A Cheap Solution To Jax's Convention Center Problem?
Investing in a new convention center is an issue that has been debated in Jacksonville for over a decade now. Looking back, the Civic Council may have provided an affordable 'no-frills' solution that may be worth dusting off and revisiting.
For years, the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau has lobbied for a new convention center to be built in downtown Jacksonville. Losing several growing conventions to more modern centers in other cities, the belief has been that a larger center would draw more tourist to the area and help revitalize downtown. As far back as 2001, one study suggested that a new convention center featuring 150,000 square feet of exhibition space, with an attached hotel, would generate $2.4 billion in economic impact over a 30 year period.
Others disagree with the idea of spending large sums of public money on an expanded convention center. As far back as 13 years ago, Mayor John Delaney suggested the push was nothing more than a vanity trip. In an interview to the Jacksonville Business Journal, Delaney was quoted as saying, "There's an element of keeping up with the Joneses that we need to be careful to avoid." The concern is valid considering the actual number of conventions hosted in the U.S. has declined since the mid-1990's, despite the amount of convention space doubling during the same time frame. Furthermore, most convention centers also tend to be big, single-use boxes that are void of stimulating everyday activity and street life. The Prime Osborn Convention Center being a perfect example of this situation.
The Jacksonville Terminal was once that largest train station in the country south of Washington, DC. Removing the convention center from the historic complex would allow it to be converted back into an intermodal transit hub.
However, in Jacksonville's case, the need for a convention center upgrade isn't about competing for conventions with cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Chicago. Instead, reasons to properly address the convention center dilemma include the need to convert downtown's historic train station back to its original use, keeping and growing events already utilizing the Prime Osborn, and the revitalization of the Northbank core by clustering complementing uses within a compact pedestrian scale setting. If these needs are truly considered, perhaps Jacksonville's ultimate answer to the decades old convention center debate is a solution that falls somewhere in the middle of the opposing arguments. In fact, it may be a suggestion we all overlooked a few years ago.
In February 2011, the Jacksonville Civic Council released their Northbank Redevelopment Task Force Final Report. The construction of a new convention center adjacent to the Hyatt Hotel was major recommendation. The plan was quickly ridiculed with negative sentiment when downtown advocates realized it also called for the replacement of the historic Hermiker block with a parking garage. With that in mind, advocates may have overlooked a pretty logical solution to Jacksonville's convention center issue.
2014 APA Florida Annual Conference in the Hyatt's ballroom.
What the Civic Council actually proposed was the addition of an 80,000 square foot exhibition hall and 40,000 square feet of flex-space to the Hyatt's existing 90,000 square feet of meeting space. As a result, Jacksonville would have a convention center that would be more than double the size of the Prime Osborn with 966 hotel rooms above it and a vibrant dining and entertainment district at street level. This addition to the Hyatt's existing meeting rooms would more than double the size of the Prime Osborn, enabling Jacksonville to convert to old railroad terminal back to its original use.
Furthermore, the addition would be mixed used. The exhibition hall would be and extension of the Hyatt's second floor ballroom level, creating a full block of street level retail, dining, and entertainment space along Bay Street, effectively bridging the gap between the Northstar Pizza and Olio Market blocks. At the time, it was the hope of the Civic Council that such a project could have been completed by 2015.
If one would like to get an idea of potential capital costs, look no further than the new $45 million, 170,000 square foot Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, KY. Overlooking the Ohio River, the two-level structure, featuring 44,000 square feet of exhibition space, was built for roughly $265/square foot. Using that number as a barometer, that would put the potential cost of a two-level, 160,000 square foot Hyatt addition around $42 million.
To apply this number to Jacksonville's understanding, that's roughly $21 million less than the pools and scoreboards in Everbank Field and $1 million less than the new Kernan Boulevard overpass over Beach Boulevard. For a cost in that ballpark, multiple downtown birds could be killed with one stone.
1. A modern, riverfront convention center is added in the heart of downtown by expanding an existing facility.
2. The new mixed-use exhibition hall would add a full block of additional retail, dining, and entertainment on East Bay Street in the heart of the popular "Elbow" district.
3. The Prime Osborn could then be shut down, allowing Jacksonville the opportunity to return the grand Jacksonville Terminal back to its former glory, opening the door adjacent transit oriented development.
The plan isn't without its negatives though. For such an expansion to happen, the 19-story, soon to be abandoned, City Hall Annex building would have to be demolished.
Next Page: Explaining The Solution Through Graphics and Imagery
Explaining The Solution Through Graphics and Imagery
The 2014 APA Florida Annual Conference at the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center. The Prime Osborn contains 78,500 square feet of exhibition space, 29,000 square feet of meeting room space, and a 10,000 square foot ballroom. It has failed to meet expectation since its opening -- years ago, partially due to not having adjacent hotel rooms, dining and entertainment options.
Could a part of the Civic Council's 2011 recommendations for downtown's future include an affordable solution to resolve Jacksonville's long debated question of what to do with the convention center? Imagine if such a solution could be implemented for $20 million less than the cost to install pools and video scoreboards in Everbank Field.
Current aerial of the Hyatt Hotel, former county courthouse complex and the Elbow entertainment district.
Aerial illustrating adding a two-level, 160,000 square foot mixed use building to the Hyatt's existing meeting space. The new building would feature an 80,000 square foot exhibition hall attached to the Hyatt's existing ballroom level. A hybrid of the Hyatt's conference rooms, ballroom and meeting rooms, together with the new exhibition hall and flex-space would be significantly larger than the Prime Osborn Convention Center. It would also have 966 hotel rooms above it.
A street level, the new exhibition hall would include a full block of retail, dining and entertainment space. It would effectively bridge the gap between blocks where several restaurants, bars and clubs are already in operation. This supportive walkable environment of vibrant activity is something that can't be replicated around the Prime Osborn.
Completed in early 2014, the new 170,000 square foot Owensboro, KY convention center on the Ohio River cost $45 million or $265 per square foot. Applying this number to the 160,000 square foot addition to the Hyatt would put Jacksonville in the ballpark of $42 million to resolve the long standing issue of what to do with the Prime Osborn convention center.
For this plan to work, the 15-story Courthouse Annex building would have to be demolished. The 210-foot-tall structure was completed in 1960 as Jacksonville's City Hall. Designed by RS&H and built by the Auchter Company, the $6 million building was said to be a great institution of services to all our people for many years to come. The building features a 70-space parking structure and a terrace that once overlooked the river (now blocked by the Hyatt Hotel).
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
Others disagree with the idea of spending large sums of public money on an expanded convention center. As far back as 13 years ago, Mayor John Delaney suggested the push was nothing more than a vanity trip. In an interview to the Jacksonville Business Journal, Delaney was quoted as saying, "There's an element of keeping up with the Joneses that we need to be careful to avoid." The concern is valid considering the actual number of conventions hosted in the U.S. has declined since the mid-1990's, despite the amount of convention space doubling during the same time frame. Furthermore, most convention centers also tend to be big, single-use boxes that are void of stimulating everyday activity and street life. The Prime Osborn Convention Center being a perfect example of this situation.
The Jacksonville Terminal was once that largest train station in the country south of Washington, DC. Removing the convention center from the historic complex would allow it to be converted back into an intermodal transit hub.
However, in Jacksonville's case, the need for a convention center upgrade isn't about competing for conventions with cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Chicago. Instead, reasons to properly address the convention center dilemma include the need to convert downtown's historic train station back to its original use, keeping and growing events already utilizing the Prime Osborn, and the revitalization of the Northbank core by clustering complementing uses within a compact pedestrian scale setting. If these needs are truly considered, perhaps Jacksonville's ultimate answer to the decades old convention center debate is a solution that falls somewhere in the middle of the opposing arguments. In fact, it may be a suggestion we all overlooked a few years ago.
In February 2011, the Jacksonville Civic Council released their Northbank Redevelopment Task Force Final Report. The construction of a new convention center adjacent to the Hyatt Hotel was major recommendation. The plan was quickly ridiculed with negative sentiment when downtown advocates realized it also called for the replacement of the historic Hermiker block with a parking garage. With that in mind, advocates may have overlooked a pretty logical solution to Jacksonville's convention center issue.
2014 APA Florida Annual Conference in the Hyatt's ballroom.
What the Civic Council actually proposed was the addition of an 80,000 square foot exhibition hall and 40,000 square feet of flex-space to the Hyatt's existing 90,000 square feet of meeting space. As a result, Jacksonville would have a convention center that would be more than double the size of the Prime Osborn with 966 hotel rooms above it and a vibrant dining and entertainment district at street level. This addition to the Hyatt's existing meeting rooms would more than double the size of the Prime Osborn, enabling Jacksonville to convert to old railroad terminal back to its original use.
Furthermore, the addition would be mixed used. The exhibition hall would be and extension of the Hyatt's second floor ballroom level, creating a full block of street level retail, dining, and entertainment space along Bay Street, effectively bridging the gap between the Northstar Pizza and Olio Market blocks. At the time, it was the hope of the Civic Council that such a project could have been completed by 2015.
If one would like to get an idea of potential capital costs, look no further than the new $45 million, 170,000 square foot Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, KY. Overlooking the Ohio River, the two-level structure, featuring 44,000 square feet of exhibition space, was built for roughly $265/square foot. Using that number as a barometer, that would put the potential cost of a two-level, 160,000 square foot Hyatt addition around $42 million.
To apply this number to Jacksonville's understanding, that's roughly $21 million less than the pools and scoreboards in Everbank Field and $1 million less than the new Kernan Boulevard overpass over Beach Boulevard. For a cost in that ballpark, multiple downtown birds could be killed with one stone.
1. A modern, riverfront convention center is added in the heart of downtown by expanding an existing facility.
2. The new mixed-use exhibition hall would add a full block of additional retail, dining, and entertainment on East Bay Street in the heart of the popular "Elbow" district.
3. The Prime Osborn could then be shut down, allowing Jacksonville the opportunity to return the grand Jacksonville Terminal back to its former glory, opening the door adjacent transit oriented development.
The plan isn't without its negatives though. For such an expansion to happen, the 19-story, soon to be abandoned, City Hall Annex building would have to be demolished.
Next Page: Explaining The Solution Through Graphics and Imagery
Explaining The Solution Through Graphics and Imagery
The 2014 APA Florida Annual Conference at the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center. The Prime Osborn contains 78,500 square feet of exhibition space, 29,000 square feet of meeting room space, and a 10,000 square foot ballroom. It has failed to meet expectation since its opening -- years ago, partially due to not having adjacent hotel rooms, dining and entertainment options.
Could a part of the Civic Council's 2011 recommendations for downtown's future include an affordable solution to resolve Jacksonville's long debated question of what to do with the convention center? Imagine if such a solution could be implemented for $20 million less than the cost to install pools and video scoreboards in Everbank Field.
Current aerial of the Hyatt Hotel, former county courthouse complex and the Elbow entertainment district.
Aerial illustrating adding a two-level, 160,000 square foot mixed use building to the Hyatt's existing meeting space. The new building would feature an 80,000 square foot exhibition hall attached to the Hyatt's existing ballroom level. A hybrid of the Hyatt's conference rooms, ballroom and meeting rooms, together with the new exhibition hall and flex-space would be significantly larger than the Prime Osborn Convention Center. It would also have 966 hotel rooms above it.
A street level, the new exhibition hall would include a full block of retail, dining and entertainment space. It would effectively bridge the gap between blocks where several restaurants, bars and clubs are already in operation. This supportive walkable environment of vibrant activity is something that can't be replicated around the Prime Osborn.
Completed in early 2014, the new 170,000 square foot Owensboro, KY convention center on the Ohio River cost $45 million or $265 per square foot. Applying this number to the 160,000 square foot addition to the Hyatt would put Jacksonville in the ballpark of $42 million to resolve the long standing issue of what to do with the Prime Osborn convention center.
For this plan to work, the 15-story Courthouse Annex building would have to be demolished. The 210-foot-tall structure was completed in 1960 as Jacksonville's City Hall. Designed by RS&H and built by the Auchter Company, the $6 million building was said to be a great institution of services to all our people for many years to come. The building features a 70-space parking structure and a terrace that once overlooked the river (now blocked by the Hyatt Hotel).
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com