Suburban Development in the Urban Core
Riverside, the original suburb of Jacksonville, Fla., is less than three miles from the downtown urban core and the city’s booming finance and logistics sector.
Like many historic suburbs, over the years, Riverside’s rich architectural heritage was threatened by neglect.
The Courtyard on College Street is a 19-home project that aims to add much-needed housing to the area while maintaining historic styles.
The Site
With many of the area’s original homes falling down or being turned into two-family rentals and commercial offices, this infill project seeks to bring in buyers who are looking to plant their roots in an area on the verge of a resurgence. The one-acre site was a vacant eyesore, with only a threatening chain-link fence for security. Ringed by three streets and an alley, the only thing the site had going for it was the neighborhood’s proximity to shopping and jobs.
Getting the most out of the site presented many challenges:
- Creating a single-family detached community with 19 units, plus a green space.
- Establishing turn-key housing for young professionals around $300,000, close to jobs in the urban core.
- Creating floor plans with new designs and features that buyers crave in compact footprints.
- Satisfying neighbors with exteriors that harmonize with the existing neighborhood.