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The Downtown Development Review Board awarded final design approval Dec. 16 for Corner Lot Development Group’s 340-unit Artea apartment development on the Southbank.
The board voted 4-0 to approve the estimated $80 million, four-story project after Corner Lot presented changes to address what board members said in October was a “cookie-cutter” design.
The project is proposed on 3.87 acres leased from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority near JTA’s Kings Avenue parking garage and Skyway Station. It is southwest of the RiversEdge master development site, formerly called The District.
The Duval County Public Schools administration building parking lot sits next to the project to the north.
Corner Lot representative and Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow partner attorney Cyndy Trimmer told the board that the latest design extends the overhang for the rooftop common space to align with the edge of the building.
Trimmer said screening for the apartment’s four-level, 425-space parking garage will be a Jacksonville Jaguars’ teal color.
She detailed facade changes that use different shades of brick, metal and cement panels and lap siding to “break up” building sides to not overwhelm pedestrians walking past.
Board member Craig Davisson said adding the varying facade materials helped what he called the building’s “big, long, flat facade.”
Davisson and board member Joe Loretta said the new streetscape design that uses bump-outs on the parallel parking area and allows planting larger shade trees is an improvement.
“This is kind of how I think we should be doing streetscape design guidelines in the city of Jacksonville,” Loretta said.
Dynamik Design is Artea’s architect. EnVision Design + Engineering and landscape architecture/planning firm Marquis Latimer + Halback also are working on the project.
Board members Matt Brockelman, Christian Harden, J. Brent Allen and Frederick Jones were absent from the Dec. 16 meeting.
Board member Bill Schilling abstained from the vote because his employer, engineering firm Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., does work for Corner Lot.
In addition to about 75% of the parking garage, the apartment structure will wrap around three outdoor courtyards and a pool.
Artea also plans a 7,000-square-foot leasing office and indoor resident amenity space facing Broadcast Place.
In October, Corner Lot CEO Andy Allen and JTA officials said the Artea project is part of the transportation authority’s Transit-Oriented Development Program.
The developer signed a 99-year ground lease with JTA for the site bounded by the Prudential Financial building’s surface parking lot, Broadcast Place, the Fuller Warren Bridge and Montana Street.
Trimmer told the DDRB that Corner Lot is working to secure a crossway easement in front of the Prudential buildings for accessing JTA’s facilities.
The idea is to combine residential, office, retail or mixed-use projects with direct or nearby access to public transportation options.
A JTA news release said Corner Lot’s Southbank proposal is the third Transit-Oriented Development project since 2020.
Allen said Oct. 7 that the company likely will seek a Recapture Enhanced Value Grant tax refund from the city through the Downtown Investment Authority for what will be a market-rate apartment project.
Corner Lot wants to break ground in the second quarter of 2022.
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