by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
A major improvement for North Florida public safety and transportation took a step forward Thursday during the Downtown Development Review Board of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission meeting.
The board unanimously approved the design for the first phase of the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, to be located east of I-95 between West Bay Street and West Forsyth streets north of the Osborn Center. The first phase includes significant additions to the existing Skyway Station and a new four-story, 90,000 square-foot office building for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Highway Patrol and several City of Jacksonville transportation and engineering functions.
The project originally received conceptual approval from DDRB in June 2008 and the applicant, FDOT, appeared before the board Thursday seeking conceptual approval again since more than a year had passed with no application for final approval. In addition to conceptual approval, FDOT sought final approval during the meeting.
There were also five deviations from requirements set forth in the Downtown Master Plan, Downtown District Guidelines and Downtown Development Guidelines of the Zoning Code. Those included setback and transparency standards that ensure an appropriate pedestrian experience, a building height deviation and deviations to Downtown streetscape standards including sidewalks and lighting.
Architect Ethan Loubriel of AECOM in Sunrise, Fla., presented the design of the project and pointed out the modificaitons from the original concept presented.
“LaVilla is a historic district and this design is consistent with other architecture in the area, particularly brick and metal roofs,” he said.
The design also includes a public plaza with a water feature and pedestals for the installation of public art.
Loubriel also said the office building is designed to comply with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.
“We are striving for Gold LEED but we know we can get Silver,” he said.
As for the landscape, the public area will be shaded by elm trees and date palms will frame a clock tower.
“We wanted a sense of formality in the design,” said Loubriel.
The setback deviations were needed, he said, due to the site’s location near I-95 and for security. Loubriel explained the office building will house government agencies and the public would rarely have any reason to visit those offices. The first floor is devoted to secure parking, primarily for FHP and other agency vehicles, thus the request for deviations to the transparency standards. The ground floor parking area will be hidden by landscaping and the entire site will be enclosed with a four-foot fence. Sidewalks are not part of the design to discourage pedestrian traffic near vehicle entrances and exits. The streets surrounding the site are also “basically off ramps for I-95,” added Loubriel, which also contributed to the designed lack of sidewalks.
The design of the Skyway Station additions, specifically the construction of a Bus Rapid Transit platform, precludes being able to conform to Downtown streetscape standards in terms of sidewalk design and the choice of light fixtures and landscaping.
After the presentation and discussion, DDRB granted final approval for the design with two conditions: the backlit State agency logos shown in the signage plan for the side of the building facing I-95 will be eliminated, leaving only signage indicating the building is the “Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center,” and the fence surrounding the building to include brick piers to improve the streetside view and give the project less of an “institutional” look.
Board member Andy Sikes stated he wanted to ensure it was put into the record of the meeting the reasons for the deviations granted for the project were based on the unique location (the fringe of Downtown), its proximity to I-95 and its use as a government building with little or no public access.
“We don’t want to set a precedent,” he said, while adding that future projects presented will be required to conform to the existing standards and guidelines.
After the vote was taken, JTA Director of Resource Development Steven Arrington said receiving final approval on the design was a major step for the project that has been in development since 1992.
Arrington also said scheduling a groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase is contingent on securing a $63 million federal Transportation Improvement Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
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