Councilman Brown wants go-ahead on LaVilla

[bobliocatt]

Brown wants go-ahead on LaVilla

by Bradley Parsons

Staff Writer

The City Council

[DavePaulk]

I hope this project gets off the ground quickly. There is a very large and empty space between downtown and riverside. Other than the Prime Osborn, there is pretty much nothing.

[wolfdawg54]

I hope that the construction of LaVilla will help fill in that area. But, who knows what is going to happen until they decide what to do on the convention center issue.

[vicupstate]

LaVilla master plan taking shape

by J. Brooks Terry

Staff Writer

Mayor John Peyton and City Council president Elaine Brown will view an updated draft of the LaVilla master plan today.

Advocated by Brown for years, the redevelopment plan took a large step forward last year when design firm Cooper Carry presented its vision for the subdistrict.

Basing its research on various studies and surveys, residential and parking garage components played a vital role in the Cooper Carry plan.

Brown said the Florida Department of Transportation, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and the Downtown Development Authority will add their own spin on those designs during today

[Urban_Legend]

I had always envisioned the multi-modal center to be located in the Prime Osborn, and have a new convention center be built elsewhere. The Prime Osborn is right next to the train tracks and the Skyway, it seems like a perfect choice for a multimodal center. All the people coming in and out of the place might provide a boost for the area. It desperately needs something.

[vicupstate]

From Downtown This Week...

Brown on Downtown

Elaine Brown

Click to view image gallery

City Council President Elaine Brown makes it clear that she loves Downtown. She

[bobliocatt]

Elaine Brown sounds like my kind of woman. Although, I wouldn't hold my breath on the proposed BRT or light rail system, Prime Osbourne should, with out a doubt, be converted back into its original use.

[Urban_Legend]

Couldn't have said it better myself! I hope Elaine will get things done.

[wolfdawg54]

The Prime Osborn would be nice to use as a train station again, but do we really need to move the courthouse. The city should just use the land it has there and capitalize on a great design. I just don't think Jacksonville has huge demand for that size of a train station right now... I would like it to work, don't get me wrong. Where would we be able to build a convention center of that size close to downtown. That is the only place that I could see the convention center going, not in the 'burbs! Just my opinion.

[Urban_Legend]

I think they should demolish the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel, after the Super Bowl. Then, use the Crawdaddy's property + old hotel property to build a new convention center and hotel. The hotel could be like the Four Seasons Tower in Miami, with residences as well as guest suites. So you would have like a 40 story tower, with a convention center to the right, and a parking garage, encased in retail to the left. I even drew up sketches of this idea (because I have no life....lol) It's conveniently located near a Skyway station, and conventioneers could park in the Kings Ave. garage. I think it would be awesome!

[bobliocatt]

The Prime Osborn would be nice to use as a train station again, but do we really need to move the courthouse. The city should just use the land it has there and capitalize on a great design. I just don't think Jacksonville has huge demand for that size of a train station right now... I would like it to work, don't get me wrong. Where would we be able to build a convention center of that size close to downtown. That is the only place that I could see the convention center going, not in the 'burbs! Just my opinion.

Yes, the Prime Osborn is too large too use as a train station, but its just the right size to be used as a regional transportation center. It could be the main stop and transfer center in town for JTA, the skyway, Amtrak, and potential BRT, commuter rail, a streetcar line, or future light rail. Its also easily accessible to I-95 & I-10, centrally located and on the outskirts of downtown. Extra space could be used for a local transportation museum.

You're also right, when you say it would be cheaper to keep the convention center where its at and expand it there. However, if possible, imo, it would be in the city's best interests to build a new state of the art convention facility and renovate the Prime Osborn into a centralized transportation center. In the end you kill two birds with one stone.

I think they should demolish the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel, after the Super Bowl. Then, use the Crawdaddy's property + old hotel property to build a new convention center and hotel. The hotel could be like the Four Seasons Tower in Miami, with residences as well as guest suites. So you would have like a 40 story tower, with a convention center to the right, and a parking garage, encased in retail to the left. I even drew up sketches of this idea (because I have no life....lol) It's conveniently located near a Skyway station, and conventioneers could park in the Kings Ave. garage. I think it would be awesome!

You're idea sounds pretty interesting. There's already rumors of the Radisson being demolished and rebuilt, after the super bowl. The site is adjacent to two skyway stops, the riverwalk, I-95 and the underutilized San Marco parking garage. If money can be found and a deal with Radisson that may be the best location for a potential convention center.