The Coastal
  • Development
    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries plans Jax Beach restaurant

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: MOSH releases new Northbank renderings

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Whataburger adding third new Jax location

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Whataburger now open in St. Johns, coming soon in Middleburg

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: East San Marco tenants revealed

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Homespun Kitchen expanding to Riverside

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Vagabond Coffee joining VyStar Tower; Dreamette to Springfield

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Great Greek nears St. Johns opening; Hwy 55 Burgers coming to Westside

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Purple Roots now open at Tinseltown

  • History
    • All
    • Jax Evolved
    Florida Times-Union building

    Story of a Building: The Florida Times-Union Building

    Edgewood Bakery

    Remembering Edgewood Bakery: Once a Murray Hill Staple, Now an Empty Building

    jacksonville university

    A Brief History of Jacksonville University

    history of Ed wAters College

    A Brief History of Edward Waters College

    Worman's bAKERY AND DELI

    Remembering Worman’s Bakery and Deli

    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    San Marco Theater, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: San Marco Theatre

    Sun-Ray Cinema building Five Points Jacksonville FL

    Story of a Building: Sun-Ray Cinema Building

  • Jax Evolved
    VyStar at 100 West Bay Street, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: VyStar Reinvigorates the Former Life of the South Building

    JAX EVOLVED: San Marco Preservation Society Now Occupies South Jacksonville City Hall

    JAX EVOLVED: San Marco Preservation Society Now Occupies South Jacksonville City Hall

    Old St. Luke's Hospital jacksonville fl

    JAX EVOLVED: Old St. Luke’s Hospital Building Now Houses Jacksonville Historical Society

    Paul Davis Restoration, formerly Chevrolet Parts Depot, Springfield, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: Paul Davis Restoration Gives Life to Old Chevrolet Parts Depot

    Old St. Andrew's Church building, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: Old St. Andrew’s Church Building

    Novel Coworking / Groover-Stewart Drug Company Building, 25 N. Market Street, Jacksonville, FL - Image copyright 2020 Google

    JAX EVOLVED: Groover-Stewart Drug Company Building Now Houses Novel Coworking

    Dyal-Upchurch Building, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: Downtown Jacksonville Adaptive Reuse Collection

    The Barnett, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: The Barnett’s Long Journey to Redevelopment

    JAX EVOLVED: Brewster Hospital to North Florida Land Trust, LaVilla, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: From Brewster Hospital to North Florida Land Trust

  • More
    • Culture
      • All
      • Art
      • Hidden Gems
      • Local Quirks
      • Music
      • Shopping
      Local Producer Alex Moye Releases New Album, “All I Need”

      Local Producer Alex Moye Releases New Album, “All I Need”

      Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

      Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

      Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

      Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

      Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

      Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

      MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

      MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

      “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

      Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

      Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

      ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

      “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

      “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

      Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

      Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    • Community
      Prati Italia Jacksonville FL

      How the Prati Italia Team Survived the Pandemic

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

      Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

      Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

      Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

      Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

      Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

      The Pitman Sisters, TikTok video stars from Jacksonville, FL

      How “The Pitman Sisters” Became TikTok Famous During COVID-19

      Local Women in Cannabis, Jacksonville, FL

      Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

      Urban Mining Jacksonville FL

      How Urban Mining Utilizes Donations to Provide Computers for Local Kids

      Cowford Chophouse Teams Up with Jacksonville Arts & Music School for 4th Annual MOO-VE IT 5K

      Cowford Chophouse Raises Over $18,000 for Jacksonville Arts & Music School

    • Food + Drink
      • All
      • Beer
      • Reviews
      Southern Italian Deli Market Jacksonville FL

      Cugino’s Sausage Launches The Southern Italian Deli & Market

      Prati Italia Jacksonville FL

      How the Prati Italia Team Survived the Pandemic

      Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

      Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

      Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

      Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

      Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

      Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

      Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

      The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

      Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

      Norikase Jacksonville

      BENTO Group to Debut Norikase Concept in Jacksonville

    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Lists
    • Sports
    • 904VIEWS
    • Seven Bridges
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
Subscribe
The Coastal
  • Development
    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries plans Jax Beach restaurant

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: MOSH releases new Northbank renderings

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Whataburger adding third new Jax location

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Whataburger now open in St. Johns, coming soon in Middleburg

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: East San Marco tenants revealed

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Homespun Kitchen expanding to Riverside

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Vagabond Coffee joining VyStar Tower; Dreamette to Springfield

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Great Greek nears St. Johns opening; Hwy 55 Burgers coming to Westside

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Purple Roots now open at Tinseltown

  • History
    • All
    • Jax Evolved
    Florida Times-Union building

    Story of a Building: The Florida Times-Union Building

    Edgewood Bakery

    Remembering Edgewood Bakery: Once a Murray Hill Staple, Now an Empty Building

    jacksonville university

    A Brief History of Jacksonville University

    history of Ed wAters College

    A Brief History of Edward Waters College

    Worman's bAKERY AND DELI

    Remembering Worman’s Bakery and Deli

    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    San Marco Theater, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: San Marco Theatre

    Sun-Ray Cinema building Five Points Jacksonville FL

    Story of a Building: Sun-Ray Cinema Building

  • Jax Evolved
    VyStar at 100 West Bay Street, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: VyStar Reinvigorates the Former Life of the South Building

    JAX EVOLVED: San Marco Preservation Society Now Occupies South Jacksonville City Hall

    JAX EVOLVED: San Marco Preservation Society Now Occupies South Jacksonville City Hall

    Old St. Luke's Hospital jacksonville fl

    JAX EVOLVED: Old St. Luke’s Hospital Building Now Houses Jacksonville Historical Society

    Paul Davis Restoration, formerly Chevrolet Parts Depot, Springfield, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: Paul Davis Restoration Gives Life to Old Chevrolet Parts Depot

    Old St. Andrew's Church building, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: Old St. Andrew’s Church Building

    Novel Coworking / Groover-Stewart Drug Company Building, 25 N. Market Street, Jacksonville, FL - Image copyright 2020 Google

    JAX EVOLVED: Groover-Stewart Drug Company Building Now Houses Novel Coworking

    Dyal-Upchurch Building, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: Downtown Jacksonville Adaptive Reuse Collection

    The Barnett, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: The Barnett’s Long Journey to Redevelopment

    JAX EVOLVED: Brewster Hospital to North Florida Land Trust, LaVilla, Jacksonville, FL

    JAX EVOLVED: From Brewster Hospital to North Florida Land Trust

  • More
    • Culture
      • All
      • Art
      • Hidden Gems
      • Local Quirks
      • Music
      • Shopping
      Local Producer Alex Moye Releases New Album, “All I Need”

      Local Producer Alex Moye Releases New Album, “All I Need”

      Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

      Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

      Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

      Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

      Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

      Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

      MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

      MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

      “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

      Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

      Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

      ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

      “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

      “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

      Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

      Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    • Community
      Prati Italia Jacksonville FL

      How the Prati Italia Team Survived the Pandemic

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

      Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

      Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

      Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

      Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

      Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

      The Pitman Sisters, TikTok video stars from Jacksonville, FL

      How “The Pitman Sisters” Became TikTok Famous During COVID-19

      Local Women in Cannabis, Jacksonville, FL

      Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

      Urban Mining Jacksonville FL

      How Urban Mining Utilizes Donations to Provide Computers for Local Kids

      Cowford Chophouse Teams Up with Jacksonville Arts & Music School for 4th Annual MOO-VE IT 5K

      Cowford Chophouse Raises Over $18,000 for Jacksonville Arts & Music School

    • Food + Drink
      • All
      • Beer
      • Reviews
      Southern Italian Deli Market Jacksonville FL

      Cugino’s Sausage Launches The Southern Italian Deli & Market

      Prati Italia Jacksonville FL

      How the Prati Italia Team Survived the Pandemic

      Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

      Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

      Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

      Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

      Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

      Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

      Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

      Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

      The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

      Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

      Norikase Jacksonville

      BENTO Group to Debut Norikase Concept in Jacksonville

    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Lists
    • Sports
    • 904VIEWS
    • Seven Bridges
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
The Coastal
No Result
View All Result

Should We Really Be Tearing Down All These Buildings?

by The Coastal
February 27, 2019
in Development
The Jacksonville Landing, Jacksonville, FL

The Landing from the Main Street Bridge

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The recent news of The Jacksonville Landing’s impending demolition has drawn, at best, mixed reactions from local residents. Many are upset about the idea of tearing down one of the city’s most prominent landmarks rather than making an earnest effort at redeveloping the existing property – something its previous ownership never quite got around to doing.

The news, and the debate it has raised, comes just a few weeks after the former city hall annex building along Bay Street was imploded – and as that site and the former county courthouse property are still actively being cleared. Those demolitions drew significantly less controversy – likely because of their somewhat uninviting Brutalist architecture – but were done without a clear plan for what will happen next at the key riverfront property.

Last year, the (privately-owned) old Greyhound bus station was brought down. Talks are ongoing to eventually remove the former Times-Union Building in Brooklyn. The mayor’s office has indicated a desire to bulldoze the downtown pre-trial detention center along Bay Street as well, should the opportunity present itself.

It would seem that we’re on an urban core demolition spree.

This has happened before – actually, it wasn’t even that long ago. Back in the ‘90s, then-Mayor Ed Austin’s River City Renaissance plan brought about the demolition of several downtown structures, including a huge chunk of historic LaVilla.

Current mayor Lenny Curry and his office seem to be running a subtler version of the same playbook. The idea is to clear the way for future development, which was Austin’s goal while tearing through LaVilla.

You MightAlso Like

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries plans Jax Beach restaurant

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: MOSH releases new Northbank renderings

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Whataburger adding third new Jax location

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Whataburger now open in St. Johns, coming soon in Middleburg

But what happens if that “future development” never happens? In the case of LaVilla, it meant several new empty lots that are only now starting to find buyers more than two decades later.

An example of an empty lot in LaVilla created in the ’90s

So far, the old Greyhound station is now an asphalt-paved lot. The courthouse and annex building property will be empty once cleared pending Downtown Investment Authority’s research-and-bid process – which will likely take several months at the very least.

And plans for the future of the Landing property are far from clear. The mayor’s office had previously suggested a large public park with two significantly smaller commercial buildings, but this plan has been criticized as inadequate.

It’s possible that there is sound rationale behind these demolitions, and that there are plans for all of these properties that the public just isn’t privy to yet.

But if that’s the case, shouldn’t we be privy to those plans? After all, these demolitions can be costly; the entire process of settling the Landing’s lawsuits and demolishing it will cost the city at least $18 million. Tearing down and relocating the pre-trial detention center would likely be quite costly as well. And since these bills are largely footed by the taxpayers, it would make sense for local residents to have a bigger say in what happens to these properties.

It’s too late now for the city hall annex and county courthouse buildings. But for the Landing and other buildings that are proposed to come down, is it possible that there’s a better solution?

Share210TweetSendShareShare
Previous Post

A Brief History of Arlington

Next Post

Taste of Jacksonville Food Tours Offers History, Culture, and Delicious Local Food

The Coastal

The Coastal is a local magazine in Jacksonville, FL, founded in 2015 to bring you stories about the past, present, and future of the First Coast.

Related Posts

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries plans Jax Beach restaurant

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: MOSH releases new Northbank renderings

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Whataburger adding third new Jax location

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Whataburger now open in St. Johns, coming soon in Middleburg

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: East San Marco tenants revealed

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Homespun Kitchen expanding to Riverside

Next Post
Taste of Jacksonville Food Tours

Taste of Jacksonville Food Tours Offers History, Culture, and Delicious Local Food

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Development and Construction News Every Saturday - The Coastal

Building Up Jax: Urban Air Adventure Park coming near Avenues

Mojo Bar-B-Que, Jacksonville, FL

REVIEW: Mojo Bar-B-Que

Comments 1

  1. Janice Kelley says:
    3 years ago

    I am hoping Jacksonville can keep The Landing. Ideas of an open market, festival atmosphere would be a great city image.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

LATEST POSTS

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday
Development

Building Up Jax: Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries plans Jax Beach restaurant

Dick Mondell's Burgers & Fries planning Jax Beach location Dick Mondell’s Burgers & Fries submitted plans for a 1,136-square-foot restaurant...

Read more
Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: MOSH releases new Northbank renderings

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Whataburger adding third new Jax location

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Whataburger now open in St. Johns, coming soon in Middleburg

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: East San Marco tenants revealed

The Coastal

© 2015-2021 Cowford Media / The Coastal Jacksonville LLC. All rights reserved.

Browse by Section

  • News
  • Culture
  • History
  • In the Community
  • Food + Drink
  • Sports
  • About

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Development
  • Culture
  • History
    • Jax Evolved
  • In the Community
  • Food + Drink
  • Sports
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Submit Your Story
    • Advertise

© 2015-2021 Cowford Media / The Coastal Jacksonville LLC. All rights reserved.