Money for downtown diverted in order to pave more roads

[Cheshire Cat]

^I believe they are legally required to do a CRA plan.  We haven't had one done for downtown in 30 years.

Important info Ennis.  Can such a plan be done in three month's by one man?  If not the DIA who would be responsible for the new CRA? 

[thelakelander]

The city hired a consultant to do it.

[Cheshire Cat]

I see.  Any idea what the time frame is for the CRA?

[CityLife]

I think its important that everyone give Mr. Wallace a little bit of a grace period to get acclimated, meet stakeholders, crunch numbers, study the trends and demographics, and all the little things that someone in this role does outside of the public eye. He's going to have a slow learning curve before he becomes THE expert on downtown and frankly he shouldn't (and probably wouldn't want to) make any major decisions before he gets to that level of understanding.

I know I said earlier that council may have been overeager to yank the $9 million because he doesn't have a proven record of success in a similar role, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of getting things done. I know I'm rooting for him.

[tufsu1]

I see.  Any idea what the time frame is for the CRA?

the plan is well underway....I would assume it should be finished sometime early next year

[Noone]

The city hired a consultant to do it.

The city? So is that that Tony Robbins? And then is a lot of this CRA the rehash then of our 2007 Downtown Action Plan that was with Ron Barton? just asking.

^I believe they are legally required to do a CRA plan.  We haven't had one done for downtown in 30 years.

Important info Ennis.  Can such a plan be done in three month's by one man?  If not the DIA who would be responsible for the new CRA? 

[Noone]

Noone,
Thank you for the insight and for actually attending and reporting what has happened at these meetings.
Hats off to you for that effort!
So, if I understand correctly The City Council might be leery of funding the DIA because of the control exhibited by the OED so far? Is that what you are feeling?
I am not sure of the specific chain of command with regards to DIA, OED and the Mayor's Office.
If DIA is indeed separate or supposed to be autonomous of OED then I can see their concern.
On the other hand, since DIA has not had an Executive Director yet it may be there is nothing for them to really do and they are not in a position to yet question OED's authority in such matters.
Plus five (is it?) board members were appointed by the Mayor so some may be willing to 'go along to get along'.
OED is the new JEDC if I am not mistaken. If DIA is subservient to OED then other than creating a new agency and changing the names nothing has really changed from the previous arrangement.
Which begs the question why even go to the trouble of creating DIA in the first place?

Mark, swung by your place yesterday and will again. JEDC is OED. DIA is Mayor Brown.
9 members of a new Board.
$9,000,000.  Play money.
$5,300,000.  Historic Preservation Trust Fund money.
$14,300,000 of total play money.
At the last DIA Board meeting 7/24/13 the OED got the DIA Board to vote and approve all the spending of the $14,300,000 on certain specified projects. The document was amended with the direction of Board member Mike Saylor. I didn't catch all the additions and deletions. And again this was done right before the new guy Aundra Wallace starts.

I believe there is something to this go along to get along. That 7/24/13 DIA Board meeting was something to witness. I feel for Ben Harris with Intuition Ale and for not being given the opportunity to move forward with his dream of a new business and location on the Shipyards without any city incentives compared to what transpired at this meeting.

As for why even create a DIA in the first place I believe it's to create boundaries. And in those boundaries you can do certain things. So what an opportunity to pick and choose the winners and losers.

As for me the heartburn comes from knowing that this new 20 square mile Authority Zone has the St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative running through the middle of it. What does a Joe Q. Public do when being blown off by your elected legislative representatives? Will have so much more on this.

To Mr. Aundra Wallace I say "Welcome To Jacksonville" Allow me to show you Downtown from the Waterway.

As for the title of this thread "Money for Downtown diverted in order to Restore The Public Trust"

[tufsu1]

The city hired a consultant to do it.

The city? So is that that Tony Robbins? And then is a lot of this CRA the rehash then of our 2007 Downtown Action Plan that was with Ron Barton? just asking.

well actually the City selected the Prosser Hallock team to do the CRA plan....and Tony Robbins works there

and as for rehashing the 2007 JEDC plan...that was merely a list of action items that brought the 2000 downtown plan down to a more edible size....I think we can all agree that much has changed in how we live, work, and play since 2000 (and even since 2007).

this plan will need to focus on projects that can be done over the short-term as well as long-term and that may be funded in part with tax increment financing.

[Noone]

^We can all agree that much has changed in how we live, work, and play since 2000 (and even since 2007) and please tell me the positives especially from the Waterways in our new highly restricted DIA zone. Ram dock only open when RAM is open.
The total shutdown by the Fun committee of the DIA's Downtown Experience Committee when asking about the existing floating dock at Shipyards III. Scott Wilson you were sitting right next to me on this. Now you are in charge of Waterways. Why?

Ben - JCCI we need  to kayak Downtown before 2025

What are we trying to measure and Transform again?

[mbwright]

They really should not need to repave any roads, since the Better Jacksonville Plan took care of all of that.... 

[thelakelander]

Most of the money was used to purchase some fire trucks.  Council may return some of what's left.

Jacksonville council panel uses part of downtown money for fire trucks, looks to return some

A Jacksonville City Council committee set the stage Friday to restore up to $4.1 million to the Downtown Investment Authority after using a few million more to replace aging fire trucks and city cars.

Downtown advocates said efforts of the startup agency would be hobbled, but not hopeless, if it could recover a chunk of the $9 million it was awarded early in the year.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-08-30/story/jacksonville-council-panel-uses-part-downtown-money-fire-trucks-looks#ixzz2dZuoxduO