About the project

After a local developer failed to get their plans off the ground, another local group of developers continue to move forward with a site long proposed for an infill townhouse community in LaVilla. A 91 unit townhouse project proposed by Corner Lot Development Group and JWB Real Estate Capital is poised to gain Conceptual Approval from the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB). Surrounding the proposed Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park, the project site is comprised of three lots totaling 3.45 acres, bounded to the north by W Adams Street, to the East by Lee Street, to the south by Houston St and W Forsyth Street and to the West by Stuart Street.

The first phase of the project involves the construction of 91 three-story for sale townhomes with one car garages that architecturally pay homage to the historic shotgun style residences that once dominated the LaVilla neighborhood. A second phase fronting Lee and Forsyth Streets, consists of a minimum of 10,000 square feet of stand-alone retail or a mixed-use product of multi-family residential and retail that includes a minimum of 10,000 square feet of retail on the first floor. Treated as a separate project, plans call for Phase 2 to be commenced within five years of closing.

Based on the concept illustrated below, the DDRB Staff supports Conceptual Approval of the project with the following recommendations:

(A) Prior to submittal for final review, the developer shall meet with staff to: i)identify any deviations sought;

(B) Review the façade design and include additional elements such as vertical or horizontal features, material changes or other elements which will help further enhance the facades and help define distinct modules of the buildings;

(C)Landscaping including small to medium trees and understory shrubs and or grasses shall be planted to create a buffer to enhance the interaction between the townhome units and the interior private space.

LaVilla Townhomes DDRB Presentation

With a few of the photo captions provided by Marquis Latimer + Halback, we feel compelled to include proper attribution for the “others” since it took us a lot of time over the years to compile many of these LaVilla historic images into easy-to-find digital article formats. The “others” should be images taken or compiled by The Jaxson courtesy of the State Archives of Florida, City of Jacksonville, UNF’s George W. Simons, Jr. Planning Collection and Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Maps of Florida.

Rendering of the proposed Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park courtesy of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.