Jacksonville Development News

[Lakelander]

I guess we'll see. However, it is going up pretty fast. I plan to go out and snap a few shots this weekend.

[hpal3]

I can't believe how much the Southbank has changed since I left Jax 23 years ago. Jacksonville has come a long way since Independent Life, Gulf Life, Southern Bell, Blue Cross, CSX and Atlantic Bank were the only buildings
in the downtown area...opps I forgot about Prudential.

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Before the economy tanked, there were a few developments on the Southbank in the works that would have rivaled the Northbank in size. I believe there were a couple of proposals that were between 450-500' in height if I'm not mistaken.

[Lakelander]

A couple of projects, like the St. John, were in the 600 - 750ft range.

[hpal3]

Originally Posted by Lakelander

A couple of projects, like the St. John, were in the 600 - 750ft range.

Are those project dead in the water or do you think they might move forward once the economy is back on track? If those projects do in fact get off the ground do you see them scaling back?

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

[Lakelander]

I believe every single highrise residential project that has not been built in Florida, is virtually dead for all intents and purposes. However, when the economy really recovers (which I think is years away), a few should come back in some sort of form or fashion.

[hpal3]

Hopefully when things get back to normal Jax will again crank up the development machine. The problem is everywhere. Here in Baltimore
a 44 story(500') Four Season Hotel and Residences that was under construction get cut in half.... The developer took the crains down
when they reached the 21st floor. Such a disappointment.

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Ahh man that sucks!!

[Lakelander]

Here are some recent courthouse images:

[Lakelander]

Team hopes revamped trio trumps Jacksonville's downtown reputation

Developers present plans for retail, restaurants and apartments at the Laura Street Trio.

Four abandoned, historic buildings in the heart of downtown Jacksonville would become a hub of hotels, apartments and restaurants in a plan being unveiled today by developers.

The development team — Linea LLC of Jacksonville and Capital City Partners of Tallahassee — is scheduled to show off its proposals alongside Mayor John Peyton.

The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission is discussing how the city could provide financial support for the project. Under “the right conditions,” a proposal could go to the JEDC in the next couple of months, possibly at the commission’s July meeting, said Executive Director Ron Barton.

The total investment for the project would be roughly $70 million, according to the developers.

The restoration would target a block of Laura Street flanked by the 18-story Barnett Bank Building and the Laura Street Trio: the two-story Marble Bank Building; 10-story Bisbee Building; and 11-story Florida Life Building.

In addition, the developers would build an eight-story apartment building nearby. Altogether, the project would have about 120 hotel rooms and 137 apartments, plus a variety of restaurants and street-level stores. The Marble Bank Building would be tapped for upscale dining.

Capital City Partners has already made its mark on downtown Tallahassee with Hotel Duval, a $15 million renovation of a 1951 building. Hotel Duval attracts both hotel guests and young professionals who go to the hotel’s restaurant and lounges for after-work and weekend socializing.

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2...own-reputation

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Nice updates on the courthouse Lakelander. I drove by there last week and didn't realize how far it has indeed come along.

[Lakelander]

Baptist Medical Center plans $200 million tower

by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor

Baptist Medical Center will ask for approvals, but no public funds, this week to build a $200 million, 11-story tower at its Downtown Southbank Campus.

Baptist will ask the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission during its Thursday meeting for a resolution of support approving development rights.

Baptist, a full-service medical center, plans a combination adult and pediatric replacement bed tower and surgery, diagnostic and treatment center that it calls the Wolfson Children’s Hospital/Adult Tower.

In the commission’s project summary, Baptist reports the project will replace some existing, aging buildings on the campus.

The new tower would be a 339,404-square-foot center with six floors of a children’s hospital topped by five floors of an adult hospital.

Baptist Medical Center has requested, and the City has agreed, to reserve certain development rights. Baptist Medical Center has agreed to make public improvements in return.

According to the summary, Baptist Medical Center presented conceptual plans to the commission’s Downtown Development Review Board in May 2008 and received conceptual approval.

According to the commission’s project summary, Baptist Medical Center doesn’t expect to hire additional employees but intends to maintain current employee levels.

The redevelopment agreement shows that the developer, Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida Inc., proposes to:

• Demolish an existing 84-bed nursing unit, known as the Southeast Unit, and the 161-bed, five-story east wing of the Main Building, which total about 80,000 square feet.

• In their place, build an 11-story, 237-bed hospital tower within Baptist Medical Center’s property on 17.7 acres owned by the developer.

full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showst...tory_id=531165

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Great news for the Southbank, it should create more jobs for the local economy.

[simms3]

New $35 Million VA Center for Jacksonville Unveiled


Quote:

By Kevin Turner
When Debbie Ward joined the Jacksonville Veterans Administration clinic in 2003 as administrative officer, the facility had one location in Springfield.

Since then, it’s expanded to three additional branches — one on Eighth Street opposite Shands Jacksonville and two near Interstate 95 and Butler Boulevard.

And today, the clinic has outgrown all four, she said. But with the coming construction of a $35 million, two-story, 135,500-square-foot facility, the clinic will get both expanded capacity and expanded services when it opens in 2012.

Designs for the new facility have been unveiled, and with the new building, the VA will offer expanded medical services for women, primary care, radiology and new equipment to house all of its services. With its opening, only the facility at 6900 Southpoint Drive N. will remain open as a satellite clinic, Ward said.

http://jacksonville.com/business/201...ville-unveiled

[simms3]

Here is the November Urban Core Construction Update. I have permission from Lakelander aka Ennis Davis to post his photos because he runs the awesome website MetroJacksonville and does not have the time to update the rest of the world. All of these photos are his, and he collected them over the past week or so.

New Duval County Courthouse





200 Riverside (a mixed use development with a 4 floor office component above 2 parking levels connected to a 5 floor hotel, retail, a restaurant, and a park…future space for condos)





Wolfson’s Adult Hospital Tower (12 floors)





Laura Street Streetscape









San Marco Blvd Streetscape





St. Johns Avenue Streetscape





Treaty Oak Park Renovation



Friendship Fountain/Park Renovation







Farah’s Uptown Deli





Farah and Farah office renovations



Poppy Loves Smoke addition (wine and cigar bar in downtown)



Lerner Shops renovations possibly resuming (Downtown)



Fresenius Medical Center (San Marco)





Hurricane Grill (San Marco)



Radiance Yoga Studio San Marco (A bikram yoga studio)



Schulte Design (San Marco)



Pulp Juice (Avondale)



Mojo BBQ (Avondale)



5th and Liberty (Springfield...it will be a house, I met the owners once)



John Gorrie Middle School Loft Conversion (Riverside)







Labcorp (Avondale/Riverside across from St. Vincent’s…I use Labcorp here in Atlanta and they’re good)

[simms3]

JetBlue Announces New Nonstop Service to San Juan, PR

This is great news for Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Port Authority handles almost all trade between PR and the US. Jacksonville is also home to a large and rapidly growing Puerto Rican population. Jetblue is really expanding in the FL markets, Jax being no exception. Jetblue currently only flies to Boston and NYC-JFK from JIA.

[simms3]

Southwest Announces New Daily Service to Denver

Great news for Tebow fans! No but in all seriousness this is a great business connection and great for connecting Jax residents to one of the best winter sports destinations. It will also be a boon for bringing Denver residents to Jax for vacations and golf outings. Currently Southwest flies to 10 destinations from JIA and has almost 30 daily flights.

[simms3]

New Roads Could Give Jacksonville's Northside a Boost

Florida Times Union Image from Sunday's paper

By David Baurlein

The Northside redevelopment district that helped spur growth of Jacksonville International Tradeport and construction of River City Marketplace could get a new mission in coming years — expand the road network in a 22.5-square-mile area in the vicinity of the airport.

The goal would be to accommodate rising traffic while improving the climate for commercial development and job growth in the area.

That’s the vision put forward by the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission in regard to the Jacksonville International Airport Community Redevelopment Area.

The JEDC has approved a guiding document called the North Jacksonville Action Plan that identifies six road projects costing an estimated $181 million. One recommendation is to build a flyover ramp from northbound Interstate 95 to Airport Road, giving motorists a quicker route to their flights than the existing off-ramp with its traffic light.

Read the rest of the article in quote above.

[simms3]

This Just In Within the Hour: Delta to Add 4 New Daily Nonstops to Miami

Delta Boosts International Flights in 2011

Effective March 26, Delta will add five new daily round-trip flights between Miami and Orlando; four new daily round-trip flights between Miami and Jacksonville; and five new daily round-trip flights between Miami and Tampa/St. Petersburg. The flights will be timed to facilitate new connections to trans-Atlantic flights from Miami. In addition to the new service to London-Heathrow, Delta's joint venture partners Air France-KLM and Alitalia offer nonstop flights from Miami to their hubs in Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam, Milan and Rome.

So for JIA that means announced within the past month new service to San Juan, PR, Denver, and Miami. JIA has also been expanding and building like crazy the past 5 years (2 new concourses, new baggage claim, new parking garages, new Aloft Hotel, new Hyatt Place, UC new terminal connection).