Khan's Jacksonville Shipyards Plans Revealed

[Charles Hunter]

Random question - if the Jaguars build practice fields at the Shipyards, what happens to the space with the current practice fields?

[southsider1015]

Can we at least get something straight here?  Industrial engineers are not engineers in the literal sense. 

actually they are.  Perhaps what you mean to say is that industrial engineers are not civil engineers.

Disagree. IEs have the breadth of MEs and EE/CEs, but not the depth. Six Sigma is a joke. The term "engineer" is too loosely used these days.  I'll leave it there.

no...please tell us more...why is Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois not a real engineering program

http://engineering.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors-and-minors.html

You're missing my point, clearly. UIUC COE is an outstanding engineering school, and it appears that their IE program is one of the best.  What, do you have a degree in IE or something?  It's not a traditional core branch of engineering, period.  Thanks for trying to put words in my mouth.

Can we get back on topic?  Khan is currently a business man, and not an engineer.  He'd probably be the first to admit that.  The point is, the concept video is a pie-in-the-sky imagination of what the Shipyards could be, without regard to the significant engineering issues.  Khan didn't pay the creators of the video to address all of the engineering issues.  It's not because Khan isn't an "engineer" or doesn't understand engineering issues since he has an IE degree from UIUC.  It's because he's a businessman trying to excite and develop steam for a very intriguing project.

[British Shoe Company]

Khan's Jacksonville Shipyards Plans Revealed



Shahid Khan's plans for the Jacksonville Shipyards have been released. Here are several renderings of the ambitious proposal.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-feb-khans-jacksonville-shipyards-plans-revealed

The best part of the plan is changing the color of The St. Johns River.

[downtownbrown]

^and he got rid of both Berkman 2 and the jail.  Maybe Maxwell House, too.

[KenFSU]

^and he got rid of both Berkman 2 and the jail.  Maybe Maxwell House, too.

The jail and Maxwell House are still there:

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B-EzHwQIMAI-AZr.mp4

[downtownbrown]

bummer

[nemo594]

Can we at least get something straight here?  Industrial engineers are not engineers in the literal sense. 

actually they are.  Perhaps what you mean to say is that industrial engineers are not civil engineers.

Disagree. IEs have the breadth of MEs and EE/CEs, but not the depth. Six Sigma is a joke. The term "engineer" is too loosely used these days.  I'll leave it there.

no...please tell us more...why is Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois not a real engineering program

http://engineering.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors-and-minors.html

You're missing my point, clearly. UIUC COE is an outstanding engineering school, and it appears that their IE program is one of the best.  What, do you have a degree in IE or something?  It's not a traditional core branch of engineering, period.  Thanks for trying to put words in my mouth.

Can we get back on topic?  Khan is currently a business man, and not an engineer.  He'd probably be the first to admit that.  The point is, the concept video is a pie-in-the-sky imagination of what the Shipyards could be, without regard to the significant engineering issues.  Khan didn't pay the creators of the video to address all of the engineering issues.  It's not because Khan isn't an "engineer" or doesn't understand engineering issues since he has an IE degree from UIUC.  It's because he's a businessman trying to excite and develop steam for a very intriguing project.

During my time at Georgia Tech, IE's were termed Imaginary Engineers.  Again, not that I think that has anything to do with the likely success of Khan's project. 

[vicupstate]

So what time is the 'big reveal' and will there be a play by play from MJ?

[Noone]

Is this on the agenda for the 2/24/15 DIA Board meeting? What is the Waterways component. This was a concern at a recent Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting.

[mbstout]

I'm worried this will be another "Landing" style development that turns its back on the street, celebrating the waterfront (nothing wrong with that)... It would just be a shame to see Bay Street not be fully addressed in the urban context (street edge, retail, restaurants) and thought out as a beautiful corridor connecting downtown and the sports area.. 

Also let's address the elephant in the room: the fact that the jail is across the street.  I see 6 blocks between Liberty & the Maxwell House that would make a great area for a convention center.. The Mayan-influenced JSO Building is quite beautiful and could nicely retrofit (along with an expansion) into a convention hall to tie in with the hotels, offices, and retail developed on the shipyards. 
The jail and sheriff's office could be moved elsewhere (perhaps out on Clifford Lane where the current AmShack is.. plenty of land there and surrounded mostly by industry)

[Kerry]

I'm worried this will be another "Landing" style development that turns its back on the street, celebrating the waterfront (nothing wrong with that)... It would just be a shame to see Bay Street not be fully addressed in the urban context (street edge, retail, restaurants) and thought out as a beautiful corridor connecting downtown and the sports area.. 

This is my biggest concern as well.  Who cares how it looks from the Southbank or the handful of people who arrive by boat, if the street it is on has no relationship to it at all.  Bay Street needs to be transformed into a real boulevard instead of a game-day gutter, and a big part of the makeover has to be the removal of the elevated express ramp to the Hart Bridge (this area can't be expected to succeed if it is fly-over country - literally).

Also let's address the elephant in the room: the fact that the jail is across the street.  I see 6 blocks between Liberty & the Maxwell House that would make a great area for a convention center.. The Mayan-influenced JSO Building is quite beautiful and could nicely retrofit (along with an expansion) into a convention hall to tie in with the hotels, offices, and retail developed on the shipyards. 
The jail and sheriff's office could be moved elsewhere (perhaps out on Clifford Lane where the current AmShack is.. plenty of land there and surrounded mostly by industry)

The jail isn't so bad because it is setback from the street nearly 250 feet.  What needs to happen is to simply block to view from the street.  I would tear down that ugly brutalism JSO building and replace that entire side of the street with a 3 story line of buildings which includes a new JSO space, ground floor retail, and residential units fronting Bay.  The Maxwell House plant can easily be incorporated into the streetscape and could even take on an industrial tourism role.  Heck, that whole section of street could be The Coffee District with multiple coffee houses.  It could become what Jax is known for around the world.

[goldy21]

Would love to see a new Armada FC stadium integrated into these plans.

[Kerry]

Would love to see a new Armada FC stadium integrated into these plans.

I would personally rather see the Armada FC stadium in Brooklyn where it could be within walking distance of restaurants and existing high-density housing.  It would make a great game-day atmosphere.

[I-10east]

I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the jail talk. Look at what's in front of the jail THE FREAKING POLICE DEPARTMENT!!! Never mind that though. Because there are plenty of instances of harden criminals released from jail accosting and kidnapping Berkman residents... If I considered moving into the Shipyards residence, I would absolutely have NO concern about the jail at all; Maybe they are some that will have concerns, but they will be plenty of others that will not. A jail/ police dept downtown amongst development isn't unique. Far as the shipyards potentially becoming 'a Landing situation' way down the road, I thought that was a good point. My concern is attraction novelty wearing off moreso than 'an inviting Bay Street'.   

[InnerCityPressure]

So what time is the 'big reveal' and will there be a play by play from MJ?

Looks like tomorrow at 3...

http://www.coj.net/departments/downtown-investment-authority/docs/20150224_dia-board-meeting-agenda-packet.aspx