WHAT
The HUB is a mixed-use urban oasis located in the center of the historic Brooklyn neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. It has been created to compliment the community’s original sense of scale and in an architectural language that speaks to the future while drawing inspiration from its industrial past. It occupies the corner of the last remaining block on Riverside Avenue with historical buildings - the true soul of Brooklyn - now surrounded by an advancing fabric of urban towers. The HUB is a quaint gathering place composed of open courtyards, shaded Loggias and roof-top terraces. It’s a place to meet friends for coffee and artisanal fare, a refuge from the office grind, a spot to refresh after walking the Emerald Trail, or perhaps cocktails and al-fresco dining before the evenings’ big event.
WHO
Southern Grounds and Alder & Oak will offer their unique brands of artisanal coffee and wood-fired seasonal fare in a unique urban environment. Indoor fast-casual seating and outside counter service share a covered exterior dining space, courtyard and cafe seating at the streets edge. A roof-top terrace is activated by The Sky Bar to provide views of the Jacksonville skyline, St John’s River and Emerald Necklace Trail . In addition to the restaurant spaces, Cronk Duch Architecture and CD+urban studio will create a collaborative design-centric Studio & Event Venue overlooking the courtyards and gathering spaces.
WHERE
WHY
The HUB Brooklyn proposes an architecture of human scale within the glass & steel character of the Riverside Avenue corporate landscape: a place for creativity and connection to the community. The concept is a scalable, sustainable and resilient gathering of buildings and outdoor spaces that address the changes in how we now work, play and dine. Less indoor dining and more shaded outdoor gathering space offer flexible, shared-use with less energy use. Parking in adjacent elevated structures reduce the asphalt footprint within the block and dockless mobilty zones allow for alternate transportation opportunities.
Brooklyn Master Plan
The HUB is a continuation of an on-going design and planning intervention by CD+urban studio within the Brooklyn community to provide a hierarchy and priority of development to allow organic and sustainable growth.
A commissioned planning study / land acquisition exercise within Brooklyn fabric (CD+urban studio / Cronk Duch). The emphasis of the Master Plan is the activation of Dora Street by creating a secondary axis to the Park street infrastructure improvements (Red) with the McCoy’s Creek / Emerald Trail (Green). The Site Plan shows Riverside & Forest Corridor (Blue) - Emerald Trail/Riverwalk (Green)