Creating Downtown Vibrancy by Exposing Secret Retail

[JeffreyS]

There is a small mall inside the first floor of the Modis building.  A barber with an old fashioned strait shave, a nice Jewler, a book/ convenience store, a full function copy center, art gallery and others.

[Jumpinjack]

With all the vacancies in downtown right now, retailers who are not happy with being entombed in a glass structure with more prohibitions than common sense, should consider the possibilities of moving out.

[TheProfessor]

What are the downtown codes on the street level of buildings?  Don't they require a certain percentage of storefront with any new building?  I guess they can't make existing buildings change.

[JeffreyS]

The Bank of America building would bet the best one to change.  There is a convenience/gift store/dry cleaner, Java Junction and a restaurant along the Laura street sidewalk.  They could all interact with a street the city is trying to make more pedestrian shopping friendly.  Some outdoor seating for that cafe would be great.

[second_pancake]

Have you guys every thought about doing things yourself to draw in the residents and show them not only what is already there but what it COULD be...guerilla style (see below for Ft. Worth and Oak Cliff (a neighborhoood very much like Springfield/downtown):

http://fortworthology.com/2010/10/04/guerilla-complete-streets-fort-worth-better-block-project-plus-fall-arts-goggle-report/

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-aug-do-it-yourself-town-square-dallas-2010

Wow, you had the whole thing covered. So whatever came from this?  What are the the brick-walls you guys are finding yourselves up against?  Seems like the holidays would be perfect for this...complete with christmas lights and gift retailers full of local crafters and artisans.  You'd have to find a way to corral the "homeless" a.k.a. Jax Criminals for the weekend.

[ChriswUfGator]

With all the vacancies in downtown right now, retailers who are not happy with being entombed in a glass structure with more prohibitions than common sense, should consider the possibilities of moving out.

The problem is that, as with the rest of their asinine policies regarding downtown, COJ is equally restrictive when it comes to advertising and signage. You wouldn't fare any better moving out, you still can't put up lighted exterior signage, sandwich boards, or most things that actually draw customers in.

There was a thread about this problem a year ago on MJ, when COJ actually ran all over writing thousands of B.S. tickets to small business owners.

[TheProfessor]

If more upper floor office tenants move out, then the landlords will have to make the storefront more visible to customers to the outside to keep tenants alive. 

[TheProfessor]

I agree that more could be done with less public money.  It takes a public/private partnership and dialogue to show that everyone wants to move in the same direction.

[fieldafm]

With coordination between the existing services provided by the JTA and the Special Events Staff, and a total remake of the Parking Commission, you could transform downtown with very little money in very little time.

Here, here.

And great article Lake... funny thing is, there are lots more lurking behind even more buildings.  This just scratches the surface.  When I was advocating for the Landing parking lot, one of my main points was that by transforming the space where the old Andrew Jackson statue was, and fronting the businesses inside the Wachovia building you could create a very pedestrian friendly corridor.
The fact that pedestrians on Laura Street are still going to be unaware of the spaces in the library, BofA building, Modis building, etc after the roadwork is done to expand the sidewalks is downright absurd.

The Chamber of Commerce, Mayors office, JEDC, and DVI can all drive to Orlando for a day and back and have lunch downtown to see how its done correctly.  And even downtown Orlando can be so much more than it is.

[Jumpinjack]

Toronto's Tall Building Planning Process. Some fine planning and planners to guarantee that a good downtown (walkable, vibrant) becomes and remains a great downtown. 7:39
Love this city!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MOQi-77iW4&hd=1

[duvaldude08]

This is actually a very bad trend in Jacksonville. Here in the Prudential Building there is Cafe Plaza downstairs, which is a resturant and gift shop. Its been down there for 20 years. However no one knows it exsists. They have an entrance facing the side walk and they do have a sign, but it doesnt draw any attention.

In the merchintile bank building, there is a cleaners, gift shop and a resturant call high tide that is hidden inside the building. I think City leaders really need to get with these owners and have a serious talk about this. Acheiving this alone would create a completely different vibe downtown. Its an easy fix.

[Overstreet]

On the other hand there are or were retail at the bottom of the "First Union" (dating self) bank buliding parking garage that are open to the street. One  used to be a Duncan Doughnuts.

I find it odd that people that would walk in downtown don't know about the stores inside the tall buildings. I used to walk through those buildings in the summer to get from one block to the other in the airconditioning rather than walk around. We used to walk across the street to the Morrisons often for lunch. If you're really downtown I'd think you'd do some inside exploring.

[Bativac]

Wow, you had the whole thing covered. So whatever came from this?  What are the the brick-walls you guys are finding yourselves up against?  Seems like the holidays would be perfect for this...complete with christmas lights and gift retailers full of local crafters and artisans.  You'd have to find a way to corral the "homeless" a.k.a. Jax Criminals for the weekend.

Speaking of Christmas, last year, the city (maybe it was DVI) ran a holiday display contest. I had one of the displays, which was in an empty storefront in a building on Hogan St (right under the Skyway track). A friend and I spent around $250 putting up a display. We were forbidden from advertising anything beyond having our name on a tiny sheet of paper and maybe a website address.

It was fun, sure, but I got nothing out of it, except being able to tell people I decorated an empty storefront window. (I got a picture with the mayor - funny considering that everyone who sees it asks me "who's that guy next to you?") That kind of stuff isn't going to revitalize downtown. Make it worth my while to spend time and money putting up a display - I'm an illustrator, let me put an ad in there, or something. I declined to submit anything this year.

The city seems terrified to allow any kind of advertising to encroach upon the "pristine" environment downtown. (See the bus shelters situation, for example.) Comparing it with other cities, downtown Jax seems absolutely barren of any kind of singage or ads that would alert visitors to the presence of businesses. My dad's cousin owns a couple eateries downtown that exist solely based on the patronage of people working in the buildings. Imagine the uptick in business if he could stick a couple signs outside without having to worry about the sign ordinance.

What kills me is it wouldn't cost taxpayers anything. Just quit enforcing some of the laws on the books and see what happens. If signage gets out of control or God forbid people start leaving their cars in the same spot for a couple hours, start issuing warnings. I would think that would create a better atmosphere than those giant stickers...

[duvaldude08]

Working in an office setting, we are ALWAYS looking for different things to eat for lunch that is convenient and close by. Aside from creating vibrancy, these business's would make a killing during lunch.

[BridgeTroll]

I find it odd that people that would walk in downtown don't know about the stores inside the tall buildings.

That is part of the point of the article.  The exteriors of those buildings are not exactly inviting in... nothing tells folks walking around... "come in and check us out".