Future apartment hunters looking for a Downtown address may one day have two more options.
One is a riverfront community along the Southbank Riverwalk; the other is a project in LaVilla designed for seniors.
Both plans were granted conceptual approval Tuesday by the Downtown Development Review Board.
Broadstone River House will comprise 263 apartments in a six-story structure on 3.8 acres between Prudential Drive and the St. Johns River.
Parking for residents will be provided in a multilevel garage between the two buildings in the project, one along Prudential Drive and the other along the river with a view of the Northbank skyline.
The design includes a connection between Prudential Drive and the river to allow public access to the Riverwalk. Part of the ground floor could be leased to restaurants or retail stores.
Landscape architect David Floyd, partner with Atlanta-based Site Solutions, said the final design will be more than just a footpath from the street to the Riverwalk.
“Walkability is more than providing a sidewalk. It’s about making people want to walk,” he said.
The board approved a deviation in the requirement for buildings along the river Downtown to be set back at least 50 feet from the structure to the bulkhead to ensure public access to the river.
Jason Shepard, CEO of Dwell Design Studio in Atlanta, pointed out that at the site, the Riverwalk was constructed above the river about 15 feet away from the bulkhead, placing public access beyond the edge of the water.
Board member Craig Davisson said he supported allowing the structure to be closer than 50 feet from the bulkhead.
“The final site design closer to the river would create more space between the building and Prudential Drive,” said Davisson, who is an architect.
Beneficial Communities, based in Sarasota, proposes to build a 72-unit apartment building along Houston and Jefferson streets in LaVilla.
The five-story building with attached two-story parking garage would include an equal number of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments to be rented by seniors ages 55 and over.
The conceptual design also includes a fitness center and library.
Beneficial has secured from the Jacksonville Housing Finance Authority a $115,000 local government contribution commitment.
According to the authority, the project still must go through the Florida Housing Finance Corp.'s underwriting process to determine the amount of tax credits that may be awarded to the project. On a total development cost of $18.6 million, the developer applied for $15.8 million in tax credit proceeds.
The board will conduct a design workshop for the project, tentatively scheduled Dec. 10, to address widening Houston Street.
While in use as a two-way street, the roadway is too narrow to meet existing building codes. The city Public Works Department will be invited to participate in the workshop.
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