kbj architects , inc. ( kbj ) is an american architectural firm based in jacksonville , florida .

the firm designed 17 of the city 's 30 tallest buildings and " created jacksonville 's modern skyline " , according to the florida times-union newspaper .

the firm designed the first high-rise in downtown jacksonville , the 22-story aetna building , which opened in 1955 .

it took pride in " having the second-largest number of architects of any florida firm " , according to a 1997 article in the florida times-union .

in addition to works in jacksonville , kbj has worked extensively throughout north and central florida , and to a lesser degree throughout the southeast united states .

the firm also developed the design standards for residential developments at the deerwood country club and at amelia island plantation north of jacksonville .

in orlando , kbj designed the first national bank and hartford insurance buildings and three of the four airsides at orlando international airport ; in gainesville , the delta tau delta fraternity house and tigert hall , the university of florida administration building ; the quarterdeck club in miami and the occidental life building in raleigh .

kbj architects

kbj architects is a private company . for every employee , kbj architects generates $ 226 . 8k in revenue .
owler has collected 13 screenshots of kbj architects ' website since may 2014 . the latest kbj architects website design screenshot was captured in sep 2017 .
kbj architects did the rendering of what the lobby would look like when complete .
kbj architects ' headquarters is located in orlando , florida , usa 32801 . kbj architects has an estimated 85 employees and an estimated annual revenue of 19 . 3m . . . .
the company received a special award in 1992 from the florida association of the american institute of architects when kbj architects was named , firm of the year .
franklin bunch was elected a fellow of the american institute of architects in 1961 .
william morgan architects , p . a . single family residence atlantic beach , fl
kleman visited the kbj offices this past summer at the company ' s invitation , he said , and after kbj had been telling him , peyton and city council members how much it would cost to complete kbj ' s project .
but that decision prompted officials at jacksonville - based kbj to file a complaint .
jacksonville - - the name kbj architects inc . kept on surfacing through the controversy over the new duval county courthouse complex , and the firm wants to set the record straight .
but tom rensing , a principal at kbj , said kbj ' s original project could be completed for the $ 232 million budget the city has allocated for the project thus far .
r . j . heisenbottle architects , p . a . gusman center for performing arts miami , fl
disney’s beach club villas lake buena vista , fl * in collaboration with robert a . m . stern architects
kbj was one of four firms that made it to the final design competition stage in june 2002 .
in its seven decades of practice , kbj has been the architect for significant buildings throughout the southeast .
founded in 1946 in jacksonville , florida , as kemp , bunch and jackson , kbj architects has emerged as one of the region’s leading full service architectural and interior design firms . now as a part of a global system of leading firms , kbj is stronger than ever , and continues it’s commitment to downtown jacksonville .
william k . jackson was awarded the 1972 architect community service award by the florida association of the american institute of architects .
the jacksonville library trustees commissioned taylor hardwick of hardwick & lee , architects , to design the new library in the early 1960s .
cooper johnson smith architects , inc . the nature conservancy ? s conservation learning center at the disney wilderness preserve osceola county , fl
the project costs include $ 7 . 2 million for construction and $ 3 million for design , furnishings and equipment . jacksonville - based praxeis is the project manager , and jacksonville’s kbj architects is the architect . gainesville’s charles perry partners is the general contractor .
in 1952 , after working solo for several years , hardwick partnered with mayberry lee to form hardwick & lee , architects , aia .
over the years , kbj ' s projects have received scores of awards for excellence in architecture , design , engineering and renovations .
additionally , kbj has designed high rise and mid rise office buildings for several other corporations in jacksonville , literally shaping its skyline .
kbj has an expansive list of clients in several different fields . click on the tabs below to view some of our past clients .
the initial effort to construct the courthouse was stopped in 2003 . the city elected to pursue a design / build approach , and ultimately contracted with turner construction / kbj architects in 2008 to complete the project . the new county courthouse opened to the public on june 8 , 2012 .
but kbj ' s name was still still out there when dan kleman , chief operating officer for the city , arrived seven months ago .
auld & white was retained by brooks rehabilitation to construct two new 24 - bed memory care facilities at its bartram lakes campus . the green house residences offer a real home setting for alzheimer’s patients . project features include a common kitchen , dining room , living room , tv room and spa . kbj architects designed this project .
a high percentage of kbj’s work each year is for clients that the firm has served previously . frequently , kbj is asked to adapt and renovate facilities as past clients’ businesses evolve . repetitive clients include international and private corporations , developers , institutions , public authorities , as well as federal , state , and local governments .
former mayor john delaney ' s administration heard kbj ' s complaint that the cannon design did not meet size or budget specifications and found no grounds for the complaint .
the florida association of the american institute of architects ( aia florida ) annually hosts the florida / caribbean honor and design awards to celebrate outstanding achievements in architecture and design . this program recognizes the work of architects in the florida and caribbean region who contribute globally to the framework of the built environment and is the region’s most prestigious awards program for the architectural profession .
established in 1946 in jacksonville , kbj has been one of the region’s leading architectural firms and has been a significant part of shaping the landscape of north and central florida .
honor award of excellence for historic preservation / restoration • umbrella house rehabilitation and shade structure reconstruction - hall architects , p . a .  merit award of excellence for historic preservation / restoration
when he retired after world war ii , benjamin sold his practice to william d . kemp , franklin s . bunch , and william k . jackson . the firm continues today as kbj architects , inc . benjamin constructed his own home in the neighborhood at 2332 riverside avenue . constructed in 1921 , this house has since been demolished . benjamin died in 1963 .
the firms - - rink reynolds , cannon design , kbj and spillis candela - - made presentations to a selection committee that chose cannon design as the designer of the complex .
opened in 1997 , jacksonville ' s world - class symphony hall is constructed in a “shoebox” shape , a design seen in classic european concert halls as well as in many of our country’s most prominent halls , like boston’s symphony hall . the design keeps the sound alive by reflecting , sustaining and distributing symphonic tones to the audience in equal proportions . jacoby symphony hall was designed by kbj architects ; rothman , rothman & heineman architects and internationally acclaimed acousticians kirkegaard & associates . the jacksonville symphony is one of very few american orchestras with their own dedicated concert hall .
the city ' s second - tallest building , standing 535 feet tall , the tower was completed in 1974 by the independent life and accident insurance company , and was known as the independent life building . the designers of the tower , kbj architects , intended to create a distinctive image and identifying landmark for the city . as a result , they received the honor award for outstanding achievement in design by the jacksonville chapter of the american institute of architects . the river club of jacksonville , a private business club , occupies the top two floors of the building .
three university of florida alumni—william d . kemp , franklin s . bunch and william k . jackson—purchased benjamin ' s architectural firm when he retired after world war ii and renamed it kemp , bunch and jackson in 1946 . kbj architects has been in practice for more than 6 decades and is the oldest architectural firm in florida . the company also maintains a branch office in downtown orlando , florida .
and designed many notable buildings in jacksonville and surrounding areas . his most famous structures were theaters , although most of them have since been demolished . he was one of jacksonville ' s most talented and prolific architects .
morris said he and kbj are hoping that they can have a say in the future direction of the courthouse , but they are concerned about how the name of the firm has been thrown around in the past .
in october 2013 , hardwick toured the then - vacant haydon burns library with staff of the jessie ball dupont fund , which had just purchased the building , and architects from kbj , who would be responsible for the building ' s transformation into the jessie ball dupont center . his affection for the building was evident as he recounted detail after detail of the project .
it think it ' s wonderful that you want to do this ,
he said .
when it was discovered that the auchter company had financial troubles , the contract was withdrawn . second place bidder , turner construction company , which is partnered with technical construction services group and kbj architects , was given an opportunity to negotiate a contract with the city in july 2007 , by approval of the competitive sealed proposal evaluation committee . a contract was signed with a budget of $ 350 million . work was completed and the courthouse opened on june 18 , 2012 .
in 1953 , kbj designed florida’s first high - rise office building , the south central home office in jacksonville for the prudential insurance company of america , following in 1986 with the company’s companion high - rise on an adjacent site .
under the numbers kbj presented at the meeting , the project could be finished for $ 198 million . that would include construction costs , land , the old federal courthouse , monies that have already been spent and an additional $ 10 million for contingencies .
for more than 70 years , a significant characteristic of kbj has been a commitment to the objectives of our clients combined with strong project management . kbj’s office is organized in teams , handling projects from the inception to completion . this organization provides project continuity , insures personnel availability , and establishes pride , responsibility and commitment from the beginning . team members follow a project through all phases which allows a singular design intent to develop throughout the process . we also require the same personnel assignments and commitment of our consultants .
we did not solicit information from kbj ,
kleman said .
we had no interest in them . they were a proposer , they appealed , they were unsuccessful in their appeal . we have no interest in conversing with them on this project .
that should have been the last anyone heard on the subject from kbj , which started in jacksonville in 1946 and now employs more than 50 people at offices in jacksonville and orlando . but the firm ' s name has continued to come up throughout the courthouse project process .
the national terrazzo and mosaic association , inc . is a full service non - profit trade association headquartered in fredericksburg , texas . the association establishes national standards for all terrazzo floor and wall systems and provides complete specifications , color plates , and general information to architects and designers at no cost .
franklin s . bunch ( 1913 - 2008 ) served as president on a number of florida boards and foundations , including the florida state board of architecture , the florida association of architects , and the jacksonville building code advisory committee . he was also chairman of the zoning and building codes adjustment board . urltoken
being one of jacksonville’s most prolific and talented architects , benjamin designed many other significant buildings in jacksonville . these landmarks include the elks club building , otis elevator building , fire station # 4 , leon cheek residence at 2263 river boulevard , san juline apartments at 1617 – 1637 riverside avenue , memorial park in association with the olmsted brothers , fenimore apartments at 2200 riverside avenue , hartimore apartments at 2970 riverside avenue , the park lane apartments at 1846 margaret street , the lauderdale and avondale apartments in springfield , scottish rite masonic temple , and the elephant house at the jacksonville zoo ( demolished ) . several of these buildings and memorial park were designed in association with other architects , particularly mellen c . greeley who was benjamin’s partner from 1919 to 1924 .
we have been involved [ in the courthouse project ] for the last two and a half years , mostly during the first four or five months of the project ,
said kbj principal william morris at the last meeting of the jacksonville city council ' s special committee on the courthouse on oct . 29 .
we have been accused of sour grapes , but it ' s time to clear the air .
“the construction of this building had such a significant positive economic impact on jacksonville , ” said elizabeth reichert , general manager of grubb and ellis management services , which manages the building . “it was a three or four year project with major mechanical contractors and architects working on the building . and a lot of those same people that worked on it are people that are still in those various trades in jacksonville and who have developed some very prominent businesses in jacksonville . ”
opened in 1961 on the grounds of the former residence of arthur and ninah cummer , the museum is housed in a series of 20th - century buildings , opening onto the st . johns river . its three gardens on the museum grounds , the oldest dating back to 1903 , are unique examples of early 20th century garden design , with features including reflecting pools , fountains , arbors , sculptures and an ancient oak estimated to be close to 200 years old . designed by famed landscape architects ellen biddle shipman and the olmsted brothers , the gardens are listed in the national register of historic places .
cannon ' s design was
twice , or at least one and a half times , its original size ,
jenkins said .
people were coming up to me and asking me to do something . but when i brought it to the mayor , he thought i was pushing kbj . i told him , ' listen , we ' re going to train wreck , it won ' t work , we ' re not going to bring it in on budget . ' but the mayor didn ' t know me ; he was new , too , and he figured i was bringing him trouble . he felt it was an assault on him .
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the $ 350 million duval county courthouse program included three elements : a new duval county courthouse , the new state attorney ' s office , and the public defender ' s office . the public defender ' s office assumed occupancy of the jake godbold building , located at 407 n . laura street , the week of october 17 , 2011 . the new duval county courthouse opened on june 8 , 2012 . it is located at 501 w . adams street . for information about court operations , please click here to be directed to the duval county clerk of courts . the state attorney ' s office occupies the former federal courthouse at 311 w . monroe street . the historic building was renovated and opened to the public on march 30 , 2015 .
the entire courthouse program budget is set by ordinance at $ 350 million . this figure includes $ 64 . 3 million spent to - date on property acquisition , utility relocation , and previous project efforts .
the budget covers expenditures for the unified court facility , renovations to the old federal courthouse for the state attorney ' s office , and office space for the public defender .
duval county opened its previous courthouse on east bay street over 50 years ago , in a time before consolidation and when the entire county ' s population was just over 450 , 000 . it was only the fourth courthouse in the county ' s 175 - year history .
in 2000 , when the better jacksonville plan passed , duval county ' s population had swelled to over three - quarters of a million people . a county ' s judicial requirements directly correspond to its population , so while the number of people using the courthouse had grown significantly , the facility itself had not .
the original better jacksonville plan work program earmarked $ 190 million for a courthouse project . that figure increased by $ 21 million through funding from the bjp vertical contingency line item in the original work program . the increase was needed because the plan for the
courthouse project
changed significantly between the time the plan ' s budgets were created for the referendum to the time voters approved the plan .
the carc and its membership were established in section 5 of ordinance 2004 - 1339 and has been carried forward in the new courthouse legislation , 2007 - 401 . the carc was dissolved following the opening of the new facility .
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city government is a steward of the city . as a private citizen i may be angry with the progress on this project , but as a firm , we know the city has the option to choose the firm of its choice .
it came up when city council member suzanne jenkins brought a bill before the council more than a year and a half ago asking mayor john peyton to stop the project temporarily because information from members of the design and construction communities indicated the numbers were not adding up .
so the process continued and the courthouse complex under cannon fluctuated in size and cost on a month - to - month basis .
our recent estimate [ of ] june 4 , 2004 , is that we can build our design for $ 114 , 110 , 784 million ,
he said at the special committee meeting oct . 29 . that number is the construction budget only .
we have built in escalation costs of $ 6 million for increases and an additional $ 4 million for contingencies . there is plenty of room to make this work .
peyton stopped work on the courthouse complex oct . 28 when he fired cannon and construction managers skanska dynamic partners . officials say the city will take the next two or three months to evaluate the project .
different people have had different political agendas and have used us to paint us as a thorn in his [ peyton ' s ] side ,
morris said .
we don ' t want to say anything more because we hope to work with the city in the future .
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discover the ways you can use our building — for work , for gatherings and for special events .
hardwick had moved to jacksonville in 1949 , after graduation from architectural school at the university of pennsylvania . among his great influences was noted architect eero saarinen , who advised hardwick to establish a practice in a growing community that would be receptive to new ideas , to give each project its own unique look , and not to be afraid to experiment with new ways of design .
during his 60 - year career , hardwick designed many of the most notable structures in jacksonville . among his portfolio are the friendship fountain , the memorable skinner ' s dairy drive - thru stores with their flaring roofs , a host of private residences and commercial buildings and several schools .
most would agree that the magnum opus of hardwick ' s sixty - year career is the haydon burns public library ,
writes architectural historian wayne wood in the foreword to taylor hardwick : 60 years of design . it is
an icon of its era ,
he writes .
the art and architecture of taylor hardwick will stand the test of time .
the jessie ball dupont center sits at the corner of adams and oceans streets in the heart of downtown jacksonville . ( photo by robin clark )
the south facade , shown from the corner of forsyth and ocean streets , features gardens ands tree wells , accommodating the 8 - foot slope of the site from north to south . ( photo by robin clark
the 88 concrete fins that surround the building provide structural support but also affect winds and shadows , helping to cool the building . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the building is wrapped in panels of tiny italian glass tiles in shades of blue , green and yellow . during renovation , locals collectors returned thousands of the tiles that had fallen from the building through the years so they could be used in the renovation . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
tenants have access to bike storage on teh first floor . showers are nearby . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the cistern ( at rear ) and pump ( foreground ) are part of a system that captures rainwater from the roof , filters and stores it in the cistern , and them pumps it to irrigate the gardens around and on the roof of the building . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
an elaborate glazed brick mural surrounds the east elevator tower . designed by local artist ann williams , the mural ' s exterior wall is yellow , facing ocean street . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
embedded in the south wall of the mural is a small knob that controlled the original intercom system for the building and , above it , remnants of the original thermostat . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the blue mural wall as seen from the hot desk space . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
on the south side of the mural , an alcove originally housed a sink so that workers receiving and repairing books could wash their hands . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
solar panels on the roof support the hot water system for the building . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
these scale models of the glazed brick mural ( seen in background ) were built by artist ann williams and used by bricklayers who constructed the mural . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the original ceiling ( shown here in the great hall ) is a
waffle slab
design , which provides added strength in two directions . the
floating clouds
improve acoustics and support lighting fixtures . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
a vibrant brick mosaic , designed by jacksonville artist ann williams in the 1960s , surrounds the elevator tower . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
brightly colored clouds over the reception desk improve acoustics and add visual punch . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
in the second - floor open kitchen - - a shared space for tenants - - a bright blue
cloud
floats in the ceiling , supporting pendant lighting . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the monumental stairway connects the great hall to the concourse and is a modern interpretation of the building ' s original staircase . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
tiles are an important component of the building ' s original design . the interior columns in the great hall are covered in tiles designed by susan jablon . these new tiles were designed to complement the building ' s original glass - tiled columns , seen in the background . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the building ' s north and south facades are walls of windows . all glazing was replaced in the renovation to improve energy efficiency and wind resistance . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
after the great fire of 1901 , andrew carnegie provided funds to build the jacksonville public library on the northeast corner of adams and ocean streets . designed by henry john klutho , the building , which is diagonally across the street from the jessie ball dupont center , now houses a law firm . ( jacksonville historical society )
the second - floor concourse overlooks the great hall and leads from the elevators to the conference center . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the two - story great hall is the centerpiece of the main floor . the light - flooded space has a terrazzo floors , lavish green tile columns and a monumental staircase connecting it to the concourse . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the lecture hall seats 149 theater style . the stage proscenium is original to the building . the undulating wood clouds in the ceiling enhance acoustics . the theater has state - of - the art technology . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the lobby outside of the lecture hall features an elegant textured wall with walnut benches made from decorative wood panels that were salvaged from the original circulation desk and entryway . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
from the entrance , the center hallway leads south to the forsyth street gardens , passing multiple conversation pods . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the haydon burns library original entrance ; note the brick mural in background . ( photo courtesy of taylor hardwick family )
the lecture hall in the original haydon burns library . this often is referred to as the
puppet theater
because children ' s puppet shows were featured there . ( photo courtesy of taylor hardwick family )
the original haydon burns library shown from the forsyth street side in 1965 . ( photo courtesy of taylor hardwick family )
school children outside the entrance to the haydon burns library , circa 1965 . ( photo courtesy of taylor hardwick family )
by sharing kitchens - - such as this one on the second floor - - tenants save space in their offices and employees are encouraged to interact with employees from other tenant organizations . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the 16 work stations in the
hot desk
area on the first floor each rent by the day , the week or the month . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
hot desk
tenants
have access to lockers that bank either side of the high - top desks . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the hot desk area is conveniently located near the building ' s main entrance . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
individual tenants have incorporated the bright colors and sleek styling of the jessie ball dupont center in their individual work spaces . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the city of jacksonville abandoned the library in 2005 and by 2012 , the forsyth street garden was a tangle of weeds . ( photo by robert willis )
the original circulation desk in disrepair in 2012 . ( photo by robert willis )
the walls in the lower level of the building were covered in graffiti . ( photo by robert willis )
transients had placed a pool table on the first floor . ( photo by robert willis )
the lecture hall was littered with trash , but the stage and the textured brick walls were intact . ( photo by robert willis )
thousands of square feet of vacant space were awaiting renovation . ( photo by robert willis )
the jessie ball dupont center - - the jessie ball dupont fund purchased the building in 2013 and in january 2014 renovation of the jessie ball dupont center officially began . ( photo by mary kress littlepage )
the forsyth street garden runs along the south facade of the jessie ball dupont center . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
this console controlled all systems of the original building . it was salvaged by its creator - - johnson controls - - during the renovations . ( photo by ingrid damiani )
the entire exterior of the building was scrubbed to remoive 50 years of accumulated grime . ( photo by mary kress littlepage )
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jacksonville’s great variety of architecture reflects the diversity of cultures that call the city home . here are a few notable examples of architecture that illustrate jacksonville’s eclectic personality .
jacksonville ' s contemporary skyline gives visitors a modern first impression , but venturing deep into the city sheds light on its significant and diverse architectural history . ( ©ryan ketterman )
following jacksonville ' s great fire of 1901 , which burned 146 city blocks , destroyed more than 2 , 368 buildings and left almost 10 , 000 residents homeless , the city spread along the st . johns river experienced a period of architectural renaissance and urban revitalization that continues today . from iconic “prairie style” construction , pioneered in jacksonville by new york city architect henry john klutho and made famous by frank lloyd wright in chicago and other midwestern cities , to gothic , art deco , colonial revival and bungalow , jacksonville’s diverse collection of must - see architecture reflects the diversity of cultures that call the city home .
seeing the historic sites and getting around town is easy , thanks to several guided tours and jacksonville ' s numerous public transportation options . adlib luxury tours and transportation offeres several
top to bottom
tours of the area ' s points of interest , including a walking tour , driving tour and ghost tour . visit jacksonville has compiled a guide of historic walking tours from east northbank , west northbank and southbank riverwalk . the riverside avondale preservation society offers for download audio - guided neighborhood tours with accompanying podcasts and maps .
the jacksonville river taxi takes you to points of interest on both sides of the st . johns river in the heart of downtown , including everbank field , home of the jacksonville jaguars . a sunset ride on is one of the best ways to see views of the jacksonville skyline . the 2 . 5 - mile skyway provides “traffic - free” routes between the north - and southbanks of downtown throughout the week and during special events . you can also cross the river aboard one of the last remaining public ferries in the state , the historic st . johns river ferry , which carries passenger and cars between mayport and ft . george island . plus , the jacksonville transit authority operates the beach trolley and riverside / avondale night trolley , which features stops throughout the neighborhood residential and commercial districts , hitting five points , park & king , the shoppes of avondale , the brewery district , stockton & college and the st . john’s village areas . customers can connect to the historic district and visit downtown destinations like the elbow or jacksonville landing by connecting with a jta bus .
now that you know how to get around , go explore these 14 must - see examples of historic jacksonville architecture that illustrate city ' s eclectic personality .
the florida life and bisbee skyscrapers frame the old florida national bank ( marble bank ) located on laura street in downtown jacksonville . built just after the great fire of 1901 , marble bank began as the mercantile exchange bank in 1902 , designed by architect edward h . glidden in the classical revival style . the bisbee building , jacksonville ' s first skyscraper , was constructed between 1908 and 1909 by prominent jacksonville architect henry j . klutho , who also built the florida life building between 1911 and 1912 , which was at the time jacksonville ' s , and florida ' s , tallest building .
jacksonville landing opened in 1987 , built by the rouse co . the dining and entertainment complex is often compared to new york city ' s south street seaport , boston ' s faneuil hall , harborplace in baltimore or miami ' s bayside marketplace , all developed by rouse .
jacksonville ' s first permanent football stadium , fairfield stadium , opened in 1928 . twenty years later , it expanded and was renamed gator bowl stadium . everbank field then opened in 1995 on the site of the old stadium and played host to super bowl xxxix in 2005 . in 2013 , the stadium underwent $ 63 million in improvements , which included two end zone video scoreboards that are the largest hd led screens in the world , a platform area in the north end zone with two wading pools and 55 , 000 - square - feet of hd video screens , which is a world record for a stadium .
situated at the west end of the southbank riverwalk adjacent to the museum of science and history , the fountain at friendship park opened in 1965 as the
world’s largest and tallest
fountain at the time . designed by taylor hardwick , a prominent jacksonville architect who also designed the haydon burns library , it became a popular tourist attraction , pumping 3 , 500 to 6 , 500 gallons of water per minute to a height of 100 feet , with 265 lights molding the water into a sparkling mist . in 2010 , the city of jacksonville broke ground on park improvements , which included restoring full functionality to the fountain , updating the fountain ' s lighting and adding green space , landscaping and pedestrian accents to the park .
opened in july 1941 , jacksonville ' s main street bridge remains one of the city skyline ' s most recognizable features . officially the john t . alsop jr . bridge , named of jacksonville ' s mayor at the time , it was the the second bridge built across the st . johns river .
the south jacksonville community emerged after the american civil war and incorporated in 1907 . planned in the italian renaissance revival style , the commercial district was called
san marco square
after venice ' s piazza san marco , and featured several mediterranean buildings and a fountain . the san marco building , a mediterranean revival structure completed in 1927 , was the district ' s first commercial building and set its architectural tone . in the 1990s the city of jacksonville undertook a major renovation and streetscaping project , which included restoring the fountain with three lion statues inspired by the piazza san marco .
built in 1938 by architect roy benjamin , who also built the florida theatre , the art deco theater stood out among the favored moorish , spanish and italianate designs of the time . painter davis cone felt compelled to paint the theater and include it in his book
popcorn palaces .
it is also recognized by usa today as one of 10 best classic cinemas in the country .
the ritz theatre movie house in jacksonville’s historic african american community of la villa was built in 1929 . during la villa’s height of activity in the 1920s - 1960s , it was known as the “harlem of the south” and played host to some of the most culturally iconic entertainers of its time . continuing in that tradition , the historic theater continues to welcome intertnationally recognized stage plays and performing artists . the ritz theatre museum was established to “research , record , and preserve the material and artistic culture of african american life in northeast florida and the african diaspora , and present in an educational or entertaining format , the many facets that make up the historical and cultural legacy of this community . ”
now the jessie ball dupont center , the former library named for haydon burns , the longest - sitting mayor in jacksonville ' s history ( 1949 - 1965 ) , opened in november 1965 . considered state of the art , the 126 , 000 - square - foot building was wrapped in vibrantly colored tiles and had strong lines and angles . architect taylor hardwick , who designed dozens of jacksonville ' s iconic landmarks , sought to create
a bright spot in a drab urban environment . . . a building that would attract people and create in them an interest to enter and find out what was going on inside .
the building ' s interrior was described as an explosion of color and light withy a vivid mosaic mural , designed by local artist ann williams , that wrapped all four sides of the elevator and stair tower on the east side of the building . the exterior walls facing ocean and adams streets have 88
fins
extending from the second floor to the roof , like the 88 keys on a piano . the fins catch the wind and cast shadows to help keep the building cool .
opened on april 8 , 1927 , the florida theatre was considered the largest theater in the state at the time . designed by architect r . e . hall , the movie house was constructed by publix theaters , the theatre - construction and - owning arm of paramount pictures , who also built such notable venues as the paramount theater in new york , the tivoli in chicago , the olympia in miami and the tampa theater in tampa . french , spanish and italian motifs and furnishings stylize the grand interrior and the exterior was fashioned in the spanish eclectic style , more commonly known as mediterranean revival . wall hangings woven in france and italy , and the furniture obtained from collectors in morocco all evoked the mediterranean region and style . the most famous live performances in the florida theatre’s past or modern history occurred on august 10 and 11 , 1956 , when elvis presley , then riding high on the hit singles “heartbreak hotel , ” “hound dog” and “don’t be cruel , ” played six shows over two days . added to the u . s . national register of historic places in 1982 , it is one of only four remaining high - style movie palaces built in florida during the mediterranean revival architectural boom of the 1920s .
designed by architect henry john klutho and opened in 1912 , the st . james building is considered his masterpiece and was , at the time , the largest structure in jacksonville , occupying an entire city block . the building ' s most striking features include large abstract terra - cotta ornaments decorating its exterior as well as its 75 - foot octagonal glass dome , which serves as a skylight . originally designed as a mixed - use building containing the cohen bros . department store , the building was purchased by the city of jacksonville as the new city hall in 1997 .
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moving from ocala to jacksonville in 1902 , roy a . benjamin is credited with the design of many notable buildings , particularly theaters , in jacksonville and throughout the southeast . in jacksonville , benjamin was the architect for the imperial theatre ( demolished ) , the palace theatre ( demolished ) , the riverside theatre , the san marco theatre , the arcade theater , as well as serving as associate architect for the florida theatre .
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at ibm , when performance review time rolls around , staff get judged not on their past achievements but also on how they might perform . . .
samsung has taken the ‘make in india’ initiative to another level by launching ‘ . . .
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each of the founders focused on one aspect of the firm , which worked out superbly . kemp specialized in the business side of projects . bunch was known for being the expert in the construction and technical aspects of architecture , and jackson was the lead designer .
( 1914 - 2003 ) was a strong believer in long - range urban planning and was a key supporter of 1962 legislation that created the jacksonville - duval area planning board . he was chairman of the board that created jacksonville ' s first downtown development plan .
( 1912 - 1982 ) was less outgoing that his other partners . according to his son , kemp believed that architecture should remain pure , and not be directly involved with other construction industry activities . as such , he limited his outside activities to his church , where he was very active , serving as a senior warden and vestryman .
in addition to working downtown jacksonville , they work in north and central florida . much of the company’s work is for existing clients , who include international and private corporations , developers , institutions , public authorities , as well as federal , state , and local governments .
administration building ; the quarterdeck club in miami and the occidental life building in raleigh .
saw no grounds for the award to be rescinded . the project continued under cannon into the term of mayor
, but costs and the size of the project fluctuated . peyton stopped work on the project and fired cannon and construction managers skanska dynamic partners .
the project was re - bid in 2006 , and the team of perry - mccall construction and the auchter company were initially awarded the contract .
this article was sourced from creative commons attribution - sharealike license ; additional terms may apply . world heritage encyclopedia content is assembled from numerous content providers , open access publishing , and in compliance with the fair access to science and technology research act ( fastr ) , wikimedia foundation , inc . , public library of science , the encyclopedia of life , open book publishers ( obp ) , pubmed , u . s . national library of medicine , national center for biotechnology information , u . s . national library of medicine , national institutes of health ( nih ) , u . s . department of health & human services , and urltoken , which sources content from all federal , state , local , tribal , and territorial government publication portals ( . gov , . mil , . edu ) . funding for urltoken and content contributors is made possible from the u . s . congress , e - government act of 2002 .
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is sick . . . the globe is gone , ” i said . “let’s go and get drunk ! ” jons . . . . . . remember whether voices from the past 466 to write willm , will or


ark music factory was a musical composition and production company based in los angeles , california .

the company was co-founded in 2010 by patrice wilson , who partnered with producer/composer and multi-instrumentalist clarence jey .

in may 2011 , jey left ark music factory to focus on his own production company music intersection .

later in 2011 , patrice wilson established his own enterprise , pato music world .

ark music factory

the highlights of the ark music factory lauch party event for arkmusicfactory . com . visit ark music factory for their latest movements , events and more .
best of the worst : an ark music factory primer add to . . .
ark music factory’s lexi st . george is star struck in “dancing to the rhythm”
tags : ark music factory , feature , lexi st . george , rebecca black
copyright ark music factory 2011 rebecca black -
friday
produced by ark music factory urltoken join now find ark music factory on facebook urltoken and follow them on twitter urltoken written and produced by patrice wilson and clarence jey directed by chris lowe and ian hotchkiss .
1 . ark music factory = have absolutely no talents and are saturating the market yet with more bad music and videos . . 2 . stfu & lovey = work for ark music factory . .
so this ark music * factory * is just a place for kids with rich parents get a music video .
* contest schedule dates and times subject to change at the discretion of ark music factory .
6 . a “wildcard” contestant may be added to the competition at ark music factory’s discretion .
she owes her fame to the ark music factory , a record label based in los angeles . according to ark’s website :
ark music factory ' s lexi st . george launches wowwee ' s paper jamz pro jam series microphone
my jeans is not affiliated with ark music factory ! it says so right in the video description .
ark music factory ' s lexi st . george is star struck in
dancing to the rhythm
5 . ark music factory reserves the right to conduct a background check on any contestant and reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any contestant based on the results of such background check ( s ) , if ark music factory determines in its sole discretion that awarding a prize to such contestant might reflect negatively on ark music factory .
ark music factory artist lexi st . george lands major commercial to launch paper jamz® ' pro jam series mic for wowwee®
ark music factory artist lexi st . george lands major commercial to launch paper jamz ' pro jam series mic for wowwee .
the people behind the insanely popular viral video “friday” , ark music factory , have partnered with good morning america to find and launch the next viral music artist .
i think many of you are overlooking the amount of talent the ark music factory possesses . they deliver . that’s a fact .
in the event of a tie , ark music factory will make the final determination of the finalists , in their sole discretion .
1 . sign - up online through the ark star contest portion of the website to enter . only members of ark music factory can sign - up for the ark star contest . if you aren’t a member yet sign - up to ark now .
. she seemed to come out of nowhere , possibly autotuned from her first word . but black was spawned by the vanity production company ark music factory . we spoke with ark music factory ceo patrice wilson , who claimed
friday
was dumb by design .
check out the interview below and let us know what you think . would you trust ark music factory with your son or daughter ?
the city of irving pledged more than $ 35 million in economic incentives to north carolina developer ark group to build the music factory .
3 . ark music factory shall have no liability for any winner notification that is not received by the potential winner for any reason .
fourthly , ark music factory can only be a scam because i can buy a canon hf100 , sony vegas , beatmaker 2 , and come up with a better music video .
1 . the potential 40 contestants who are voted into the ark star contest will be contacted by ark music factory via e - mail message or telephone within 48 hours after winner determination .
11 . entry must be of satisfactory quality as determined by ark music factory ( i . e . , brightness , focus , volume ) .
toyota and ark group have announced a 10 - year partnership that establishes toyota music factory as the new name for the irving music factory . additionally , the live nation concert venue , the pavilion , will be renamed the pavilion at toyota music factory , and the vip lounge will be called the toyota lounge . the name changes are effective immediately .
the music factory is expected to draw 2 . 5 million customers a year , according to hff .
1 . in order to participate in the ark star contest you must be a member of ark music factory . if you are not yet a member , click here to sign up now .
the ark group , which had built the successful n . c . music factory in charlotte , north carolina , now called the avidxchange music factory , was intrigued by the possibilities in irving and won city approval for the project along with financial incentives .
ark music factory artist lexi st . george lands major commercial to launch paper jamz ' pro jam series mic for wowwee . - version details - trove
ark music a 100 % voluntary interaction situation . can’t say the same about politics .
, which starred snoop dogg .
in 2007 , he moved to la to break into the music business . instead , he founded ark music factory in 2010 along with producer clarence jey .
has shone a light onto ark music factory , the . . . uh . . . music factory behind the song and video . i ' m not going to talk about
friday
here , not only because it ' s been covered in depth by
the city pledged more than $ 35 million in economic incentives to ark group to build the music factory . lazes said his company is still hunting funding .
the commercial real estate sales , investment and funding firm is distributing marketing materials for the music factory . hff said it is the
broker for the potential sale of the property
in documents describing the music factory .
photo of patrice wilson of ark music . credit : katie falkenberg / for the times .
h3h3 reaction video to beautiful patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by texenox
patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by
myaah man
skely savage
ark group ceo noah lazes said he doubts the property will change hands . instead , lazes said , he hopes to attract new financing for the music factory .
irving ' s new music factory entertainment and retail venue is scheduled to open before the end of the year .
general contractor skanska usa is building the music factory and has had about 1 , 200 people working on it .
the music factory is being built on the north side of state highway 114 . ( steve brown / staff )
the n . c . music factory said thursday that it will change its name to the avidxchange music factory , after payment software firm avidxchange acquired the naming rights for the entertainment complex where it is building a new headquarters .
barnett , 70 , is living in dallas and deferred most questions to irving music factory developer , the north carolina ark group , to talk about the new development .
and ark , naturally , has positioned itself as the filler of the blank . as wilson puts it ,
if you ' re willing to just be yourself , you ' re welcome at ark music factory .
avidxchange now employs more than 500 , including more than 100 at the music factory , a collection of bars , restaurants and music venues just north of uptown .
i have nothing against rebecca black herself , i think she’s an okay singer and , save the viral hit , a semi - normal teenaged girl . i just don’t like how ark music factory is exactly what it is : a factory .
wilson’s ark music factory partner clarence jey contended that ark did act as a record label for black , and distributed and promoted her with her mother’s consent – until it became clear that black was going to make actual money .
video content promoting or containing gratuitous violence , inciting violence , hate speech , nudity , vulgarity , illegal drug use , or any other material deemed offensive by ark music factory .
patrice wilson of ark music just wanted to write a ‘kind of sweet ' song for rebecca black .
we have los angeles - based ark music factory to thank for the fact that rebecca black now has a manager and is in the studio working on her second single . do any other ark music factory phenomena deserve the type of fame that black is experiencing ? we took to youtube to see if any of them do , and the answer is yes .
, the internet has been asking questions about ark music factory , the mysterious production company behind the viral hit . time magazine called the song , and ark , “a whole new level of bad” , while other commenters accused ark of exploiting rebecca black and other young girls . and everybody wants to know who that random guy rapping in the car is – is it fat usher ? well , the guy in the car is none other than patrice wilson , founder and president of ark music factory . and in an exclusive interview ( ironically uploaded by ark music factory themselves ) patrice talks about rebecca black , dispels some of the rumors about his company and announces that ark is looking for their next viral star .
the core values that michael ( praeger ) has cultivated at avidxchange perfectly parallel with the spirit and purpose of the music factory .
to find our star , ark music factory founder patrice wilson held two flash auditions at los angeles malls , the americana and the grove , scouting among a crowd of excited teenage girls .
[ press - news . org ] ark music factory ' s lexi st . george launches wowwee ' s paper jamz pro jam series microphone ark music factory ' s teen protege lexi st . george lands her first major commercial deal for wowwee ' s paper jamz pro jam series microphone . they feature lexi and her debut single and video
dancing to the rhythm .
rebecca black’s viral web takeover came thanks to ark music factory , the pay - per - song company that produced the sugary—and incessant—“ friday . ” well , there’s more where that came from : watch video of ark’s most mind - blowing creations .
in fact , young girls seem to be jey and wilson’s preference , looking at ark music factory’s roster . here’s cj fam , a girl who usually sings at ronald mcdonald fundraisers and county fairs , starring in “five days with ark music factory . ” it’s supposed be a commercial for clarence jey and patrice wilson’s company , but it just looks plain depressing , creepy and horrible :
“toyota has a rich history of connecting with our guests through music , and the toyota music factory gives us another platform to do that , ” said ed laukes , group vice president , marketing , toyota . “we are excited that the toyota music factory offers north texans a state - of - the - art facility to enjoy live music , entertainment and dining options . ”
all the people getting angry at this review . you know what makes me ill ? these videos . the music is shit . the kids are not terrible , but they certainly aren’t talented either . this entire “ark music factory” thing is a joke . people make fun of it because it’s laughable . ark music factory is now responsible for the worst music i’ve ever heard in my life . i have a right to track these guys down and demand the last 5 minutes of my life back .
ark music factory is a record label based in los angeles , california . the label was founded by patrice wilson , who then partnered up with producer / composer clarence jey . - source : wikipedia
ark music factory is an evil , pedophilic company that thinks it & apos ; s okay to exploit teenagers and turn them into corporate money - making machines . yeah , they make warner music group and vevo look like the angels of record labels .
yo douche ! ! sounds like you getting patrice wilson mixed up with clarence jey and got all the information confoosed along the way about ark music factory . both are 2 of the coolest cats ever .
patrice wilson - beautiful ( o . . . patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by triple zed
alison gold - chinese food ( o . . . patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by memenewsteam
that april , wilson launched a facebook fan page [ 6 ] for ark music factory , which has gained more than 15 , 000 likes as of october 2013 and also uploaded his own rap video titled
say what you want
( shown below , right ) , directly addressing people dismissing his work . as of october 2013 , both of these videos have been removed from ark music factory - related channels .
developers building irving ' s long - awaited entertainment complex — the music factory — are seeking buyers or investors for the $ 175 million project .
the answer is ark music factory , a los angeles - based company operating as an industry hybrid of maurice starr and john bennett ramsey . their casting calls are perfect bait for starry - eyed parents : “if you are a great singer without any material and you want to get discovered , ” one reads , “then ark music factory is looking for you . ” [ it’s now been removed ; screen grab here . ]
wow , factory - manufactured pop stars , reminds me of mr brainwash and pop art .
the toyota music factory is a $ 200 million , 16 . 7 - acre entertainment and dining complex in the las colinas urban center in irving , texas . the toyota music factory , expected to draw around 2 . 5 million guests a year , opened sept . 9 with zz top .
a march 29 letter from black and marquez kelly’s lawyer brian schall to ark music factory obtained by rolling stone alleges that ark has failed to provide black with the master recordings of her song and video ; has been exploiting her likeness and her song on youtube , itunes , amazon and ark’s website ; created an unauthorized “friday” ringtone ; and has been advertising black as an exclusive ark recording artist on its website .
when i hear their music , i feel like i just opened the ark of the covenant and my face melted off .
ark music factory and good morning america recently embarked on a campaign to find , develop and deliver a hidden pop music talent—in one week—and chose lexi after an exhaustive search . gma hosted the world premiere of lexi ' s debut video ,
dancing to the rhythm ,
rebecca black ' s viral web takeover came thanks to ark music factory , the pay - per - song company that produced the sugary—and incessant—
friday .
well , there ' s more where that came from : watch video of ark ' s most mind - blowing creations .
kaya at least understands the music video game—she took part in this spoof of music videos —but most of ark’s clients appear oblivious to the realities of the music industry . in the comments of another video filmed by ark music factory’s in - house producers , sarah maugaotega’s friends ask questions like “howd you make this ! ? ” and “amazing howd you do it ? ” sarah’s probably the most natural - sounding and looking singer on ark’s roster , and her official youtube channel has only seven subscribers . nevertheless , this video got made :
throughout late 2010 and early 2011 , ark music factory videos were uploaded to the youtube account trizzy66 [ 4 ] , which has received more than 19 . 6 million views and nearly 80 , 000 subscribers as of october 2013 . in august 2011 , the secondary channel patomuzic [ 6 ] began uploading ark music factory videos . this channel has amassed more than 27 . 5 million views and 25 , 000 subscribers within the same time period .
the project ' s name will ring a bell for locals — that as well as the overall concept are similar to the n . c . music factory that ark group put together on the northern edge of uptown charlotte .
9 . third parties include , but are not limited to , celebrities and friends . entrants should be able to provide on request all appropriate clearances , permissions and releases for the entry , including releases from all persons appearing in the entry and location releases for all recognizable locations ( in the event an entrant cannot provide all required releases , ark music factory reserves the right , in ark music factory’s sole discretion , to disqualify the applicable entry ) .
aly & agness - gummy bears ( o . . . patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by triple zed
we love video games ! - inside . . . patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by con _ man
the name change was announced thursday at bootlegger’s saloon , part of the music factory . effective march 1 , avidxchange will be the music factory’s “exclusive and sole sponsor . ” signs have already been changed to show the new name , which is hung on dozens of poles and painted on brick walls throughout the complex .
every since rebecca black went viral with her hit song ' friday ' , the internet has been asking questions about ark music factory , the mysterious production company behind the viral hit . patrice wilson , ceo and founder of ark , gave an
exclusive interview
to answer questions and dispel rumors .
is it sad ? that depends on your point of view . is it hilarious that “friday , ” ark music factory’s biggest hit , has gotten famous for being mercilessly made fun of on the internet ? you bet it is .
but because ark music seems less like a record label than a recording studio for hire , it appears that not only did black not assign her rights in the sound recording to ark , but that ark agreed to transfer any rights in the recording that it owned to black .
alison gold - abcdefg ( offici . . . patrice wilson / ark music fa . . . uploaded by oshare
stylish
bones
in early 2010 , wilson along with co - founder and producer clarence jey sought out young aspiring talent to join their newly created ark music factory label . their strategy was simple : for a small fee ( anywhere from $ 2 , 000 - $ 4 , 000 ) ark would collaborate in writing music for their artists , produce music videos and even provide image consultation . in the end each artist would own the master recording of any song they record and ark would own publishing and distribution rights .
ark music factory , the company that discovered viral music phenomena rebecca black and alana lee and broke lexi st . george big with abc’s good morning america , is looking for the next teen music sensation : you ! do you think you have what it takes—natural talent , a great singing voice and killer stage presence ? then this is the contest for you .
ark music factory ' s teen protege lexi st . george lands her first major commercial deal for wowwee ' s paper jamz pro jam series microphone . they feature lexi and her debut single and video
dancing to the rhythm .
i love how everyone is taking this so seriously…the whole thing isn’t a joke ? i mean , is the joke on me ? because when i see the ark music factory party , it really looks like a bunch of satirical acting going on…they’re just making fun of what the music industry has become .
the whole song is fucking terrible . no fucking kidding . this is just 10000000000x worse than friday . fucking awful
- someone & apos ; s reaction after watching one of ark music factory & apos ; s more recent titles .
4 . the failure to respond timely ( within 3 days ) to the notification may result in forfeiture of participation in the contest and , in such case , ark music factory may determine an alternate finalist according to the voting period results .
possibly our favorite entry in the ark music factory catalog , this video chronicles a relationship of infidelity and betrayal that evolves entirely over social media . it’s bizarre , but after some intense cyberbullying , and , as always , a sweet rap interlude by one of ark’s masterminds , everyone seems pretty happy . conflict resovled .
2 . these contestants must sign and return via email / facsimile ark’s talent agreement prior to being determined eligible to officially enter the ark star contest .
ark music factory reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry / voting process or the operation of the contest or contest website ; violates these official rules ; or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner , or with intent to annoy , abuse , threaten or harass any other person . any entry deemed inappropriate or unsuitable for posting , in ark music factory’s sole discretion , will be disqualified and will not appear on the contest website .
yikes ! clearly , we’re dealing with a whole new level of bad . according to black book , the song comes from a company called ark music factory , which is based in l . a . and seems to specialize in teen girl pop music–their website has a whole roster of laughably bad teen pop videos .
so begins the self - released interview with ark music factory ceo and founder patrice wilson , asked by a
reporter
who ' s about as convincing a performer as most of the adolescent pop stars on the ark roster . it ' s true that this is one of the biggest questions buzzing around the internet these past 16 days , ever since 13 - year - old ark recording artist rebecca black changed the internet forever ( for now ) with her impossibly viral and eternally perplexing hit
friday .
what the hell is the deal with this ark music factory , and what does that guy rapping in the video have to do with it ?
ark music factory is a joke and their “talent” all sucks nothing but daddy bought me this song / video to show how better i am then you garbage . nice to see ark music reps have nothing better to do then to get in pissing contest on the internet with people instead of finding real talent . by why do that getting rich daddy money from never will be singers is easier .
lazes said the music factory development is on schedule and construction is fully financed by suntrust bank .
we are just exploring a long - term plan ,
he said .
“we’re terrifically excited about this program , ” says ark music factory founder patrice wilson . “i am all about the passion for music—it’s driven the success of this company—and i know so many kids out there feel the same way . ark aims to give these young artists a platform for exposure they might not otherwise get , and i’m really looking forward to reviewing the submissions . come on , kids , enter ! ”
the music factory includes an eight - screen alamo drafthouse cinema , 8 , 000 - seat live nation indoor / outdoor concert hall , other entertainment venues , restaurants and specialty eateries .
he said the branding will help the company lure employees : “when we compete for talent with other software companies , we can tell them we’re part of the avidxchange music factory . ”
while it might not seem that a payments software company fits with a collection of bars and restaurants that includes wet willie’s and nightclub label , the brands are a natural fit , said rick lazes , co - founder of the ark group that developed the music factory .
located on the north side of sh 114 and just west of the las colinas urban center , the address for the toyota music factory is 300 w . las colinas blvd . , irving , texas 75039 . there will be plentiful valet stands throughout and 4 , 200 dedicated parking spaces available for patrons of the toyota music factory . the toyota music factory is adjacent to the irving convention center and the 350 - room westin hotel ( under construction ) . the site is served by the dart orange line as well as the las colinas people mover system .
, which was home to a number of similarly bad music videos , starring girls around rebecca’s age . word came out that rebecca’s mom had paid around $ 2 , 000 to ark music factory for the song and music video production . the rumors started to fly . ark responded by uploading a video on march 21 , 2011 that promised to clear up the rumors by the end of the week . that video , which you can check out below , got over 800 , 000 views .
d – the “ark music factory” people provided quite a comprehensive service , and they deserve the added exposure which is coming by way of rebecca black’s exciting success . as has been widely reported , rebecca’s family paid $ 2000 for the creation of the video and another $ 2000 which was effectively to purchase all of the “rights” to the music .
3 . ark star is being held to find solo / individual performing artists only . bands and music groups are not eligible to enter this particular contest .
5 . ark star is being held to find solo / individual performing artists only . bands and music groups are not eligible to enter this particular contest .
ark group’s music factory is more than 60 % complete . the mixed - use development — a public - private partnership with the city of irving — is just one of many major projects happening in las colinas , despite the barriers to entry of a strict master plan .
and the off - again , on - again timeline of the music factory in irving sounds a bit like the process of making over the eastland mall site owned by the city of charlotte .
ark music factory’s ceo patrice wilson , tween music’s equivalent to berry gordy , hopes to continue riding the success of rebecca black’s infectious ( though lyrically atrocious ) hit “friday” with the factory’s latest victim , er , artist lexi st . george . hop below to watch the fresh - faced pop star hopeful bop around in her debut music video ( or jc penny commercial , we really can’t tell the difference ) for “dancing to the rhythm ( with me ) ” and let us know if ark has struck highly irritating - yet - insanely - memorable gold twice . we just have one question : what ever happened to alana lee ?
with regard to “former pop producer now trance dj artist’s” post , you’re operating under the old paradigm . what ark music factory has done , albeit inadvertently , is provide a blueprint for profitably making music in the digital , post - record - label age . further – unlike so many others before them — they have proved that it can actually work .
st . george was chosen after auditions at local malls were held . in the first clip , seen here , she’s recording the song that ark music factory founder patrice wilsonco - wrote and produced called “dancing to the rhythm . ” the video for the song will air on thursday .
this friday , ark launches a nationwide online talent search for the next ark star . ark uses both traditional and non - traditional means to identify , develop and prepare artists to break into the music business—and gain fame , respect and skills along the way . the ark star viral star contest represents the latest way ark is seeking talent . aspiring artists need to get their friends , family and fans to help them if they want to claim the grand prize . kids can get a shot at fame from the team that helped launch one of the most successful music videos of all time .
ark had to lock down their website due to the public’s wrath toward their horrendous products . they might want to ask themselves : how many other music companies have had to go to such an extreme measure ? isn’t this a big hint to ark ?
i think everyone is forgetting that there is a little girls feelings involved here . no matter what you think ark music factory has accomplished something that even the majors can’t do right now … get an artist noticed . i don’t have any involvement with ark , but i am familiar with the difficulty of promoting artists . a lot of the “music intellectuals” on here like to talk about their definition of good music but most of them download every song they listen to for free and have not supported any artist since music became a free commodity . most of the public are hypocrites and don’t even support the artist who they claim are the “good artists . ” i give ark music factory props for doing their damn thing and making it happen . rebecca black i also give you props for having the guts to do what many millions of people would never attempt to do . pursue your dreams .
but , truth be told , all these fools involved with ark music don’t actually give a crap about music . they want the $ $ $ $ $ $ ! cause if they did , they wouldn’t have ever put this stuff out .
in an interview with rolling stone , ark music factory founder patrice wilson denied most of the allegations in the letter . “i have met with rebecca black’s mom and everything is fine , ” he said . “she will get the masters and the song . they can have it all . ”
any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law , and , should such an attempt be made , ark music factory reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law .
i’m sure you guys don’t help to inflate these poor kid’s egos either . i’m sure you don’t dangle promises of fame and fortune in front of starry eyed parents while they sign the bank accounts over to you . no , in fact , you guys are doing a very charitable and kind act . thank you ark music factory ! ( interesting you put factory in your name , since that’s exactly what you are )
hollywood , calif . , july 12 , 2011 / prnewswire /  - - abc ' s good morning america and ark music factory ' s teen protege lexi st . george , who gma launched on its
one week to hit it big : pop star
series , . . .
at the podium , michael praeger , ceo and co - founder of avidxchange makes the announcement that it will become the exclusive and sole sponsor of the nc music factory . rick lazes , co - founder of the ark group , is at far left and mayor jennifer roberts is at center .
to find out ,
gma
went to the california - based ark music factory , which masterminded the news - making sensation
friday .
love the song or hate it , the music video
friday ,
featuring 13 - year - old rebecca black , has been viewed more than 167 million times on youtube , and has spawned countless covers and parodies .
as this century rockets into the middle of its tweendom , ark music factory calls out to the tween nation to “join the movement , ” but the movement isn’t something they have control over . the tween pop sensation is a wild pony running free and ark holds out a sugar cube hoping to capture its attention , even if only for a moment . so far they’ve made their name by unintentionally discovering a web meme , but have yet to produce an act that reaches the notoriety rebecca black achieved . still ark music factory remains optimistic by expanding itself beyond a record label to be online social network for fans , musicians and producers that aims to serve the movement rather than direct it .
design work on the music factory project near dallas is about 70 percent complete , and noah lazes , the younger half of the father - son duo behind ark group , expects to be
moving dirt
in 90 to 120 days , according to an exclusive report from our sister publication there .
today , i’m here to talk about a lesser - known but equally fantastic ( and by fantastic , i mean terrible ) music video entitled “thing called magic” written and performed by sixteen - year - old serena foster ( who is she ? no one knows ) . i can tell you this much—she is not part of the sinister ark music factory production company ( yes , i’m convinced there’s something sinister lurking in the corners of ark studios ; for god’s sake , it refers to itself as a factory ) , but she’s just at their stars’ level , if not one step ahead of the game .
5 . entry and all vocals in your music video must be in english .
“friday” and rebecca black are ark music’s biggest successes with the video collecting over 160 million views ( and 3 . 1 million dislikes ) but the countdown clock on black’s fifteen minutes is flashing 14 : 59 , prompting the internet to turn and ask , “what’s next ? ” to which ark music responds , “plenty . ” rebecca black was just the tip of the iceberg and upon further investigation the factory is filled with other stars ready to burn bright and work hard for the fame .
it’s nice to see some intelligent debate here , even if there is disagreement on ark’s credibility .
ark group is seeking a buyer for the project with the help of holliday fenoglio fowler llp .
“she’s not our exclusive artist , ” said wilson . “once an artist meets with us and once they blow up , they have a choice to retain us or move on if they can . rebecca is now signed with someone else . ” wilson added that he will remove black from the ark music factory website .
to target this “crap” to pre - teens is to underestimate their intelligence and their ability to appreciate music . i find ark’s mission ( “business” ) and outlook to be deeply jaded .
all of this would seem to speak to a once - in - a - lifetime alignment of forces - - inexplicable and probably unduplicable . but according to composer and ark music factory cofounder , clarence jey , the black friday phenomenon wasn ' t just expected - - it was , to a certain extent , planned .
“the core values that michael has cultivated at avidxchange perfectly parallel with the spirit and purpose of the music factory . we couldn’t be more excited to have avidxchange as the naming rights sponsor for the complex , ” said lazes .
she’s a girl who i don’t hate but i hate her music . she can’t sing and honestly i think she needs to stop with making music and get a new career…
4 . your entry and all vocals in your music video must be in english .
it didn’t take long for everyone involved in the rebecca black story to start squabbling . black – whose song “friday” hit number 38 on billboard’s digital singles chart this week – and her mother , georgina marquez kelly , are accusing ark music factory , which produced “friday , ” of copyright infringement and unlawful exploitation of publicity rights .
the ark group partnered with livenation to create the pavilion . barnett brought restaurants unlimited to the project .
the entire story just makes me feel gross and disappointed , and it leaves me with so many questions . how can the ark music factory continue promising stardom to kids when their songs are becoming famous for all the wrong reasons ? why aren’t the parents of rebecca black or the other ark girls even attempting to shield their girls from international dissection by pulling the videos or cutting ties with ark ? and maybe most importantly , is it even possible to stop the madness now that it’s attracted so many not - so - adoring “fans” ?
a 100 , 000 - square - foot office building in the mixed - used irving music factory development has already been fully leased to the ethos group , which partners with auto dealers on sales , financing and servicing of vehicles .
out of 86 comments no “gets it” . the music industry is almost like “wall street” . it is cut throat . this new generation of tech savvy tenns are ready to bust it out . this ark music company is just symbolic of being able to produce your own videos and music , no matter who it sounds or looks . these kids don’t care ! finally . to 4567 with the big music corps . make your own music for fun . that is what it is all about . this ark music factory will fade but the enormous reaction to the video and “song” is symbolic of a new age in music . no more bangin’ and blingin’ with m & m’s and puff daddy , who put music at its’ lowest point . this is just the beginning of a new age of “art” . like andy warhol’s “campbell’s soup can”… . this is a wave of anti - big business that is going to continue , because these teenagers are getting smarter by the day . the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer , wait till these teenagers reach 30 years old . then we’ll see what kind of “music” they produce… . . it will be more like “io want nothing to do with this celebrity bs , or music company’s .
billy bob barnett hasn’t exactly been laying low . he’s been a player in the long and tangled development of the irving music factory , a $ 200 million entertainment and restaurant venue set to debut in las colinas on labor day weekend .
ark music factory doesn ' t have a contract with rebecca black outside of
friday ,
according to wilson , so the extent to which they stand to profit off her career is limited . black owns the master recording of
friday ,
which means the money from itunes downloads will go to her . so far , this totals
@ john – “the music industry is doggy dog in every sense of the word . ”
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the issue is not how the music industry works . everyone knows how royalties get paid . the issue is that all these songs suck , and ark takes preadolescent young girls dreams and their parent’s money “up front” and makes “crap music” like this out of it ! ( your words ) !
she needs to talk to a lawyer , to be safe– because if i were her , i’d want ark to suffer . and then take her infamy and try to make something out of it apart from ark .
with the glamor and pageantry of jonbenét ramsey combined with the power and stage presence of sammy hagar , cj fam undoubtedly possesses the most potential in being the next star to come from the ark music phenomenon . whether she’s belting out a tune from annie in a tattered men’s dress shirt or vamping lady gaga’s “telephone” ( complete with beyoncé rap ) , cj exudes an alarming intensity for an 11 - year - old . her ark music factory premiere occurred around the same time as rebecca black’s in january of 2011 with the video “ordinary pop star . ”
if musicians are going to be produced by the size of the parent’s pockets the what is the point of a music major ? hell what is the point of me teaching music , if they are all going to call their mommies and daddies and some auto - tune computer guy make their music . then my future of teaching music and having a show choir are gone…
the mixed - use and lifestyle destination is anchored by live nation’s the pavilion at toyota music factory . this is a state - of - the - art venue for world - class entertainment and special events throughout the year . exclusively booked and promoted by live nation , the pavilion at toyota music factory converts from a 2 , 500 - capacity intimate theater to a 4 , 000 - seat indoor theater and opens up to an 8 , 000 - person boutique open - air amphitheater .
but everything may not be as “fun , fun , fun , fun” when it comes to the business side of “friday . ” last friday ( really ! ) , rolling stone reported ( in a story i’m assuming was not an april fool’s joke ) , that black’s mother was accusing ark music factory of copyright infringement in connection with the song . a letter from black’s lawyer alleges that ark failed to provide black with the master recordings of her song and video as required by their november 2010 agreement , has been exploiting her likeness on youtube , itunes , and ark’s website without permission , has falsely claimed she is exclusively signed to ark , and created an unauthorized “friday” ringtone .
ark music factory remains something of a mystery . is wilson a small - time musical huckster whose game was exposed by
friday ' s
viral success ? or does he sincerely want to help new talent break into the business and just has terrible taste and limited means ? although now that rebecca black has signed with big time manager deborah baum and is planning
this is not music , its computers making noise & kids buy into the hype . its sad
according to the interview , patrice is from “europe” and his dad is from “africa” ( oh , that clears things up ! ) . he used to be pretty big back in eastern europe , but he quit his music career a couple of years ago to come to the united states and “stop making music to let people know what clean good music is . ” that makes perfect sense , right ? he had to stop making music to let people know what good music is ?
the city , as a partner with the lazes on this project , sometimes gets to trump their vote , lazes said . music factory sits on a 99 - year ground lease with the city and will share a portion of its profits with the city .
ark seems like the logical extension of simon cowell and american idol . ark takes cowell’s emphasis on “the total package” and runs with it . wonder how many would be child stars disney weeded through before coming up with miley cyrus .
all of the ark kids have only one song , and almost all of them feature an awkward interlude by an adult rapper . that’s because the guys behind the music factory—rappers patrice wilson and clarence jey—don’t want to entrust their chances at big money with just one budding starlet , and they want to make sure their face is stamped on as many of the videos as possible .
i would postulate that ark is actually performing a development service for the parents and kids . they can develop a fan base , work on their chops , finish school , study music more – and if they have enough strength in their early ark period , could even already begin to earn a living as they hone their craft .
the internet’s been pretty cruel to rebecca black—and , in fairness , her song is laughably awful . but we don’t need to be criticizing middle schoolers . we need to be looking critically at the ark music factory , not just for marring pop music and ruining our favorite day of the week , but for exploiting their clients . the company is exploiting the child performers for their own fame gain , and in the process turning them into oversexed adults before they’re even able to drive .
marquez kelly paid ark $ 4 , 000 ( not $ 2 , 000 , as has been widely reported ) to produce the song , and according to schall’s letter , the agreement that she signed with ark in november stipulates that black has 100 percent ownership and control of “friday , ” including the master recording and the music video .
when jolie adamson found her knight in shining armor , all she wanted to do was sing about it… at least that’s how it goes down in this ark creation . adamson , an older ark singer—and by older , we mean pushing 19—frolics on a beach with her paramour , singing , “i need you in my life / the way you smile / gives me butterflies inside / you are the one . ” like ark music factory’s other songs , there’s plenty of repetition in the lyrics , but she does the song , and possibly the beach , more justice than heidi montag , and maybe even paris hilton on a good day .
we want to make a statement that this project is not only unparalleled in the region , but in the country ,
he told me .
we wanted to make a statement . we want this to be the most amazing entertainment centers built to date .
the ark group plans to begin construction by the end of the summer and open the music factory by early 2016 .
“georgina’s trying to get the rights to things she doesn’t have the rights to , ” said ark creative director barry wayne .
instead , lazes would like to see ark group get a turn at an exclusive negotiating period with the city of charlotte .
blame ark ? i’m sorry , did i miss something ? is ark forcing these girls and their parents to sign up for this ? are they forcing them to churn out cheesy youtube videos at gunpoint ? don’t blame ark , blame the parents . they’re the ones willingly and eagerly signing their kids up for 15 minutes of fame with absolutely no regard for the negative consequences . if ark is successful then more power to them . it’s a sad reality , but they aren’t doing anything wrong . furthermore , blame consumers and ark’s audience ( ie , all of us ) . if we weren’t delivering 16 million hits on youtube
@ stfu : you made the reviewers point right there . what you’re saying is parents sign a contract , and some pay money to ark music to make a video with their kids . sometimes up to $ 20 , 000 ?
everyone needs to chill . the government is killing hundreds of thousands of people over seas , yet i wonder what percentage of people complaining about ark music have spent time complaining about the debasement of the dollar , or public ‘education’ .
additionally , the toyota music factory’s more than 25 entertainment and dining options , including alamo drafthouse 8 screen movie theater , will be opening before the end of the year . ethos group will occupy 100 percent of the four - story office tower that looks out onto the entertainment center .
5 . the entry must not contain unsuitable content or depict or incorporate unsafe behavior or situations ; obscenity , lewd or inappropriate images , words or text ; nudity ; acts of violence or acts that appear to cause harm or are illegal / dangerous ; disparagement of any person or product ; racist innuendo ; illegal drug or alcohol use ; or other offensive conduct or material , as determined in ark music factory’s sole discretion .