Khan interested in developing shipyards

[Noone]

DIA Board meeting 5 hours out. Support the USS Charles F. Adams too.

[duvaldude08]

^^^I'm chill, I was trying to be very cordial. I just don't understand the whole "Weaver content on being average" stuff that you continue to beat a dead horse on for years. Maybe economic development isn't everyone's deal. Look at alot of these owners in the NFL; Hell, you'll be lucky to have a .500 team, forget about DT development. Some will argue that goodwill philanthropy is more valuable than infrastructure projects which may or may not be successful.

You act like we didn't have good winning seasons with Weaver or something. That's the problem with alot of people today, like the now generation that bites the hand that feeds them. It's like saying that a covered version of a song should have been the original version, and the original version sucks; Well, if there wasn't an original, there would be no cover version. I get it, you aren't wild about Weaver. Why continue to bring him up whenever Khan is mentioned? No one is perfect, we all have our flaws. It seems like you will never let that ship sail. The guy only brought NFL football to Jax, nevermind that though.... I REALLY can't wait for your next 'freshly made' "I'm glad that we have Khan now, Weaver didn't do diddly" post within a couple of months...

WEll it doesnt matter really. Im entitled to my opinon, just as well as you are yours. Im sorry you dont agree with me. You'll get over it.

[MEGATRON]

I was speaking of leaveraging the opportunities of have an NFL team to promote and grow the city. I'm talking about the marketing and economic development piece of it. Weaver didn't do a very good job at that and theres no arguing about it, just wasn't something he was good at.

Why is it an NFL owner's job to promote and grow the city?  Frankly, I don't know of any owner that has taken that on as an initiative outside of Khan.  An owner's job is to put the pieces in place to win football games.

[JeffreyS]

I was speaking of leaveraging the opportunities of have an NFL team to promote and grow the city. I'm talking about the marketing and economic development piece of it. Weaver didn't do a very good job at that and theres no arguing about it, just wasn't something he was good at.

Why is it an NFL owner's job to promote and grow the city?  Frankly, I don't know of any owner that has taken that on as an initiative outside of Khan.  An owner's job is to put the pieces in place to win football games.

I would disagree that winning games is the limit of the the local involvement.  The NFL league wide bills itself as a promotional engine  for the localities. A new owner would be well aware of the profile and expectations that come along with the gig.

Khan's stated impetuous for the promoting the city is that local growth in the population and local spending money helps the profitability of the team.

[KenFSU]

I was speaking of leaveraging the opportunities of have an NFL team to promote and grow the city. I'm talking about the marketing and economic development piece of it. Weaver didn't do a very good job at that and theres no arguing about it, just wasn't something he was good at.

Why is it an NFL owner's job to promote and grow the city?  Frankly, I don't know of any owner that has taken that on as an initiative outside of Khan.  An owner's job is to put the pieces in place to win football games.

Frankly, it's smart business. A franchise located in a well promoted, vibrant, growing city has no cap on its value.

[MEGATRON]

I was speaking of leaveraging the opportunities of have an NFL team to promote and grow the city. I'm talking about the marketing and economic development piece of it. Weaver didn't do a very good job at that and theres no arguing about it, just wasn't something he was good at.

Why is it an NFL owner's job to promote and grow the city?  Frankly, I don't know of any owner that has taken that on as an initiative outside of Khan.  An owner's job is to put the pieces in place to win football games.

Frankly, it's smart business. A franchise located in a well promoted, vibrant, growing city has no cap on its value.

Perhaps smart business, but its not an obligation.  I'd love to see some examples of municipal marketing campaigns championed by other NFL owners. Does Jerry Jones pimp Dallas?  Do the Rooneys pimp Pittsburgh?  Snyder pimp Washington?

[Captain Zissou]

I'd say an owners job is to develop the brand and value of the team, which can be done by winning games. That could also be accomplished in different ways, which khan is also exploring.

[simms3]

There are those owners who don't even live in the cities in which their teams play.  The owner of the 49ers is an Ohio guy (only a few years older than me!) with no ties/relation to San Francisco except that he inherited the team from his rich uncle (DeBartolo family).  Did that have any influence on their lost vote to receive funding to rebuild in SF/decision to move to San Jose?  No telling.

I do think it's an unwritten duty of anyone in financial and political wherewithal to lead in the best way they see fit.  The Weavers have certainly done their part, though they were more behind the scenes.  Jacksonville hasn't had a front and center "voice of the city" or eccentric representative of the city to the outside world in a really long time.  Not sure if Khan's "there" yet, but he's certainly on track to be the person everyone thinks of when they think of Jacksonville.  I hope he uses that exposure and "fame" to bring awareness to and to promote the city with the goal of enriching the city, and therefore his team.

Jags = value-add NFL team, so he probably didn't buy the team as a "core" investment with little value to add and best practices and revenue sources in place to merely maintain and grow.  He's looking for ways to bring that relatively low team value up in a meaningfully short time frame.  Winning can drive ticket sales more than anything else, but so can integrating the culture of Jacksonville with the culture of the team so that everyday people feel like they're a part of the team.

[ProjectMaximus]

I was speaking of leaveraging the opportunities of have an NFL team to promote and grow the city. I'm talking about the marketing and economic development piece of it. Weaver didn't do a very good job at that and theres no arguing about it, just wasn't something he was good at. Doesn't mean he was a bad person.  He was content with the Franchise being average and just making it, where as Khan shots for the stars.

I completely disagree with this as well. I'm delighted that Khan is the owner and excited about him taking the next steps, but he took his cue from the Weavers and none of it was possible without them. It's a natural and necessary progression. Also, I'm pretty certain they weren't content with an average franchise either, which is why they attempted the things they did and also found the best owner to sell to. Don't underestimate what their contributions were or the influence Mr. Weaver had in handing the reigns over to Khan. In terms of giving, it will take a long time for Khan to reach the level of impact that they've had in the community, both in donated dollars and in projects like the John Gorrie. Khan is off to a great start though!

[mtraininjax]

You'll get over it.

Nice!

Weavers donations are through the roof in Jax, charities, helping people who need a leg up, their generosity is like none other. Khan has a long way to go in that regard, or maybe he won't. If he decides to leave his mark in buildings and businesses downtown, so be it. Glad he is willing to make an investment in Jacksonville.

All I want is a Ferris Wheel to rival the one they have in Atlanta, would look awesome at night against the skyline!

[Noone]

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said Thursday he is interested in developing the vacant Shipyards property, which is near EverBank Field and is the most visible open space along the St. Johns River on Downtown's Northbank.

"I think it can be greatly enhanced" to bring economic vibrancy to Downtown, he said.

Khan said his organization is talking with the City, which owns the 40-acre property. He did not specify the details of those talks.

Asked if he had ideas for the property, he said, "lots of ideas. Hundreds of ideas."

"It has to be a destination," he said. "It's Downtown 101."

Khan said people come Downtown to work and then leave. He wants to change that.

Khan spoke with reporters Thursday after he accepted the 15th Annual Thompson S. Baker "Solid as a Rock" Award at the Junior Achievement of North Florida Hall of Fame event at EverBank Field.

Khan did not talk about his interest in the Shipyards in his remarks when he received the award.

In speaking with reporters, he didn't delve into details about the property or any plans, but said the property is "something we can really make a difference" in.

"That is the face," he said, calling it a "very, very high-profile" property.

He declined to talk further about the talks with the City, saying the conversations are pending.

David DeCamp, director of communications for Mayor Alvin Brown, acknowledged Khan's interest.

"Shad Khan has expressed interest in developing the Shipyards property. The discussion was preliminary," DeCamp said.

"Any disposition of City-owned land will follow the City of Jacksonville disposition process. We are very focused on activating the resident and fan experience on our waterfront," he said.

"The Jaguars are an important part of the city's economy and brand, and we look forward to hearing more about this concept as their plans develop," DeCamp said.

The Shipyards property is vacant land stretching from The Plaza at Berkman, which is near the old county courthouse property, to Metropolitan Park and the sports complex.

Late Thursday, Khan issued a statement about his interest in the Shipyards:

"I've said all along, Jacksonville has great potential. Developing the north bank of the riverfront would go a long way toward achieving our potential. The shipyards are the front door to our home, EverBank Field, as well as the entire Sports Complex," said the statement.

"A new life for the Shipyards would be good news for the Jaguars, EverBank Field, the Sports Complex and all of Downtown Jacksonville."

Several developers unsuccessfully attempted residential, office and retail projects on the site since it closed as a working shipyard. The City ended up owning the property after failed attempts by developers.

The Jacksonville Civic Council Northbank Redevelopment Task Force's February 2011 report referred to the Shipyards property as a potential "magnificent mixed-use urban fabric extending from the central business district, along the river, to the sports complex."

Khan has made inroads into Downtown investment already. In April, his Stache Investments Corp. financed the acquisition by a private group of the Laura Street Trio and the old Barnett Bank Building Downtown.

He said that deal was one of many investments and initiatives he supports in the community, including his pledge to meet with selected creators in the One Spark festival and possibly invest.

"I think for me, it's really about committing to a community," Khan said.

Khan said he supports growth in the community, including investments in local business, but prefers to do some of it quietly.

"There are many touch points to make a difference," he said.

Khan, president and owner of Flex-N-Gate Corp., bought the Jaguars in January 2012. He paid $770 million to buy the franchise from Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver and their ownership group.

Khan said at the Junior Achievement event there would be announcements in the next week or two about initiatives regarding the Jaguars that had national and international impacts.

Regarding Tim Tebow, who signed this week with the New England Patriots, Khan said he was happy for him.

"I am delighted for Tim. He's a great player and it's a great situation," he said.

Tebow is the hometown quarterback who played at Nease High School, the University of Florida, the Denver Broncos and then the New York Jets, which released him in April.

Vocal Tebow fans wanted the Jaguars to sign him, but Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell has said he "can't imagine a scenario" where Tebow would be a Jacksonville Jaguar

It's Downtown 101? Reply 101!
Did everyone see the TU 11/25/13 Full page on kayaking Destinations for the region?

DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE was number two and the launch access is in ARLINGTON. What a joke.
It's a good thing that we are wrapping up our new CRA/DIA in the USA for Downtown Jacksonville.

The DIA gave a resolution of support at their 11/20/13 Board meeting for the USS Charles F. Adams at the Shipyards. A positive project for the Shipyards and Jacksonville. Bring the NOISE.

Paul Astleford, Ben Warner, we need to kayak Downtown before 2025.

[JayBird]

In today's "State of the Franchise" address by the Jaguars organization, Lamping and Khan introduced a lot of concepts for the next 5 years. The stadium as we know it will be changing by more than scoreboards. The hour long address is available on jaguars.com but here is a screenshot of Khans proposed Shipyards development plan that includes training facilities and sports venues. Sorry, this is just a screenshot from computer, if someone can get one with better detail that'd be great!

[KenFSU]

Tough to make out from the screen cap, what type of other sports venues are included?

[mtraininjax]

Lamping and Khan introduced a lot of concepts for the next 5 years.

LOL, Tony Sleiman announced a concept of cutting the Landing in half and adding new residences downtown earlier this year too. However, as with Lampoon and Stache, no one has announced how to pay for it.

Nice to present pretty little pictures, but we've all been sold magic beans before downtown.

[tufsu1]

^ Khan will gladly pay for all of it himself...I'm sure all we have to do is give him the land for free