Metro Jacksonville DEV
Jacksonville by Neighborhood => Downtown => Topic started by: Metro Jacksonville on May 03, 2016, 03:00:03 AM
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Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center Renderings
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Development/Baptist-MD-Anderson-Cancer/i-tvqzDL7/0/L/timthumb-L.jpg)
The plans for downtown's latest high-structure are beginning to take shape. Assuming the Jacksonville City Council and Land Use and Zoning Committee provide their approval this month, the construction of Baptist MD Anderson's proposed 12-story cancer center could be completed by early 2018. Here's a brief look the project's proposed site and massing plans.
Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-may-baptist-md-anderson-cancer-center-renderings
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This looks great. As always, i'd love to see retail or something that interacts with San Marco Blvd at the street level.
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Just need to lose the skywalk and pedestrian plaza. We need people on the street and buildings massed at intersections. Also, the trees need to go between the sidewalk and street, not against the building.
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Just need to lose the skywalk and pedestrian plaza. We need people on the street and buildings massed at intersections. Also, the trees need to go between the sidewalk and street, not against the building.
The Skywalk I think is going to get in there. If there's any use that can make an argument that will sway people on Skywalks, it's medical.
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I think once this is built we'll see some positive action in the commercial area just to the south too. This is going to bring a lot of people into that area. I don't have a problem with the skywalk, no one wants to be moving patients or whatever between buildings or across a busy road in the middle of summer.
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One thing I wouldn't mind that they squeeze in here is some street retail. I feel like the space is going to be a little dead on the sidewalk, no matter the aesthetics. Lord knows with the people there they should be able to support some food type place.
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(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Development/Baptist-MD-Anderson-Cancer/i-w2R2T32/0/L/Exhibit%20E-%20MD%20Anderson%20Cancer%20Ctr.%20Rez%20to%20PUD%20Revisions.COJ.4.1.2016-2_Page_5-L.jpg)
Without a doubt, there will be a space or two included in this structure that serves food. Without seeing a fully fleshed out conceptual floor plan, it's hard to determine where it will be located. Engaging the street could be as simple as having one of those spaces near the intersection of San Marco Boulevard and Nira, with outdoor seating spilling into the proposed pedestrian plaza. Long term, the inclusion of the shared-use path will pull more pedestrian/bike traffic into the area and the influx of medical employees, patients and guests will create a market for additional retail, infill and reuse of underutilized commercial buildings along San Marco Boulevard.
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I seriously doubt patients will be transported via this skywalk. It will most likely be used by employees. However, if they must have a connection it should go underground.
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Why underground? That seems like a significant extra expense that achieves little from a functional standpoint. Especially, when the Prudential building literally is built completely across the street, a few blocks north. I can't confirm and the actual floor plans aren't shown but it appears the existing buildings across the street are going to a part of this cancer center complex. If that's the case, the skywalk could be essential.
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Why underground? That seems like a significant extra expense that achieves little from a functional standpoint. Especially, when the Prudential building literally is built completely across the street, a few blocks north. I can't confirm and the actual floor plans aren't shown but it appears the existing buildings across the street are going to a part of this cancer center complex. If that's the case, the skywalk could be essential.
You mean the building across the street that says "Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center" on the side of it? I can't imagine why they would ever want to connect that building to the new building.
https://goo.gl/maps/iTMNcU4Q4nm
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(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Development/Baptist-MD-Anderson-Cancer/i-w2R2T32/0/L/Exhibit%20E-%20MD%20Anderson%20Cancer%20Ctr.%20Rez%20to%20PUD%20Revisions.COJ.4.1.2016-2_Page_5-L.jpg)
Without a doubt, there will be a space or two included in this structure that serves food. Without seeing a fully fleshed out conceptual floor plan, it's hard to determine where it will be located. Engaging the street could be as simple as having one of those spaces near the intersection of San Marco Boulevard and Nira, with outdoor seating spilling into the proposed pedestrian plaza. Long term, the inclusion of the shared-use path will pull more pedestrian/bike traffic into the area and the influx of medical employees, patients and guests will create a market for additional retail, infill and reuse of underutilized commercial buildings along San Marco Boulevard.
Problem is these hospitals are not in the mixed use business. They are in the medical business of getting every medical user groups happy with all their bells and whistles in the medical facility itself, leaving little room in the budget for other uses. I'm guessing streetscape and street front vibrancy is not their primary concern. Heck, they may not want more vibrancy with all the medical traffic. More pedestrian traffic may cause unwanted obstacles and headaches for them and their clients. These are of course just guesses though.
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Their existing medical building across the street has a Subway and the main complex has a street level Chick-Fil-A. Yes, they are in the medical business but the thousands of people using these facilities have to eat too. It's not really a case of if the facility will have some sort of food service, it's just a matter of where it will be located within the complex. With that said, from my view, it seems they've put a lot more thought into creating a pedestrian friendly product on the surrounding street edges than the typical Jax infill projects of the past. The landscaping, streetscaping, urban street edge, shared-use path, etc. are all good design considerations given the main use of the facility.
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If they have the space dedicated to food service, why not maximize it to collect more rent. Over-all I am pretty happy with the design and it is light years ahead of what has been built in other cities. Anyone ever seen the medical district in Houston? What a pedestrian disaster despite high density buildings because nothing interacts with the street except parking garage driveways.
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If they have the space dedicated to food service, why not maximize it to collect more rent.
This is the key question that needs to be asked by DDRB. It's a benefit to them as well as the citizens.
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I love the design and actually like the skywalk. I would agree that the street interaction along these blocks is very passive. I'm sure they would have no problem renting one or two retail spaces for fast casual restaurants if they included the spaces in the design. This will certainly add a lot of people to this area and should be positive for all of the retail/restaurants within walking distance of the development.
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I am surprised they didn't make another skywalk to the giant parking garage to the east. Then, employees could walk through the entire complex above the street, secure in the building, especially those on the night shifts. A further connection to Nemours skywalk or another one over I-95, and you could walk the entire Baptist complex indoors, above the street.
Up north, this would be a no brainier with their weather. In Charlotte, as I recall, they took the second level of a large parking garage, put stores on it, and then connected that with skywalks to both the multiple Bank of America and Wells Fargo tower complexes which were on each side of the garage to create an above the street amenity.
Given Jacksonville's pedestrian accident rate, keeping thousands of Baptist employees out of crosswalks probably is a good idea :).
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^Let's not give any crazy ideas here:)
Generally, skywalks are bad for urban environments. They take people off the street and do a good job killing the pedestrian activity. Generally, Hospitals have the best excuse for them - whether or not they are for employees or patients they can say they are for patients and thus it becomes a medical need. Who would argue with them?
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Agree with the skywalks comments. I don't understand why we don't have more of these. It helps with security, keeps people out of the heat and helps traffic flow (especially near the hospitals)
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Actually, just realized something: This is south of I-95. DDRB will not be reviewing this - it isn't technically downtown.
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^No DDRB needed. Council could possibly approve the PUD by the end of the month.
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Jacksonville already has a renowned medical center in UF Shands, plus world-class Mayo Clinic, and now with MD Anderson coming into the mix, the city could become quite the destination for healthcare. You have three extremely reputable brands in one city, and that's pretty damn amazing.
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I am surprised they didn't make another skywalk to the giant parking garage to the east. Then, employees could walk through the entire complex above the street, secure in the building, especially those on the night shifts. A further connection to Nemours skywalk or another one over I-95, and you could walk the entire Baptist complex indoors, above the street.
There is no "giant parking garage to the east." The parking garage is on the north side of the Anderson building. The building to the east is the existing out patient center for Baptist. It does have a MD Anderson sign on it now because Anderson is occupying floors in the building until their new building is completed.
BTW, I work at Baptist.
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Agree with the skywalks comments. I don't understand why we don't have more of these. It helps with security, keeps people out of the heat and helps traffic flow (especially near the hospitals)
They are expensive.
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I am surprised they didn't make another skywalk to the giant parking garage to the east. Then, employees could walk through the entire complex above the street, secure in the building, especially those on the night shifts. A further connection to Nemours skywalk or another one over I-95, and you could walk the entire Baptist complex indoors, above the street.
There is no "giant parking garage to the east." The parking garage is on the north side of the Anderson building. The building to the east is the existing out patient center for Baptist. It does have a MD Anderson sign on it now because Anderson is occupying floors in the building until their new building is completed.
BTW, I work at Baptist.
I believe the reference to "the giant parking garage to the east" is for the one that is proposed as a part of this project. You can see it on the plan below:
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Development/Baptist-MD-Anderson-Cancer/i-7TLCHxm/0/X2/MD%20Anderson%20Site%20Plan-X2.jpg)
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My response was a reply to the comment on why not build a elevated walkway (skywalk) to the garage to the east when there isn't a parking garage to the east. It is a "future" garage location. Maybe in the future when the garage is built there is be discussion on a connecting skywalk.
There will be a new garage built north of 95, on the east side of Palm Ave. This one is already in the planing stage and it will have a skywalk to the hospital over Palm.