So what's your vision of what Jacksonville could be?

[jerry cornwell]

OK, thats 2 against (anti redneck and simms3) and thats two for (myself and Tacachale) with the edge going to against since they (anti redneck) started the thread!

[Tacachale]

Lol, if I want real estate info, I'll listen to simms. If I want random opinions, I'll listen to anti redneck. But if I want to know what's happening in the local art scene, sorry guys, I'm listening to Jerry.

[jerry cornwell]

Lol, if I want real estate info, I'll listen to simms. If I want random opinions, I'll listen to anti redneck. But if I want to know what's happening in the local art scene, sorry guys, I'm listening to Jerry.

Tentative show local street art show May 12th CoRK mainly wheat paste 6pm to 9 pm (not really) oh, no baby strollers!
Thanks Tacachale 

[Anti redneck]

OK, thats 2 against (anti redneck and simms3) and thats two for (myself and Tacachale) with the edge going to against since they (anti redneck) started the thread!

? Don't know what you mean right there. But that's beside the point. I started this thread because I want to hear everyone's ideas on here that could possibly become carried out. I'm hoping this thread gets somewhere up to where someone on the inside hears about all of this and maybe puts them to use.

Back to the topic, what's your idea of what Jacksonville could become?

[Anti redneck]

Lol, if I want real estate info, I'll listen to simms. If I want random opinions, I'll listen to anti redneck. But if I want to know what's happening in the local art scene, sorry guys, I'm listening to Jerry.

And taccy (can I call you that?), what's your idea of what Jacksonville could become?

[Anti redneck]

Hmm.... I might. What did you have in mind? I'll admit I do have a fright of meeting people from the internet.

Anti redneck,

We could meet At Jacksonville's Tradeport Pier. Bay St. Pier Park. Its across from the jail and next to the skeleton of Berkman II. Plenty of surveilance cameras around.

I was thinking of bringing my golf clubs and we can hit a few. Are you game? I'm serious. Don't bring your fishing pole or we will definately get cited for that.
[/quote]

Let me think a little bit on that. Sounds tempting though.

[Anti redneck]

I find it hard to be bored in this city - & I've never been considered a simpleton.  You really aren't trying hard enough if you feel that there's nothing to do.  I can spend a day in ANY quadrant of North Florida & get into something.  There are certainly pockets (& events) in Jacksonville that wouldn't go unnoticed in other major cities - we tend to take them for granted.  There's been no shortage of concerts or festivals YTD - I swear every week there seems to be something happening at one or more venues (including Ponte Vedra & St. Aug amphitheatre).  I contend that you could drop all of (charming) Avondale into another metro area & it would/could be just as - if not more, of a destination.  I really believe that Mr. Khan is going to bring a strong influence beyond football ownership as already evidenced in his statements & immediate involvement (albeit limited) downtown.  I would also like to see a marketing push to ram the Jags down everyone's throats - whether in the airport, or down I-95.  I have always felt that we don't advertise the obvious enough when & where necessary.  Everyone knows that Disney is down in Orlando, but they still show up on our billboards.  Sensationalize a road trip from downtown to Fernandina - a beautiful drive including the Mayport Ferry (for years to come, let's hope).  Leverage St. Augustine - it's a top 5 (or 3 in some lists) tourist destination in Florida - hard to get there without passing through JAX for most - they're watching our broadcasts on network television down there too!  Get the Amtrak routes in order; offer more (any)international flights out of JIA (especially to the Car ribbean); extend the Skyway - at least one more time to the Sports Complex; put a big neon arrow on the Fuller Warren advertising RAM; pound your chest about the local breweries/tours offered (including A/B); offer river taxi service or a riverboat cruise from downtown to our "above average" zoo; get excited about our beaches & the cool vibe that Jax Beach has to offer;  embrace (not shun) the multitude of shopping/dining options @ SJTC; put a historical marker on every remaining building of significance downtown reflecting on any & all notable details; keep the momentum going with downtown nightlife....Oh yeah, bring football to UNF.                   

+1

[Tacachale]

Lol, if I want real estate info, I'll listen to simms. If I want random opinions, I'll listen to anti redneck. But if I want to know what's happening in the local art scene, sorry guys, I'm listening to Jerry.

And taccy (can I call you that?), what's your idea of what Jacksonville could become?

Like many other on the board, I can see increased connectivity between our increasingly vibrant core neighborhoods and Downtown. I can see Jacksonville extending its well-earned reputation as a business friendly city to sustainable small business growth, particularly in the urban core. I can see us capitalizing better on our abundant natural resources, which are about the best kept secret in the state. All of these things would go a long way to shaking off the city's annoying inferiority complex and cultivate a better sense of identity.

As for specifics, I'd like to nurture our growing brewing industry and art scene. Stuff like this will always be a DIY enterprise but we can certainly embrace it as part of the Jacksonville experience. I'd like better public transit to connect our neighborhoods and promote infill development in the core. In business I'd like to focus on a few key areas where we stand out and promote the hell out of them. I'd push for the carrier relocation, port improvements and a full blown medical school located downtown.

We often have a hard time sustaining our momentum and finding strong leadership. That is something else I'd like to see improved - more public involvement and buy in in local government.

[Anti redneck]

Lol, if I want real estate info, I'll listen to simms. If I want random opinions, I'll listen to anti redneck. But if I want to know what's happening in the local art scene, sorry guys, I'm listening to Jerry.

And taccy (can I call you that?), what's your idea of what Jacksonville could become?

Like many other on the board, I can see increased connectivity between our increasingly vibrant core neighborhoods and Downtown. I can see Jacksonville extending its well-earned reputation as a business friendly city to sustainable small business growth, particularly in the urban core. I can see us capitalizing better on our abundant natural resources, which are about the best kept secret in the state. All of these things would go a long way to shaking off the city's annoying inferiority complex and cultivate a better sense of identity.

As for specifics, I'd like to nurture our growing brewing industry and art scene. Stuff like this will always be a DIY enterprise but we can certainly embrace it as part of the Jacksonville experience. I'd like better public transit to connect our neighborhoods and promote infill development in the core. In business I'd like to focus on a few key areas where we stand out and promote the hell out of them. I'd push for the carrier relocation, port improvements and a full blown medical school located downtown.

We often have a hard time sustaining our momentum and finding strong leadership. That is something else I'd like to see improved - more public involvement and buy in in local government.

Well I do agree with the idea of light rail to connect neighborhoods, as it would eliminate whole concept of keeping everyone isolated in their own parts of town. Many others have brought that up as well. The question is, how can that be carried out? It sounds as if a lot of people support it. Something like that needs to be beaten inside city leaders' heads!

[Adam W]

Well I do agree with the idea of light rail to connect neighborhoods, as it would eliminate whole concept of keeping everyone isolated in their own parts of town. Many others have brought that up as well. The question is, how can that be carried out? It sounds as if a lot of people support it. Something like that needs to be beaten inside city leaders' heads!

While I agree, I think we'd need to get people to start using their cars. Rail by itself might not do that, as people are married to the idea of using cars. If downtown was built up (and a place to work), people could see the advantage of using rail, b/c they wouldn't have to pay for parking and could commute quicker.

As it stands, I don't see people regularly using a train (or tram or bus) to get to the mall or the beach. People love their cars and the culture of using rail or mass transit wouldn't just exist if the options were there. It would need to be cultivated - and the only way to get people to change their habits is to offer an incentive (of sorts).

At least that's what I think.

[Anti redneck]

Jacksonville has great suburbs, historical neighborhoods, Beaches, rivers, office parks, port, rural areas, recreational parks what we do not have is a great urban area.  Five Points, SJTC and the beach have some good urban elements but that is it.  We have good tourist, military, professional and industrial money here.  What is lacking is a real Urban area that would benefit our entire communities quality of life.

Our Downtown has great bones and infrastructure so we can add the missing element to our mix and the will is growing.  We need to make the core easier to do business in with less sign ordinances, parking meters, reduce sidewalk business restrictions and the like.  We need to connect our core better through free skyway and bus ordination. (Streetcar would be great bang for the buck but not an absolute requirement.)  We need some leadership (that I think we are seeing) on making the existing towers engage the city at pedestrian level.

We don't need to beat the mouse we need to have all the QOL options of multiple lifestyles close enough for us to visit then leave the mouse.

Where does the tourist money come from?

[jerry cornwell]

Jacksonville has great suburbs, historical neighborhoods, Beaches, rivers, office parks, port, rural areas, recreational parks what we do not have is a great urban area.  Five Points, SJTC and the beach have some good urban elements but that is it.  We have good tourist, military, professional and industrial money here.  What is lacking is a real Urban area that would benefit our entire communities quality of life.

Our Downtown has great bones and infrastructure so we can add the missing element to our mix and the will is growing.  We need to make the core easier to do business in with less sign ordinances, parking meters, reduce sidewalk business restrictions and the like.  We need to connect our core better through free skyway and bus ordination. (Streetcar would be great bang for the buck but not an absolute requirement.)  We need some leadership (that I think we are seeing) on making the existing towers engage the city at pedestrian level.

We don't need to beat the mouse we need to have all the QOL options of multiple lifestyles close enough for us to visit then leave the mouse.

Where does the tourist money come from?

Very good point. Its just my experience that, from a general view point, Jacksonville isnt such a great place to visit. Its a great place to live. Once you live here, you start to discover how many great places there are. To go.

[Tacachale]

^The tourism industry in the region is actually pretty vibrant, though it's dwarfed by other parts of the state. Visit Jacksonville should have some concrete numbers. The main contributors to the tourism industry here are golf, the beach, the waterways, and to an extent big events that are held here. IIRC in Duval County we get over a million annual hotel visitors, and the impact of tourism is like $1 billion dollars. Including the surrounding counties (especially St. Johns, with things like Sawgrass and St. Augustine), the impact is even greater.

This is small potatoes compared to much of the rest of Florida, but it's a good chunk of the local economy.

[KenFSU]

Two sports-related things I'd love to see:

1) The Jacksonville Suns are a great team and I really enjoy the games, but Jacksonville should be a Triple A city. I know the logistics are difficult (buying a Triple A franchise and relocating the existing team), but this really should be a 5-10 year goal for the city of Jacksonville.

2) Personally, I'd love to see minor league hockey back in Jacksonville at the Arena. With the Jaguars, Florida/Georgia, the Sharks, Suns baseball, Giants basketball, TPC, and WTA Tennis in Amelia Island, the only major sport that doesn't have a decent local presence (that I know of) is hockey. Would be great to see it back and well promoted in Jacksonville.

[Captain Zissou]

I am with Simms in believing that the market will tell you how your city is doing.  In cities all across the country you see urban infill developments in cities both larger and smaller than Jax.  Gainesville is adding over 1,000+ multi-family units within a half mile of their downtown.  In atlanta, you couldn't go a quarter mile without seeing a new development.  Jacksonville has no significant development going on near the core, and that speaks to the vibrancy of our local market.  Thousands of units are going in near 9A and Baymeadows.  They actually clear cut another 100+ acres to do so, when a mile to the north there is already a gridded, platted, leveled, vacant development site that is about 70 acres. 

The market doesn't see urban jacksonville as a viable option for development.  That is reflective of our restrictive policies, auto-centric mentality, lack of a creative class, and relatively small young professional class.  We need to change these poisonous conditions and then the developments will happen automatically.  In this day and age, the core should be stealing residents from the 'burbs. That is what is happening all over the country.  In Jax, the opposite is still happening like it's 2003.