Brooklyn: Jacksonville's ultimate urban district?

[TheUrbanCore]

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August 25, 2004

Aage G. Schroder, III, Secretary

District II

Florida Department of Transportation

1109 South Marion Avenue

[Urban_Legend]

Riverside gets extra lanes as RAP complains

by Bradley Parsons

Staff Writer

By paving a half-mile stretch along Riverside Avenue, the Florida Department of Transportation appears to have buried local opposition to its road expansion plans under a swath of black asphalt.

FDOT contractors began paving the new road last week. The four-lane-wide stretch laid down last week will lead eventually to a six-lane Riverside, said FDOT spokesperson Mike Goldman. He said the State had worked too long and spent too much money to consider limiting construction to four lanes, as local advocates have requested. Both sides said the start of road work made the four-lane option unlikely.

Opposition to the $35 million project has gathered strength since a June 9 study from a prominent traffic engineer and City consultant recommended the street be kept to four lanes. In the last week the FDOT has been chastised by a State House member and threatened with legal action. However, after reviewing an estimate of the redesign costs, Goldman said the State decided to continue construction as planned.

GAI Consultants estimated that a work stoppage would cost the FDOT $15,000 daily. To change plans now would force work to stop while the project was redesigned, said Goldman. The weekly $75,000 bill would be paid at the expense of other Duval County transportation projects.

[bobliocatt]

Well its looking like we'll have to live with this being a six lane road. At this point, it may be time to turn the attention to at least making the ponds look like actual lakes with heavy landscaping around them, instead of holes surrounded by chain link fencing.

[TheUrbanCore]

You should be able to cross urban roads. This many lanes is almost (without some deep thought and good design) uncrossable. I have not seen any renderings of the crosswalks.

This esplande is potentially one of the most beautiful corridors from a signature urban historic to a highly dense riverfront employment strip, to a dense urban core, in the nation. Flank a well-designed affordable and walkable neighborhood (Brooklyn) and a re-adoption of McCoy's Creek, and you've connected through green-growth with public park, from McDuff down to the river. It may be a done deal, but it will never be the right (even if the least expensive) thing to do. It has to give good access to the river. Otherwise its the final finger to the people of Brooklyn.

If you'd like a copy of the McCoys Creek Greenway project, published in 1998 by the City's parks department send me a SASE:

Tony Allegretti

Venture Resources Consulting

po 3343

Jacksonville, FL 32206

[Urban_Legend]

Just wondering, what's a SASE?

[vicupstate]

Self Addressed Stamped Envelope

not to be confused with ASE (Automated Skyway Express), the old name for the Skyway.

How many stamps Urban Core?

[TheUrbanCore]

Self addressed Stamped Envelope

Sorry. I've used that acronym before and had to explain. I should just type it out. The report itself is b&w and some renderings in color which I'm willing to splurge on the copies, but an envelope ready to drop in the mail really helps motivate me.

thanks- Tony

[TheUrbanCore]

You guys are fast. I'd say $2 is safe. thanks- Tony

[vicupstate]

Public meeting will review Brooklyn master plan

City officials are seeking public input concerning the development of a master plan for the Brooklyn area between Downtown and Riverside.

The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, the Downtown Development Authority and the city's Planning and Development Department will host a public meeting Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Haskell Company at 111 Riverside Ave.

At the meeting the consultant team of Urban Design Associates will review the master plan for the Brooklyn/Riverside Avenue area before presenting it to the City Council for approval.

[vicupstate]

The Brooklyn/Riverside master planning project of the Downtown Development Authority is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at The Haskell Company.

Wednesday is Sept. 22.

[TheUrbanCore]

I'll be there. If you haven't gone to any of these with Urban Design Associates, I would definitely make it so. They are the real deal. By the way, Russell if you are reading this and can go I'll bring the study. If not, I'll drop in the mail.

Have a great weekend guys.

by the way, farmers market today until 2. good fresh stuff out there. Tony

[bobliocatt]

Road work may detour Brooklyn revitalization

by Bradley Parsons

Staff Writer

A prominent urban design firm unveiled Wednesday its plan to repair a Brooklyn neighborhood that has disintegrated since interstates split the area following World War II. But to implement the plan, the City will likely have to work around new road construction separating the struggling neighborhood from valuable riverfront property.

During an hour-long presentation to the Downtown Development Authority, Urban Design Associates president Don Carter flipped through a slideshow depicting the neighborhood

[vicupstate]

Did anyone attend this meeting? If so, what are your thoughts? What was the attendence?

I am encouraged that the FDOT is willing to make the other changes that Urban Design Associates is proposing. If the Riverside Ave. can't be narrowed to four lanes, at least maybe the other recommendations can be incorporated into the work.

The city, and the DDA in particular, really dropped the ball on this one. Highway construction is one of the most destructive things to the urban fabric. Brooklyn has already been a classic example of that. Welcome to LaVilla wasteland # 2.

[Urban_Legend]

Road work may detour Brooklyn revitalization

by Bradley Parsons

Staff Writer

A prominent urban design firm unveiled Wednesday its plan to repair a Brooklyn neighborhood that has disintegrated since interstates split the area following World War II. But to implement the plan, the City will likely have to work around new road construction separating the struggling neighborhood from valuable riverfront property.

During an hour-long presentation to the Downtown Development Authority, Urban Design Associates president Don Carter flipped through a slideshow depicting the neighborhood

[vicupstate]

Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Goldman says we had a couple of things wrong in our story Thursday about redevelopment in Brooklyn. He says the State never said it would move the retention ponds, which would cost

[Urban_Legend]

From City Notes:

Urban Design Associates, the firm hired by the City to redesign Brooklyn, found some surprises when it started investigating the neighborhood, some good, some bad. On the plus side, the firm found a strong corporate community looking to help turn around the neighborhood. The largest negative was McCoy

[scongro]

Granted, this wouldn't really fit with the history of Brooklyn, but I think that this site would be ideal for an urban shopping district. Think about it - There are a lot of available lots, and every building on Riverside Avenue is off the street quite a bit. Those buildings like the St. Joe and BCBS could be added onto to create a streetfront retail shopping experience (and once the area takes off, the owners could make a killing on retail rents). Parking (since most in Jax want to drive everywhere) can be solved with parking garages with Ground level Retail. Remember, most urban shopping districts are not in the heart of downtown (Chicago's Michigan Avenue is a few blocks from the Loop).

Access to/from the rest of Downtown is a bit of an issue, thaks to the Acosta Bridge ramps, but it could be solved in three ways:

1. The water taxi, especially with the asset of the river nearby

2. The Skyway, since the Downtown Master Plan (and now this Brooklyn Plan) mentions taking the Skyway down Riverside Avenue

3. The Riverwalk

Thoughts???

[Urban_Legend]

I agree about the stupid Acosta ramps. Your ideas are great, although I had heard that some people/organization didn't want the Skyway going into their neighborhood, which I think it dumb. And one, long, continuous Riverwalk from Fuller Warren to Metro Park would help make everything seem connected.

[scongro]

The fear with the Skyway is it going into the Riverside/Avondale Historic District (which is on the other side of the Fuller Warren). However, I think an extension to the corner of Riverside & Roselle makes the most sense (on one corner is Fidelity, and the other is BCBS).

[bobliocatt]

The riverwalk is already being expanded to the Fuller Warren. I also believe, the skyway must be expanded to Five Points, if we really want it to be successful.

As far as the shopping district goes, it will be hard to achieve along Riverside Avenue since its being transformed into a suburban 6 lane highway, with gated retention ponds.

IMO, an urban shopping district would probably be better served if it were an extension of an existing urban retail oriented area, like St. Johns Ave, Five Points, or San Marco Square, along Atlantic Blvd, from San Marco Square to I-95.

[scongro]

I agree with the retention pond thing, but the six lane highway is not an issue. Michigan Avenue in Chicago is an 8-lane road. Granted, Jacksonville is not Chicago, but the six land is not the issue. I think the only other place it would work is the connection from San Marco to the Southbank area (basically where you said). The St. Johns Avenue & Five Points areas are nice, but they really can't be expanded (particularly St. Johns Avenue).

[bobliocatt]

I agree with the retention pond thing, but the six lane highway is not an issue.  Michigan Avenue in Chicago is an 8-lane road.  Granted, Jacksonville is not Chicago, but the six land is not the issue.  I think the only other place it would work is the connection from San Marco to the Southbank area (basically where you said).  The St. Johns Avenue & Five Points areas are nice, but they really can't be expanded (particularly St. Johns Avenue).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If parallel parking or a landscaped median were added, then Riverside Ave's 6 lanes would be a lot more managable. However, I believe the city would like to see Park Avenue developed as the centralized retail spine through Brooklyn.

There wouldn't be much room for expansion along St. Johns Avenue, but Riverside/Avondale's demographics are just right for retail. The retail area along the street could still be expanded with infill development a couple of blocks south to the park (I can't remember its name.

There's a lot of potential for more retail use in the Five Points area. However, it wouldn't be situated along one street (ex. Park St.). There's several surface parking lots in the blocks between Park and Riverside Avenues. That area is ripe for midrise mixed use developments with street retail.

I think 1661 Riverside will be the first of many similar type developments to be constructed in this area. This is one place where I think the city is really missing the ball by not attempting to expand the Skyway to this area.