Downtown revitalization ideas taking shape

[thelakelander]

In regards to the downtown CRA, I attended a JTA TOD workshop yesterday.  I was not aware of the significant number of properties owned by JTA within walking distance of the Skyway.  One of the article suggestions about a rubber wheeled east/west trolley will be pretty insignificant in terms of DT revitalization.  We could work with JTA and modifying an existing bus route and achieve the same thing without an extra cash investment involving routes that penetrate where people actually live.

However, acknowledging and placing a high priority on TOD adjacent to existing Skyway stations is something that should be considered.  From what I saw last night, JTA owns a significant chunk of the Southbank.  If their properties were developed, the Southbank would look and feel completely different from the vertical suburban office park setting that exists today.  The same goes for the West Bay Street strip between the Prime Osborn and Central Station.  With the financing gap that exist for infill in DT, identifying and targeting properties owned by public agencies could be a way to generate some P3 (public private partnership) momentum. 

In the same light, the adaptive reuse of structurally sound public buildings like the old city hall on Bay Street should be considered as opposed to demolition as a first choice.

[icarus]

Going back a few comments ... wasn't there a move to have a private group take over beautification of the parks around Hogan's creek, i.e. gateway to Springfield.

Its an idea that I thought was very well placed but haven't heard anything more about it. ??

[thelakelander]

I haven't heard anything about a private group taking over the parks around Hogans Creek.

[icarus]

I guess I misunderstood.  I thought about for sometime that it would be nice to set up a conservatory for the parks there similar to that which was done for Central Park in NY.  It would be a vehicle for raising money to improve, maintain and manage the chain of parks. Essentially, it would cede responsibility to an involved constituency rather than the bureaucratic morass that is our City. In other words, get out of the way govt.

I grew up on stories from my father of playing chess in Hemming after school and playing in the parks. It seems like such a shame to leave something which could be such a huge asset to downtown and the community in general in shambles.

[CityLife]

I guess I misunderstood.  I thought about for sometime that it would be nice to set up a conservatory for the parks there similar to that which was done for Central Park in NY.  It would be a vehicle for raising money to improve, maintain and manage the chain of parks. Essentially, it would cede responsibility to an involved constituency rather than the bureaucratic morass that is our City. In other words, get out of the way govt.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing substantial will happen long term without a concerted lobbying and/or fundraising effort. To do so, there needs to be a non-profit with paid staff like the Central Park Conservancy or paid staff within the city dedicated to planning, fundraising, and implementing improvements, which is how Tallahasse was able to create the Capital Cascades Greenway...which is almost complete and looks fantastic already.

[icarus]

 Despite the Army Corp., the State of Florida and the City of Jacksonville acknowledging major pollution issues on Hogan's Creek, no efforts have been made to remediate the creek.  We have this beautiful gem of open park land that is not only under utilized but not utilized at all. Over the years, gates and fences, whether ornate or not, have been installed to deter the homeless/vagrants from being in the park.

A park conservancy doesn't have to be limited to just Hogan's Creek but could be expanded to include the immediate areas, i.e. McCoy's Creek, South and North riverwalks.

I was scouting a development site the other day and happened to examine the property ownership in the Brooklyn area.  I wonder how many people realize the amount of land between I-95 and the St. Johns River is owned by COJ and DOT. Again, this is a lot of vacant and underutilized land.  It would  be nice to engage the various groups to push for a park in the area for kayak/canoe launches and maybe a space for outdoor cafe licensed to an operator (proceeds to benefit the park).

With the success of Arts Market, I wonder if such a conservancy could work to orchestrate programming in the parks, i.e. education, arts, festivals, etc. ala http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/

You want development and changes downtown ... come  up with a way to engage the City and get more people downtown and on the river. Parking lots and Taj Mahal courthouses aren't going to do it.

[CityLife]

I'll also add that I'm not sure making The Shipyards a "world class city park" would even be all that effective as a redevelopment strategy, or the best use of redevelopment funds. There is plenty of public space along the riverfront, from RAM to the Shipyards, to Metro Park, to the Southbank Riverwalk, to Friendship Fountain. Little known fact; Metro Park is always open, is fairly large and scenic, but is extremely underutilzed. What makes anyone think the same wouldn't happen to the Shipyards if it was turned into a park? Also, at 23 acres, there is plenty of room to make improvements to Metro Park and attempt to make it "world class". Millenium Park is only 24 acres and contains a much larger ampitheater.

A more effective strategy would be to try to activate the Shipyards through private development AND maintain some public access. A mixed use development with breweries, restaurants, housing, museums, etc, with small pocket parks, public piers, a marina, and Riverwalk would do far more for creating a vibrant downtown than more park space...and I'm saying this as someone who absolutely loves the outdoors and parks. Improvements to Metro Park and the Hogan's Creek Greenway should come far before even considering turning the Shipyards into park space.

[thelakelander]

I'll also add that I'm not sure making The Shipyards a "world class city park" would even be all that effective as a redevelopment strategy, or the best use of redevelopment funds.

Yeah, I know there's this big deal about doing something grand with the shipyards but there are some extra challenges primarily because of the surrounding context or "outer square." Urban interactive parks that spillover into surrounding land uses tend work better in centralized locations where it's possible for the "outer square" to be just as engaging and interactive as the park itself.  With the jail and Maxwell House adjacent, plus the location being several blocks east of the Northbank's actual center with limited accessibility from the north, you're essentially looking at a Metropolitan Park II.

Project for Public Spaces has a ton of information on characteristics of great public spaces:

http://www.pps.org/reference/reference-categories/parks-articles/

[Scrub Palmetto]

Is anyone here going to the public forum? I'd go if I weren't 1,100 miles away. I hope the thoughts brought up here are expressed there.

Have these consultants engaged with the public at all until now, or did they come up with these ideas completely without public input?

[fieldafm]

I echo CityLife and Lakelander's sentiments on the Shipyards.

We as taxpayers still pay interest on the Shipyards bonds.  It's time to make that land more useful and return it to the tax rolls. 

[thelakelander]

Is anyone here going to the public forum? I'd go if I weren't 1,100 miles away. I hope the thoughts brought up here are expressed there.

Have these consultants engaged with the public at all until now, or did they come up with these ideas completely without public input?

I do plan to attend the public workshop. I believe there has been public engagement from those who can attend DIA workshop meetings but that's a small crowd at best. The public workshops should generate a lot more feedback. 

[Noone]

Some ideas the CRA consultants appear to be recommending for downtown.

• The East Bay Street corridor, which includes the Shipyards, and making the Shipyards a "world-class city park."

.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540877

And part of the plan should be the USS Adams. An IBM smarter cities challenge recommendation. What a joke if it's not.

They are ready to go. All Aboard.

Four hours out from the JEA taxpayer subsidized housing collapse sale. As opposed to The Palms Fish Camp taxpayer subsidized bonus sale.

Both are connected to our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative.

Does anybody care?

Still going to try and squeeze in a RICO paddle in our new highly restricted DIA zone.

Let's get to work! Just not in Jacksonville.

[Kerry]

Is anyone here going to the public forum? I'd go if I weren't 1,100 miles away. I hope the thoughts brought up here are expressed there.

Have these consultants engaged with the public at all until now, or did they come up with these ideas completely without public input?

I'm going.

[Noone]

Just got back from the Public Option.
They opened the bid at $500,000.
Then they said that in the paper it would start at $470,000. No takers. Closed the auction. Then announced that they would meet privately with everyone.
J- Just
E- Everybody
A- Applaud

DIA
A new Authority
Embrace It
Or
it will Embrace Us

[Noone]

Paul Astleford CEO of Visit Jacksonville on the job 10 months and Kelley Borree director of the largest park system in the country on the Sunday morning talk shows.

Ben- JCCI, we need to kayak Downtown before 2025.

Anybody want to make a donation to 2009-442? It screams TOURISM!

Our CRA/DIA in the USA is happening right now.

I'm All In.