Downtown's Hostile Business Policies Hard at Work

[fieldafm]

Nice snippit from today's Daily Record

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=532714

She said a Downtown restaurant wants to add outdoor seating and has been working on the issue for a year and has hired legal counsel to help.

“Why is this more than a 10-minute decision?” she asked. “If Rick Scott hears this, he is going to say, ‘we’re not bringing companies there,’” she said.

Alba said the next mayor has to answer a question: “What do we do to show Rick Scott we will welcome the business he’ll bring us?”

She said that “CEO types are not emotional guys” and they make decisions “like that,” snapping her fingers.

“You can’t have a restaurant wait a year to get outdoor seating.”

[futurejax]

A year to get a decision on outdoor seating?  This is exactly what Peyton should have to answer for regardless of being directly responsible or not.  If it took a restaraunt in NYC a year to get a decision on something so trivial Bloomberg would have a coniption.

[thelakelander]

A year to make a decision on outdoor seating is insane.  The modification of hostile public policy and forcing seamless coordination between departments is the one of the simple ways to immediately change the face of downtown and stimulate foot traffic on the streets.  With that said, I'll plug this article we ran a few months back.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-nov-creating-downtown-vibrancy-by-exposing-secret-retail

[fieldafm]

A year to make a decision on outdoor seating is insane.  The modification of hostile public policy and forcing seamless coordination between departments is the one of the simple ways to immediately change the face of downtown and stimulate foot traffic on the streets.  With that said, I'll plug this article we ran a few months back.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-nov-creating-downtown-vibrancy-by-exposing-secret-retail

I was in downtown Orlando last Friday.  I didn't even walk the whole area(about 6 blocks, I spent most of my time exploring Lake Eola and Thornton Park-which by God Springfield could mimick one day), but I counted 24 sandwich boards and 15 restaurants that had welcoming street-level entrances and outdoor seating.

I mean, why not here??  Simple freaking sandwich boards are considered unwelcome.  Talk about a hostile business policy designed to discourage the pedestrian experience all of these agencies give lip service to.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

while i strongly agree that a year just for a decision on outdoor seating is ridiculous, i question this sudden rash ov apparent rick scott idolatry.  have we all forgotten what a sleazy creature he is?  any business gains he brings the state will only last until someöne higher up realizes he's done it all illegally--i don't think he knows any other way.

[fieldafm]

See, this conversation really has nothing to do with Rick Scott.  He doesn't control Jacksonville's downtown business environment any more than the Pope does. 

FYI I voted for Alex Sink, but that doesn't have anything to do with making downtown more attractive to small business either.

[ChriswUfGator]

Nice snippit from today's Daily Record

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=532714

She said a Downtown restaurant wants to add outdoor seating and has been working on the issue for a year and has hired legal counsel to help.

“Why is this more than a 10-minute decision?” she asked. “If Rick Scott hears this, he is going to say, ‘we’re not bringing companies there,’” she said.

Alba said the next mayor has to answer a question: “What do we do to show Rick Scott we will welcome the business he’ll bring us?”

She said that “CEO types are not emotional guys” and they make decisions “like that,” snapping her fingers.

“You can’t have a restaurant wait a year to get outdoor seating.”

That's preposterous, and typifies the attitude towards downtown that has effectively killed it. COJ should be embarrassed.

[fsujax]

Why is this such a hard thing to figure out? where the hell was DVI during this process?

[Live_Oak]

I wonder what restaurant was trying to get the outdoor seating?

[Keith-N-Jax]

Should anyone really be surprised?

[vicupstate]

Did that actually occur or is it a hypothetical based on negative perceptions?

[ChriswUfGator]

Did that actually occur or is it a hypothetical based on negative perceptions?

It was something that already happened, a restaurant wanted to open up downtown and have outdoor seating, which would require an exception. Apparently it's been over a year and they've still not received an approval from COJ, and were forced to hire an attorney. This should have been a no-brainer, you'd think COJ would have been thrilled.

[vicupstate]

So which restaurant? 

[ChriswUfGator]

So which restaurant?  

Ask the business journal. It's their article not mine.

Maybe they made the whole thing up and you'll win a Pulitzer for busting them...

[vicupstate]

It's the Daily Record actually.  They were quoting a member of the JCCI committee.  Just because someone says something doesn't make it true. It may be true that they SAID it, but it doesn't make what was said true. 

Take it with a grain of salt. Or maybe a pound.