New hotel on the horizon for downtown Fernandina Beach?

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter - News Analyst

January 22, 2016 4:40 p.m.

Architect John Cotner explains plans for new hotel to HDC and audience.

The Fernandina Beach Historic District Council granted conceptual approval at its January 21, 2016 meeting to a new project for the city’s Central Business District and Community Redevelopment Area. Local architect John Cotner is in the unusual position of drawing up plans that meet the design requirements of the property seller and the functional requirements of the potential new owner. Only one hitch seems to remain: the project, which has already passed preliminary review from all the required city offices and boards, needs to meet with the property seller’s approval.

Two buildings on the site were approved for demolition under the previous application for townhouse development.

Property site as it looks today

The project, if it moves forward, will add a 3-story, 80-suite boutique hotel over 85 covered parking spaces on a parcel along the west side of N. 2^nd Street that lies roughly between the Palace Saloon and the Crab Trap restaurant. The parcel backs up to the railroad on the east side and also runs along Alachua Street on the north side. Property owner Dick Goodsell of Goodsell Nassau LLC has owned the property for several years. He had originally envisioned townhouses with retail on the first floor for the area. But changing real estate markets and difficulties in dealing with previous city administrations frustrated those attempts.

Goodsell has been a strong Fernandina Beach booster with an exacting eye for good design. As he refused to compromise on quality to bring in his earlier project at a lower price point, he is very concerned that in changing directions for the use of the property to a hotel under a new owner, the same concern for detail be applied.

Designing a project for this location is a challenge, since both Downtown Historic District Guidelines and CRA Design Guidelines must be consulted. Cotner has designed a structure with a waterfront industrial look, as recommended in the CRA Design Guidelines.

The proposed hotel will boast 80 suites, each of which will be 500 square feet in size. The hotel parking will occupy the first floor of the structure. Entrance to the garage will be from Alachua Street.

John Cotner

Cotner has chosen to undulate the facades and use living walls to break up the mass of the 70K square foot building. He has also sacrificed additional suites in order to add public gathering areas with views of the river on all hotel floors. Parapets will hide roof top mechanical equipment. The side facing the river will have a 10-foot sidewalk separating the building from the railroad. A low living wall will separate the sidewalk from the railroad. That side of the building will also boast an arcade to allow for more pedestrian access. Cotner said that the owner hopes that eventually that sidewalk will connect to sidewalks that extend to Centre Street and Alachua Street. Cotner added that the project would be greatly enhanced with the opening of Alachua Street.

In response to questions about how long it will take to bring the project to fruition, Cotner said that it would probably take a year to do all the prep work and a year to construct.

Clinch Kavanaugh voices support for project.

Local attorney Clinch Kavanaugh, who owns property across North 2^nd Street from the proposed project, spoke in favor of the plans. He said that it is rare that a property seller would want to sign off on a design before agreeing to a sales agreement. Kavanaugh said that the project would have a huge, positive effect on downtown Fernandina Beach.

Both HDC members and the audience seemed to share Cotner’s enthusiasm for the project. The only remaining question is whether Mr. Goodsell will, too.

Cotner said that the conceptual drawings (presented below) are computer generated and were produced on quick turnaround, so they do not contain all the required detail. Colors are also not accurate. The living walls are depicted in green.

21 N. 2nd Street facade

Facade facing railroad. Note garage entrance on Alachua Street as well as walkway and living wall separating sidewalk from railroad.

Editor's Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne's many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.