocked that these units are wood frame with OSB sheathing/siding.  It's the cheapest way to build (in every sense of the word.)
And if the build out is not 100% water tight (and Jacksonville has been plagued with poor construction/developer lawsuits in this regard over the past 20 years) then it could be a huge problem.  As I recall Publix was cinder block for the most part?

I hope the storm water management plans work out in this area. It's a lot of concrete going down between Atlantic/Belote/Mitchell and Hendricks Ave's.