John Rood: Without a strong Downtown, Jacksonville won't 'ever be a great city'

[Tacachale]

The St. Johns Town Center is the new downtown.

Except for the fact that it's a privately owned, autocentric retail mall with no pedestrian connectivity, no mixed-use development, no government services or amenities, no office space, and no cultural institutions, you may be on to something.

[Debbie Thompson]

+1 Tacachale. 

SJTC is not "downtown."  It's a ginormous retail purgatory. I avoid it like the plague. 

Edit:  Well, darn.  Right after I posted this, I read the interview with Chad and Ian about Ovinte'.  What a cool sounding place, and it's at.....the SJTC!  Drat!  Now I have to brave the acres and acres of tarmac and find it to try it out.  Can't wait until they open the downtown location and I can start avoiding SJTC again.  :-)