by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
The Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission got its first on-the-record look at the plans for the new County Courthouse Thursday.
Thomas Rensing, principal of KBJ Architects, presented the design and said the project will “invigorate the LaVilla area.”
He described the 800,000 square-foot building as a “combination of Tuscan and Roman doric design not unlike the Coliseum in Rome.”
He also pointed out the building’s 360-degree design to take into account sight lines for other projects in the area.
“I’m sure future developers will be pleased with the appearance of the building,” said Rensing.
One person who isn’t pleased with the way the Courthouse is designed is architect, City Council member and ex-officio DDRB member Bill Bishop. He attended the meeting even though, he said, “I realize I’m not a voting member.”
Bishop pointed out his comments were directed to the City, not the designers. He then said, “I believe we should go up, not out. This design uses too much land that could be sold to other developers.”
Bishop also said he thinks the end product will be “more of the same gray, fake classical stuff that’s already all over Downtown,” and added, “Considering the advances in Courthouse design I don’t think we have to settle for a cartoon version of classic design. This building would have been considered high-tech in 1935.”
Dave Schneider, the City’s project manager for the County Courthouse project, pointed out the appearance of the building as presented Thursday was approved in 2007 by the Courthouse Architectural Review Committee.
“I think when it’s a private sector project we shouldn’t have the authority to question the design but this is a public project,” said Bishop. “We’re building a monument that will be a prominent feature of Downtown for decades to come. I think we have an obligation to rise to a higher standard.”
After about an hour of discussion, the board voted to grant conceptual approval for the project. Rensing said the groundbreaking for the new County Courthouse should take place before the end of this year.
Approval was also granted for a project that will add more nightlife to the Downtown entertainment district.
Appollo Hospitality, LLC received a Waiver of Minimum Distance Requirements for a Liquor License Location at 119 E. Forsyth St. The as yet unnamed lounge is located across the street from the Florida Theatre and is 270 feet from First Presbyterian Church at 118 E. Monroe St. City Code requires a minimum distance of 1,500 feet from a church for the service of alcoholic beverage, but several other waivers have been previously granted in the Riverfront District, including the Ivy Ultra bar location on East Bay Street.
Half of the bottom floor of the 10,000 square-foot building will be converted into what developer George Albertelli called a venue that will be “more intimate than those that currently exist.”
He also said he and his son, Jason, who will manage the lounge, believe the interior with its exposed brick offers a lot of possibilities. No exterior changes will be made other than the installation of an awning and possibly outdoor seating.
“I walked all over Downtown looking for a location to open a lounge,” said Jason Albertelli, a Jacksonville native who managed lounges and nightclubs in Los Angeles for eight years before coming home to find a place to open a Downtown nightspot.
The Baptist Health campus on the Southbank will soon begin adding another element to the Downtown skyline.
Conceptual approval was granted for a four-story, 80,000 square-foot office building that will house doctors offices and clinical facilities. Located on part of an existing parking lot between Prudential Drive and Palm Avenue, the development will also include a pedestrian skyway linking the building with Baptist Hospital. Also included in the design is a pedestrian “drop-off” from Palm Avenue to the west side of the building and vehicles access that will initiate on Prudential Drive near the East-Coast Railroad and San Marco Boulevard.
Construction is set to commence in January subject to government approvals.
356-2466