by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
City Council members Don Redman and Lori Boyer called Friday for a “timeout” on the heavily debated reopening of Monroe Street in front of the new Duval County Courthouse.
During a meeting they called Friday, Redman said he and Boyer will immediately pursue submitting new legislation that can be considered before a contract is awarded.
“We need to try and stop that,” he said.
Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran went on the record at the meeting that he opposed the reopening of Monroe Street in front of the new courthouse under construction.
“All the professionals who have looked at this recommended that it be closed.” said Moran. “I’ve ridden down Adams Street and I don’t see how anybody could support putting a road there.”
Boyer and Redman called the meeting to discuss a policy change regarding the reopening of Monroe Street in front of the courthouse. The building is scheduled to open next summer.
At its June 28 meeting, Council rejected by a vote of 12-6 an ordinance that would have closed and abandoned the right of way along West Monroe Street between Broad and Pearl streets.
It was the latest in a line of legislation concerning the two-block section of the street dating back to 2003. In 2004, legislation was approved to prohibit the closure.
Moran said preserving Monroe Street at the courthouse site was based on the original design of the building, a high-rise criminal court facility.
The design now nearing completion covers much more property and is built on top of what was Monroe Street.
To restore the roadway would require constructing a curving surface between the front of the courthouse and Adams Street.
Moran said he’s relying on opinions rendered by experts as well as his own observations.
Redman said he’s in favor of abandoning the street for several reasons, including safety, since the public parking for the courthouse is a multilevel garage south of Adams Street.
“I think it would be a hazard to have a road so close to the courthouse and Adams Street. People who park across the street from Adams would have to cross two streets to get to the courthouse,” he said.
Moran agreed and said unless someone is going to the courthouse for an adoption proceeding, they’re likely to be “distraught” with the visit, which could lead to not paying attention as they crossed two streets to reach the front door.
Reopening Monroe Street, he said, “has the potential to be harmful to citizens.”
Boyer said it’s not possible to simply reverse the Council’s action of June 28 because an issue can’t be reopened within 12 months of action on a bill, but she has an idea that could postpone rebuilding Monroe Street without reversing the Council’s recent action.
She said the new administration is committed to creating a more vibrant Downtown, but hasn’t had time to fully develop its plan to do so.
Boyer is suggesting a “timeout” for the Monroe Street issue.
“I’m concerned that constructing it is premature,” she said. “I’m not saying don’t ever build it. I’m saying let’s not build it right now.”
Boyer suggested moving the $800,000 in the Better Jacksonville Plan budget allocation to rebuild Monroe Street into other capital projects.
She said she has consulted with Deputy General Counsel Steve Rohan, who said such legislation probably would not conflict with the measure enacted June 28 because moving the funds would not require abandoning the right of way.
Better Jacksonville Plan Project Manager Dave Schneider said no contract for construction of Monroe Street has been executed but bids have been requested and are due by Sept. 13.
Moran volunteered the court’s assistance if Council members would like a site tour at the new courthouse in order to observe the proposed roadway construction.
“If you want to take a bus, we’ll take the jury shuttle,” he said.
Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton said as soon as the design for the courthouse changed, reservations arose over reopening Monroe Street among members of the Downtown Development Review Board.
The board functions by law as the planning commission for Downtown.
“From the time the site plan was submitted, they were concerned about rebuilding the road,” he said.
Barton also said that since Monroe Street on the west side of the new courthouse dead-ends into the building, it would require a sharp right turn to access the portion of the street in front of the building, which would “create bottlenecks.”
Redman said he’s not sure if motorists would use Monroe Street in front of the courthouse if it were restored.
“They might use it once, but then they’ll find another way” to make their way through Downtown, he said.
Urban Planner Ennis Davis said he was at the meeting representing Metrojacksonville.com, a blog whose members are interested in Downtown development issues.
He supports abandoning the section of Monroe Street for financial and aesthetic reasons.
“If you go up to the seventh floor of the parking garage, it becomes apparent restoring Monroe Street is a complete waste of public money.”
Further, Davis said, “Closing Monroe Street creates a natural, walkable retail corridor along Adams Street to Hemming Plaza.”
Chris Flagg, principal of Flagg Design Studio, is the landscape architect of record for the courthouse project. He’s also a past chairman of DDRB and serves on the board of directors of Downtown Vision Inc.
Flagg said he supports abandoning Monroe Street based on the City’s overall track record in urban planning. Flagg also supports using the area between the courthouse and Adams Street as a public open space.
“Jacksonville through history has made a number of planning errors. We cannot continue to exacerbate bad decisions. From an urban planning perspective, it’s ludicrous to build this road,” Flagg said.
“We lost Monroe Street when we built this courthouse. Whether you love or hate the architecture, let’s embrace the space. Let’s make it a green space we can all be proud of,” he said.
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