Epoch Project aims to draw big crowds to downtown Jacksonville in 2013

[tg]

Here's a new promotional video for the Epoch Project, comparing it to the concept that inspired it in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

http://vimeo.com/39871778

[Anti redneck]

That sounds totally awesome! But where will visitors stay? Are there enough hotels in downtown now to hold all those people or will special arrangements be made? This would be a good push for the next JTA director to get a line going from downtown to the airport!!!

[tufsu1]

downtown has about 1300 hotel rooms on the northbank and another 1200 on the southbank....me thinks that should suffice, especially considering that some will choose to stay at the beach, by the airport, or off I-95

[thelakelander]

That sounds totally awesome! But where will visitors stay? Are there enough hotels in downtown now to hold all those people or will special arrangements be made? This would be a good push for the next JTA director to get a line going from downtown to the airport!!!

Grand Rapids probably has less hotel rooms than Jax, so if they can handle the larger event, Epoch is based off, Jax will be fine.

[Anti redneck]

Hopefully the city will do some things to fix the city up a little bit. Like it was mentioned the drive in to town from the airport, maybe other things like that. I would like to see this be successful that it returns again and becomes annual. I don't want to see this be a total disaster to where no one will come back again.

[Tacachale]

Hotels won't be a problem. Keep in mind that we easily accommodate a comparable number of people for things like Florida-Georgia, Jags games and the Jazz Festival already. As far as being "successful" goes, it depends on how you define it.  With that kind of a prize, they will certainly draw real talent. However, as with the Jazz Festival, it would be a mistake to try to put a monetary amount on "success" for this thing. They need to focus on planning and promotion to get people to come out to the thing, that's where success should be looked for.

I'm willing to bet it will draw pretty well. Judging by the recent past, Jaxons really take to organically grown cultural events. I'm pretty hopeful.

[duvaldude08]

Hopefully the city will do some things to fix the city up a little bit. Like it was mentioned the drive in to town from the airport, maybe other things like that. I would like to see this be successful that it returns again and becomes annual. I don't want to see this be a total disaster to where no one will come back again.

I can tell you what the problem is. I dont think its about "fixing things up". If you observe closey, Jacksonville does not build off the interstate. We build behind the trees. When you get to central and south florida, you dont see as many trees because they build right off the interstate. In Jacksonville, our interstate is lined with trees. The only areas that are not wooded is downtown and feel speckles here and there.  I had a friend visit from OKC and he stated, " Why are there so many trees??" So I got off on an exit and showed him there were building behind the trees. I think this is why Jax is deemed the country by so many people that paststhrough. Imagine if we built off the interstate like the other major cities in Florida and people could ACTUALLY see the city? It would be a huge difference

[fsujax]

DD i have made the same observations. I mean you cant even see the Avenues Mall from I-95. The old original sign still stands there, not visible by the passerbys on I-95. I am not advocating cutting down the trees, just agreeing with the above observation. This should be a great project and hopefully will have long term positive effects for downtown.

[duvaldude08]

DD i have made the same observations. I mean you cant even see the Avenues Mall from I-95. The old original sign still stands there, not visible by the passerbys on I-95. I am not advocating cutting down the trees, just agreeing with the above observation. This should be a great project and hopefully will have long term positive effects for downtown.

I wonder why we do that. Maybe its our zoing laws here. I dunno.

[Anti redneck]

DD i have made the same observations. I mean you cant even see the Avenues Mall from I-95. The old original sign still stands there, not visible by the passerbys on I-95. I am not advocating cutting down the trees, just agreeing with the above observation. This should be a great project and hopefully will have long term positive effects for downtown.

I wonder why we do that. Maybe its our zoing laws here. I dunno.

Maybe we can try to get that changed?

[Seraphs]

We'll be fine.  One thing we can do is pull off large successful events.  Our problem is maintaining synergy year round.  I find Atlanta to be kind of woodsy.  The downtown is vibrant and urban, but many parts of Atlanta from the interstate is hidden as it is here.

[Anti redneck]

That's what I'm concerned about. Maintaining synergy year round.

[TheCat]

And, that is what you call an incredible launch to an incredibly ambiguous event (with an ever discreet demise?).

They did say "imagine" the epoch project.

http://vimeo.com/38411626

This is a great video if you imagine a couple of satirist got together after their nightly prayers and were like:

     "Mark, this project and this video, specifically, will be great social commentary. We'll add a ton of really buzzy generationally relevant key words like "art" to a badly assembled slide show video and see how many people applaude an event we have made as unclear as possible."

     "George, that is brilliant !!! We'll make the tag line "We are going to do something wonderful" to further accentuate the ambiguity of the event but at the same time make the viewer feel that "wonderful" is the something we are doing. That is the explanation. What is epoch? Well, it is wonderful. What is epoch? It is big. Yes, but what is epoch? Just imagine epoch. That is epoch."

[justinthered]

so is this dead for sure?

[urbanlibertarian]

kids today.....meaning everyone you mentioned, not commenting on your post.

Its an old cliche from the 50s and 60s.

From Bye Bye Birdie, "Kids, what's the matter with kids today?"

http://www.songlyrics.com/bye-bye-birdie/kids-lyrics/