Fire Station 5

[Jdog]

Agree.  The city could be a hero if they moved that building and saved it.

Not knowing the finances / engineering, etc....a nice community effort could have a lot of heroes. 

Fidelity's a hero by moving it down the street - and donating it - to the Fuqua development (otherwise I predict it will be bulldozed sooner rather than later). 

Fuqua is a hero by repairing it and using the firehouse as an outparcel (and coordinates the development architecturally). 

The city is a hero by waiving property taxes on this part of the development for a number of years. 

It could be a pretty sweet local institution...I could envision a nice restaurant...seating on the roof...a couple of reserve rooms for groups...firehouse theme maybe...historical groups writing up some plaques about the great fire, history of the firehouse etc. to hang on the walls 

Strong, energetic leadership, a belief that downtown neighborhoods can be classed up and not suburban wannabes, a willingness to reach out and do the coordination, and a willingness to fail by the leaders. 

This I can see happening somewhere else though (damn I'm growing negative).   

[JayBird]

Jaybird, it's what are called "impact fees" and our City Council refuses to implement them.  They even keep trying to kill the mobility fee that goes for roads and other transportation infrastructure.  The developers and the NE Fla. Builders Association Rules here.

Funny, St. John's County has very high impact fees and they don't have any problem attracting builders and new homeowners because of their excellent school system.

It is called a TAX

No Bill, what we're talking about isn't a tax, it is a fee paid by the developer who in turn passes it on in the purchase/lease price.  It is actually a benefit to taxpayers.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax

A tax (from the Latin taxo; "rate") is a financial charge or other levy imposed upon a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many administrative divisions. Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as its labour equivalent.

According to Black's Law Dictionary, a tax is a "pecuniary burden laid upon individuals or property owners to support the government [...] a payment exacted by legislative authority." It "is not a voluntary payment or donation, but an enforced contribution, exacted pursuant to legislative authority" and is "any contribution imposed by government [...] whether under the name of toll, tribute, tallage, gabel, impost, duty, custom, excise, subsidy, aid, supply, or other name."

Agree.  The city could be a hero if they moved that building and saved it.

Not knowing the finances / engineering, etc....a nice community effort could have a lot of heroes. 

Fidelity's a hero by moving it down the street - and donating it - to the Fuqua development (otherwise I predict it will be bulldozed sooner rather than later). 

Fuqua is a hero by repairing it and using the firehouse as an outparcel (and coordinates the development architecturally). 

The city is a hero by waiving property taxes on this part of the development for a number of years. 

It could be a pretty sweet local institution...I could envision a nice restaurant...seating on the roof...a couple of reserve rooms for groups...firehouse theme maybe...historical groups writing up some plaques about the great fire, history of the firehouse etc. to hang on the walls 

Strong, energetic leadership, a belief that downtown neighborhoods can be classed up and not suburban wannabes, a willingness to reach out and do the coordination, and a willingness to fail by the leaders. 

This I can see happening somewhere else though (damn I'm growing negative).   

Haha Jdog I was reading this and thinking wow I wanna live there!  I think Jacksonville makes everyone jaded in the long run, but you know what ... With all of its faults I'd still rather live here than Miami, Jersey or any other place I've been.