It is Time to Dissolve or Restructure DVI

[thelakelander]

I still favor restructuring DVI, as opposed to eliminating them outright.

why?  I can understand it on the basis of Pancakes fear that it would simply give city hall another reason to pull out of downtown, but if the million plus allocated for the institution doesnt provide some actual result, its also giving the illusion that something is happening when in fact (as evidenced by the above) nothing is.

My main fear is the same as Pancake's.  Its already set up with dedicated funding in place.  Restructuring, shifting priorities or even changing a few role players would be much easier than outright eliminating and start over.

[thelakelander]

I guess the first step would be Downtown business owners represented by DVI, go to DVI and let them know what the downtown community considers priorities.  If that does not work, the message needs to be taken to the Council/city and state and demand for restructuring and change.  If the downtown community is in agreement and makes their concerns made known to DVI and the city, like JTA and their idea of turning Adams into a busways, they'll probably listen.  If its two or three isolated business owners, then things will remain the same.

[thelakelander]

Nothing happens overnight.  You fight and you fight until someone gives.  In the case last year, the merchants gave and left downtown.  If DVI continues to refuse to represent the merchants go over their head, just like we've been doing with JTA.  Study and publicly present how money is being wasted and what could be done with the same amount of funds to truly improve downtown.  Get enough people involved & outraged and things will change.

[thelakelander]

Yes, I remember someone saying something like that.  They also mentioned that although money had been set aside, they could not move forward until a design for the signs had been done.  The money must have been moved to another project, because it shouldn't take years to get something so simple up on the streets.

[Jason]

Should a task force be assembled to study whether or not restructuring is necessary? 

[gatorback]

Should a task force be assembled to study whether or not restructuring is necessary? 

Sorry guys, DVI doesn't work.  If it did we wouldn't be having this discussion. If you can't dissolve or restructure them, go after their funding.  Take that away and see if the organization is really working on their mission.  I mean after all, they'd find a way to meet their goals without tax dollars right?  If they we for real that is.

[thelakelander]

Does downtown have a merchant's association?

[thelakelander]

Maybe its time to form one, without the help of DVI?  If they ask, just politely decline.

[gatorback]

Is there a city manager responsible for growth of the city?  Where the f is this person?

[thelakelander]

It does not matter what they offer if they are set up to give priority to property owners and governmental entities first.  The merchants, even if it has to start off with two or three, need something to represent their own interests.

[Jerry Moran]

Nice job taking DVI apart, Stephen. I am in complete agreement with your analysis. 

For some time now, I have observed DVI to be out of touch with the true condition of downtown, while it feigns progress with inconsequential meetings, fact finding trips, and mostly ineffective promotions.  The street level merchant's mantra has been "Safety, Order, Cleanliness", but DVI has failed to advocate for these fundamentals in favor of portraying downtown Jacksonville as a residential, entertainment and cultural Mecca, which it is certainly not.  Filthy streets, poor lighting, public drinking, unguarded public urination and defecation by vagrants, and hyper-aggressive panhandling is still the norm. Nocturnal gunplay has entered into the picture, and become frequent.  Believing that colorful brochures and splashy promotions will make these conditions invisible to visitors lured downtown by such hype is ludicrous.  They come once, get a genuine taste of downtown, and never come back.  This young lady, who is a concierge at the Hyatt, sums it up nicely:

http://www.esnips.com/doc/2d07e9de-8bd1-4552-ba61-0ffa47949b40/concierge010408

My friends from Cleveland, who visit me at the end of every year, chose to stay at the Ritz-Carlton this time, instead of the Hyatt or Omni as in years past.  Reason?  “Downtown Jacksonville is too creepy.” they said.  I didn’t have a suitable reply to offer.

It is wrong for DVI to aggressively promote downtown in the city’s current state, a condition that DVI has had close to 8 years to correct.  I have been on Laura Street since 2000, and have noted the dynamics of the area have not significantly changed in that time.  It would be far better to first put downtown in order, and then promote it.  We’ve all heard this before: “Haircut, shave, shower, deodorant, before asking for a date.”

As a merchant, I resent having to pay a special property tax assessment (via increased rent) to fund an ineffective organization. Stephen got it right here: 

…the actual results produced by DVI do not justify the money and weight they are given for governing downtown affairs

.  If DVI were dissolved, I would agree to maintaining the special assessment, provided it would be awarded to the JSO, specifically to furnish the core with 24/7 beat patrol officers.

On a personal level, I like the folks at DVI too, but the organization is impotent, and a waste of money.  I say de-fund and dissolve now.  Let’s see if the Sheriff would be willing to dedicate an around the clock force to the BID.

By the way, I am the new chairman of the Sheriff’s Advisory Council (ShAdCo) for Zone 1, Section A.  That area is generally anything south of State Street, between I-95 and the Shipyards.  Susanne Marino of the Shugar Shack  on Adams and Vicki Wilkins of the UPS Store on Hogan have agreed to be co-chairs.  We will have our first meeting of the year within 2 weeks or so.  I will advise of the time and place, ShAdCo offers citizens a opportunity to meet directly with JSO personnel and voice their concerns and ideas.

[thelakelander]

Who is in charge of setting up DVI's priorites?  How many seats do regular merchants have on the DVI board?

[thelakelander]

Lake, what specific steps would you take to reform the organization?

Disbanding and starting over is most likely a long and time consuming process, so my first attempt would be to work within the system. 

It seems the major problem is a lack of inclusion of real downtown merchants on DVI's board.  The people currently in place may mean good, but if they are operating retail shops, restaurants, etc., they're most likely ignorant of the day-to-day needs to make these types of businesses ultimately successful.

I guess my first step would be to put together a sound factual argument on why changes are needed and how the current setup is highly ineffective. Then I'd take that argument to DVI, City Hall, the media and the community.  While DVI would probably ignore the message, as the fight goes on they would begin to feel a lot of pressure to implement change, once that message hits the air waves and print of the local media, city hall offices and the public community.  I'd also suggest a potential alternative way of how the money currently being used to fund DVI's priorities could be put to a better use for the benefit of the downtown community. 

The goal of this would be to get a certain percentage of the board seats to represented by independent retail merchants.  This would allow the current priorities of DVI to change under the current system, without going through the disbanding process and potentially losing funding already in place.

[vicupstate]

It does not matter what they offer if they are set up to give priority to property owners and governmental entities first.  The merchants, even if it has to start off with two or three, need something to represent their own interests.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't The Shoppes at Avondale, San Marco, Five Points ALL have private Merchant Associations with no operating funds coming from the city ?   Just about any successful commercial area does. 

I say it long overdue for DT.   

[thelakelander]

Yes, they all do.  Springfield has one as well.  Regardless of gaining seats on the DVI Board or working to change their priorities, the Downtown businesses should still form their own merchants associations.