Urban Jacksonville

Re: the 6K square footage of the proposed market downtown, it seems on the small side. By comparison, the Publix at the Town Center is 45K square feet, per this story.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062405/bum_19074840.shtml

Not sure whether that Publix is 45K “shopping square feet” or 45K, including storage. Regardless, the shop at 122 Ocean will be welcomed. Although I wouldn’t hold your breath on having 10s of thousands of SKUs to choose from. Perhaps simply your basic staples complemented by various eclectic and ready-to-eat offerings.

according to a news article about the riverside publix, it is 27,500 sq ft.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2001/12/24/story6.html

Winn Dixie? Man, the Premier Foods (7th street) is better than that Winn Dixie ANY day.

looks like the Forsyth St. elevation, next door would be the 11 E. building. This will be a great addition to downtown.

fawn, have you actually been in there? i can see it from my front porch, but the fenced in parking lot isn’t very encouraging.

What about parking for the grocery store? I wonder how that will work, will I have to find a meter to run inside for bananas?

Yes on the meter. It will be like any other parking scenario downtown. There are several metered spaces around the building. There is a pay lot on the east side next to London Bridge which is probably the most frequently used pay lot in town thanks to the Florida Theatre. We are working on deals with pay lots to credit at the register and to provide free after business hour and weekend parking.

Will weekend hours be normal or limited. Is there a proposed schedule?

The store will be open 7 days a week on plan. Hours still TBD

6K sq/ft. Does anyone have a sense of how big that is?
Will Tony and team survey the community prior to stocking the store to see what people need?

6k ft is the sweet spot. We think you’ll find most everything you need and some things you just want. We’ve been surveying for two years and welcome any suggestions. My email is at the top of my blog.

thanks for the blog love. T

It is the Forsyth St side in the rendering, but that image is just for conceptual purposes. The actual storefront will be on Ocean (on plan). It is our hopes that the entire streetfacing of the building looks similar to this.

If we could get Hionides to act with a fraction of the conviction you have, DT would be much further along.

Nice work Tony. Your efforts are appreciated.

claytonbixby gets a burrito! Shoot me an email and let me know when you want to get that burrito!! I might have a beer or two, too.

Tony, thanks for responding to all the questions. I’m sure you have plenty, but let me know if you need any help.

Maybe this will help clear the air on the idea of what a true urban specialty grocery market is. 6,000sf should be plenty of room. Here’s a link to a MetJax thread from last year with images of urban grocery markets in this square footage range in downtowns across the US.

http://www.metjax.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1071

2. 6K sq/ft. Does anyone have a sense of how big that is?

The entire building that houses London Bridge across the street is 6,752sf, according the the property appraiser. So at 6,000sf, this specialy market would be slightly smaller than that building’s footprint.

I for one can’t wait for this! The Winn-Dixie downtown is just pitiful, and as for Premier Foods (which I can also see if I look out my back window from my apartment on 8th), I thought it was yet another abandoned building! I’ve never seen any activity there, with the exception of the alley in back. Until recently it’s primary business was crack and hookers. JSO’s finest have been hanging there lately, however, and clearing it out (at least I don’t THINK they’re going there for the crack or hookers).

It seems the site of market is suitable to a Trader Joe’s format. I’ve only been in one a couple times in San Diego, but people I know from the ‘left’ coast sure miss it.

Please, please, provide close and effective parking for bicycles and scooters! This can encourage to use these instead of the car.

Adam B et al:
Premeire Foods is the only way to go when you need condiments, drinks, pet food, eggs– pretty much anything that isn’t produce. Yeah, it’s a shithole from the outside, but its pretty much better on the inside. Seriously, it’s no worse than going into any of the convenience stores around us, and WAY better/safer feeling than the WD. I am honestly astonished you guys don’t go in there.

And David K: GO IN THERE! It is a plenty decent grocery.

as far as the restructuring of the space itself, are there any plans to involve green building methods (like Jea’s ‘work with green building coalition’) or energy conservation? Like LEEDS certified building?

I’m really excited about what I hear and know about these plans and admire Tony and his team for the great things that they are doing for downtown Jax.

I think that this building, especially considering what it has stood for in this city historically (you know, being the Main Library and all), could really set a beautiful standard for how we need to start thinking about urban living.

No pressure.

The tiles will remain green. Is that what you mean? JK

There are several built in efficiencies (like the fins and the solar screens) that are considered green, though the term might not have been used in 1964, dunno. I will get a list of green features together. As a conversion, I believe it will be as green as they come in downtown JAX.

Tell me about your burrito restaurant hot shot.

also, I like premier for certain items (ice for sure!) and agree it and the winn dixie are underrated and probably over stigmatized.

MMMM, i don’t think you can over stigmatize that WD– I went in once and that was all i needed to never go back. However, i completely agree with Tony reagrding PF. I am still baffled that none of you go in there. I mean, if you live in the ‘filed already, there’s nothing in there to be scared of.

i don’t know. i’m pretty finicky. i can’t go into a tj maxx without having a panic attack.

A panic attack from all the sweet deals? The thing I like a lot about the PF is that the shelving is low and you can see the whole store from any spot. I don’t think we’d be able to have that feature exactly but I’ve always admired that. Its probably for security but its unique for a grocery. The last time I shopped at the WD it was not that bad. North of the Cathedral District is just the badlands. The whole Beaver to 1st Street is totally abused and neglected. We should move DVI up there.

it smells, and the clothes are just tossed up there, and the floors are dirty, and UGG.

of course, i also won’t shop at goodwill because poor people have farted in the clothes.

Holy shit, adam beaugh you are cracking me up. farting in the clothes…hahahahahahahaha (and there is no sarcasm in that, that is some funny shit)
But seriously, i know what you mean about going into sketch ass places, but the PF is nothing like that. It may have a slight odor, but it is nothing like I think you think it is.
And Tony, that is an excellent point about the low shelving, i never even thought about that until you mentioned it.

yeah, i like the idea of the low shelves. it would seem less closed in.

honestly, my problem with those clothing stores is the crazy jumbling of the clothes. it’s too much effort, and i just get too frustrated. plus, most places won’t have many of my size.

premier foods is a nasty pit–the sooner he leaves the better. WD is miles ahead of that place. I could never shop in a store that has a smell like the PF.

in Atlanta I shopped at Whole Foods for most of my groceries but still went to a Publix or Kroger for my basics. I think that will be the case with the new downtown speciality grocery market.