Ron Littlepage: Looking for ways to reinvigorate downtown Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

Do these businesses want what you are proposing?  Are there reasons the businesses themselves are not pushing for those changes?  For example... the cafeteria may not want a clear view of the urban streetscape.  The BOA may have decided that outdoor seating is too much of a hassle or would not generate enough business to justify.

Overall every case may be different.  The solution would involve not only modifying policy where needed but also convincing property owners and businesses to buy into an overall downtown vision of vibrant streetlife.  With that said, I believe that selling those who have already invested in downtown on affordable concepts that improve the value of the surrounding environment (which is a direct benefit to them) is easier to accomplish right off the bat, than selling the entire city on subsidizing millions on one-trick ponies for DT (ex. convention centers, Publix, Macy's, aquariums, $30 million into Metro park, etc.)

[fieldafm]

Overall every case may be different.  The solution would involve not only modifying policy where needed but also convincing property owners and businesses to buy into an overall downtown vision of vibrant streetlife.  With that said, I believe that selling those who have already invested in downtown on affordable concepts that improve the value of the surrounding environment (which is a direct benefit to them) is easier to accomplish right off the bat, than selling the entire city on subsidizing millions on one-trick ponies for DT (ex. convention centers, Publix, Macy's, aquariums, $30 million into Metro park, etc.)

Exactly, embracing a pedestrian oriented culture downtown has been accomplished in much the same compact area that everyone is pushing for her... in downtown Orlando.  Selling property owners on the benefits of very inexpensive solutions isn't hard.  Successful business people like cheap solutions to make their properties more attractive to existing and potentially new tenants.

I can make a free powerpoint presentation in about an hour about this very issue that would be more effective to a vibrant downtown than a 25k-50k study on making Heming Plaza more water friendly which will never be enacted in the first place.

Sandwich boards and outdoor seating would cost less than the hanging plant baskets we have all around the core.  Think about that for a moment.

[spuwho]

The figures are national, spuwho.  Its the reason this country is in so much debt.

Too broad a brush stroke for me.

[Seraphs]

Do these businesses want what you are proposing?  Are there reasons the businesses themselves are not pushing for those changes?  For example... the cafeteria may not want a clear view of the urban streetscape.  The BOA may have decided that outdoor seating is too much of a hassle or would not generate enough business to justify.

BTW... I wholeheartedly agree with your ideas... just looking for reasons why they have not happened already.

If these businesses' don't want the proposed changes they're crazy.  I have no reason to go in BoA and I didn't know the eatery existed.  However, if there was some draw from the outside I would stop and eat there.

[spuwho]

The figures are national, spuwho.  Its the reason this country is in so much debt.

Too broad a brush stroke for me.

how on earth so?

Are you linking suburban growth to our national debt, personal debt, both?

[mtraininjax]

Loved Ron's brown boots on the Channel 12 special last night. He is better with his typewriter than with his wit.

[Steve_Lovett]

The figures are national, spuwho.  Its the reason this country is in so much debt.

Too broad a brush stroke for me.

how on earth so?

Are you linking suburban growth to our national debt, personal debt, both?

There is a direct correlation, both in personal wealth, productivity, and to a region's economy.  Take a look at the study entitled "Portland's Green Dividend", completed by the CEO for Cities organization.  http://www.ceosforcities.org/files/PGD%20FINAL.pdf

[dougskiles]

^That was a great paper about the benefits Portland reaps from having fewer vehicle-miles travelled per day than most cities.  I see this as a major issue facing Jacksonville - yet I have heard NOTHING about it from any of the mayoral candidates.  Are they all afraid of upsetting big donors who have benefited from Jacksonville's sprawling development?  Afraid that they will be called 'communist' by the Rush Limbaugh crowd?  Why the silence on an issue that has arguably resulted in a significant part of our city's budget problem?  We talk about 800 lb gorillas - this is clearly one of them.

[JeffreyS]

The paper on Portland is a great perspective and should be used as a MetroJacksonville front page article.

[Steve_Lovett]

There is so much research & content available - but it represents a big change from long established cultural Conventional Wisdom.  To use a recent metaphor from a NASA researcher on Global Warming and Climate Change:

"...it's like looking at an x-ray, seeing a spot on your lungs, and continuing to smoke..."

[Ocklawaha]

WANT TO REVIVE A DOWNTOWN?



NUFF SHOWN!

OCKLAWAHA

[letters and numbers]

Hey it looks like something like latitude 30 is going to open up shop downtown 
http://www.myspringfield.org/General/cesery-talks-springfield.html        and that would be a big deal i think right? you know that will help so much i think too.  i hope so

[comncense]

Sounds great. I hope it's more like Lucky Strike instead of Latitude 30 personally.

[simms3]

One word I have never heard mentioned in Jacksonville is 'repositioning.'

I have been looking into various landlords and various downtown office building owners and their management companies, and I am not seeing very many brains (or reputable companies/owners).  Sure the city leadership is about as bad as it can possibly be, but I don't expect much from this group of landowners either.

For instance, the AT&T Tower is owned by Elad National Properties and is the group's *only* office property (is that their version of diversification? and not to mention they certainly didn't diversify by location!...basically only in FL...I wonder how their books look).  They clearly don't know what the hell to do with it AND they even go so far as to label it Class A (my ass!...I guess maybe for Jacksonville...they might actually do better by truthfully calling it Class B and marketing it as such to smaller companies, though the huge floorplates don't help that).  There is some major empty space in that building now or soon from what I understand and no bites to replace it (hmmm, I wonder why).

Then on a smaller scale we have a bunch of smaller property owners of smaller 2-3 floor commercial properties, many with historical value.  They have rents as if they think that there are tenants that actually want to be in the downtown market...HA!  And if some of them are serious about not permitting signs or opening up to the sidewalk, then there is only so much the city can do without forcing these guys to permit signs and open up to the sidewalk.  These landowners don't even do *anything* to make their properties marketable!  A small investment can reap huuuggggeeeee rewards, but I guess none of them have figured that out yet.

Oh Jacksonville, at this point I have no plans to ever come back...

[letters and numbers]

Sounds great. I hope it's more like Lucky Strike instead of Latitude 30 personally.

what is lucky strike??

hey jsimm if you dont want help change things and just complain about things then why do talk on this website then  do you know what im saying?