The site layout and architectural plans for a mixed-use development along Riverside Avenue in the Brooklyn section of Downtown was granted final approval Thursday by the Downtown Development review Board of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission.
The project, 220 Riverside, proposed by Hallmark Partners, comprises 294 residential units with a clubhouse and amenities deck adjacent to the City’s urban park development on Riverside Avenue at Forest Street.
Architect Jason Faulkner, principal of Studio 9 Architecture, said the project’s design was substantially developed with the park in mind.
The site plan includes more than 15,000 square feet of retail space facing the park.
“The whole project is driven by the park. The retail aspect has to support the park,” said Faulkner.
He said having the commercial element of the design relating to the park will add an element to the public space.
“The park is only going to function if we program the park year-round,” said Faulkner.
He said the design of the building will add a new and more contemporary look to Jacksonville’s architectural inventory. The windows on the apartment units slide horizontally and the design of the exterior will include the use of corrugated metal panels, something that has not been used to date in North Florida.
Questioned by board members about the choice of corrugated metal, Faulkner said it’s an urban design trend that has become widely used in other markets.
“It’s all over the country. We think Jacksonville is ready for it,” Faulkner said.
He said the material is economical, requires little maintenance and will give the building texture.
On the overall design, Faulkner described it as “not overly ornate.”
“We’re going to let the geometry of the building speak for itself,” he said.
Another element of the design shown in the presentation is a “living wall” on the parking garage facing Riverside Avenue.
Faulkner said that while it will likely take more than a year for the wall to reach full potential, it’s included in the design as a way to “make a garage wall even remotely inviting” in an urban environment.
The project now faces architectural plan review by the City prior to building permits being issued. The developer’s representative said Thursday that construction can’t begin soon enough.
“We’d be happy to start this afternoon,” said Coen Purvis, senior vice president of Hallmark Partners.
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