Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center Renderings

[Metro Jacksonville]

Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center Renderings



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

[Captain Zissou]

This looks great.  As always, i'd love to see retail or something that interacts with San Marco Blvd at the street level.

[Kerry]

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.

[Steve]

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.

[acme54321]

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.

[Steve]

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.

[thelakelander]

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.

[Kerry]

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.

[thelakelander]

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.

[acme54321]

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

[CCMjax]

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.

[thelakelander]

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.

[Kerry]

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.

[Steve]

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.

[brainstormer]

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.