Downtown Construction Update - May 2009

[Ocklawaha]

Y'all know that once they get to digging, this would be an exceptional time to lay streetcar tracks in either Duval or Monore... It would be like money in the bank.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

You might want to start pushing that idea.  It would be a great opportunity that would save money in the long run.

[riverside_mail]

i talked to the construction super at the Gorrie site today. Current plans are for 56 condos to be finished early 2011.

[thelakelander]

Sounds good.

[thelakelander]

Courthouse ground breaking is planned within the next two weeks.

Sam Mousa, the city's courthouse project consultant, and Alan Mosley, the chief administrative officer, answered council members' questions today about financing for the new Duval County Courthouse. Groundbreaking is anticipated by mid-May and the city is current preparing to funnel additional money to its construction manager for the project.

http://www.jacksonville.com/interact/blog/tia_mitchell/2009-05-05/city_council_courthouse_budget_update

[I-10east]

Someone oughta send an "Oral Explosions" pic to Jay Leno's 'Headlines" segment on Mondays. I guess the posh and elite are used the restaurant names like that; Whatever floats their boats.

[Hurricane]

I certainly wish we had a better design for the courthouse, but I am going to try my best not to complain and just be happy that something is getting built.  It is very true - big construction brings lots of other construction.  I'm guessing everyone reading this is somehow in the field in the design, supply, or contracting.  Let's just be happy about the potential for projects to spawn up around this.

If the Laura Street Trio turns into living units, more people will be living downtown - which means more restaurants and night life will come right behind that, then more living units, groceries, rail system...

PS - Whomever was involved with putting the jail downtown with a river view should be shot immediately.  That was the dumbest idea known to mankind.  The fact that a criminal has a better view than I do is disturbing and is destroying the potential of our city.

[billy]

I though Gorrie was going to be workforce rental.

[heights unknown]

I agree wholeheartedly "Hurricane" regarding the jail should not be on the river and criminals should not have a better view than we do; don't think they should be shot though.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

Courthouse ground breaking is planned within the next two weeks.

Sam Mousa, the city's courthouse project consultant, and Alan Mosley, the chief administrative officer, answered council members' questions today about financing for the new Duval County Courthouse. Groundbreaking is anticipated by mid-May and the city is current preparing to funnel additional money to its construction manager for the project.

http://www.jacksonville.com/interact/blog/tia_mitchell/2009-05-05/city_council_courthouse_budget_update

It's about time..."Hello Hooray!"

Heights Unknown

[stjr]

As a resident and taxpayer of the City of Jacksonville, I feel I have every right to express my opinion on the courthouse project and not apologize for it.

It is bad for Downtown aesthetically, space-wise, street-wise, traffic-wise, and future development-wise, and it's a bad deal for the taxpayers because we are paying a bloated price for it (especially since ours is being built while construction prices are substantially depressed versus just a year or two ago).

I do not agree that we should build it WRONG just to get it done.  That's another $200+ million down the rat hole and is the stupidest reason to justify anything (i.e a cop out for NOT taking the effort to do something right.  Sounds like something a teenage kid would say to get out of doing the responsible things in life!).

I proudly reserve the right to "whine" about this fiasco and monument to gross incompetence and typical Jacksonville failed city planning as long as that building stands.

I certainly would support naming it the John Peyton Courthouse so that no one forgets who brought this idiot project to fruition!

P.S. That Ronco Group building is about as "blah ugly" as you can get.  No personality or character whatsoever.  Another blight on Downtown.  How do people come up with this stuff?  It doesn't have to cost a fortune to do something imaginative and interesting.

[mtraininjax]

Y'all know that once they get to digging, this would be an exceptional time to lay streetcar tracks in either Duval or Monore... It would be like money in the bank.

Why monroe? The idiots at 117W Duval are just going to close the street and sit the darn thing in the middle of it, after the state spent all that money to build the off-ramp from i-95. Idiots at 117 West Duval, just plain idiots!

[Coolyfett]

Questions.

Is Kings Avenue one building with 2 different names? Or 2 different buildings?

City Hall Annex, Isnt there one on Bay Street in a white building. This Jake Godbold is across from Main Library?

The Restuarant on Bay is between Marks and TSI?? Is that the location?

Whats up with the old laundry mat on Kings Street?

Whats up with the school on College Street?

The Lofts on Main look nice man!!! Good to see Godbold gets his name on a building, dude had love for Jax. I remember getting my oil changed and a tune up at the Ronco Building lol...what the heck is it now?

[brainstormer]

I wholeheartedly agree stjr.  I'll get some cheese and we can "wine" together.  We are spending too much money on a mess and from what I hear we have a lot of other whiners out there.  People either think we shouldn't be building it at all, or they disagree with the design, placement, price tag etc.

[Coolyfett]

PS - Whomever was involved with putting the jail downtown with a river view should be shot immediately.  That was the dumbest idea known to mankind.  The fact that a criminal has a better view than I do is disturbing and is destroying the potential of our city.

There is no St. Johns River "view", The Jail has 6 floors 1 for short terms, 2 for long terms, 1 for juveniles, 1 for women & 1 for feds. None of the floors have outside views. The windows you see from outside are the rec room vents, you can see light from outside, but that is it. Inmates do not have a St. Johns River view.