Aquarium could be coming to Jacksonville?

[jake_jax]

Tennessee Aquarium cost $45 million to build in 1992 dollars or $76 million in today's money.

I visited the Tennessee Aquarium this past weekend.  It was acceptable quality to blow 2-3 hours.  It was, however, a HORRIBLE value.  $27 for an adult and really not even in the same league as the Georgia Aquarium.

I don't mind a small lower-cost aquarium, but it needs to have a good price point and interesting layout.  The best example of this that I can think of is SeaLife Aquarium in Brighton, UK.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoffWXjTEpU  It would be awesome to have one big tank with a tunnel underneath and viewing area/shows above,  Big touch tank section, and lots of smaller sections on the way to these two things. 

Brighton has got to have half of the tank space/sea life as Chattanooga, but we spent the same amount of time at each and much preferred the experience in Brighton.  I don't think we need to have a big time Georgia Aquarium type deal.  Give me a well-designed, well-planned medium sized aquarium for $15/person and I think we've got a winner. 

Check out this article http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/news/story/2012/apr/29/aquarium-changed-cityscape-attitudes/76673/, the city of Chattanooga totally owes the credit to the Aquarium

[thelakelander]

That's not what the mayor says. A few months ago, as a part of a Next City Vanguard conference hosted by Chattanooga, I listened to him and other influential people involved with that city's revitalization give a detailed explanation of how they turned their community around. Even got a tour of some of the other attractions. I would personally hate for this city to invest millions in an aquarium, convention center or any other single thing, with the belief that one move would be the game changer that turns downtown around. In reality, urban revitalization doesn't really work that way. I wrote about it a few months ago. Here's a link and a few images:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-may-exploring-chattanooga-vanguard-style

So this isn't to say an aquarium can't be a success. You just shouldn't pin all your revitalization hopes and dreams to one expensive project. If you really want to turn things around, it probably makes more sense to take that $100 million and invest it on 50 smaller coordinated projects that when combined, create walkable atmosphere that people want to live, work and play in.

[fieldafm]

That's not what the mayor says. A few months ago, as a part of a Next City Vanguard conference hosted by Chattanooga, I listened to him and others influential people involved with that city's revitalization give a detailed explanation of how they turned their community around. Even got a tour of some of the other attractions. I would personally hate for this city to invest millions in an aquarium, convention center or any other single thing, with the belief that one move would be the game changer that turns downtown around. In reality, urban revitalization doesn't really work that way. I wrote about it a few months ago. Here's a link and images:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-may-exploring-chattanooga-vanguard-style

So this isn't to say an aquarium can't be a success. You just shouldn't pin all your revitalization hopes and dreams to one expensive project. If you really want to turn things around, it probably makes more sense to take that $100 million and invest it on a 50 smaller coordinated projects that when combined, create walkable atmosphere that people want to live, work and play in.

I was also there, and can confirm this 100%. 

Additionally, I went on a one-on-one walking tour of MLK Blvd (from downtown to UTC) with a few staffers from the Chatanooga's Mayor's office (as I was comparing that same corridor to a remarkably similar project that I had the good fortune of working on a few years earlier.. and also enjoying some excellent fried chicken at Champys)... and I asked them about the mayor's talking points from a few days earlier (confidentially, whether that was all just BS smoke being blown or not) and they were 100% behind his statements (and gave many examples to back this up). Besides their own words, when you looked at the coordination of surrounding uses and the detail to context in all of the design guidelines they did downtown... it's pretty clear that the aquariam wasn't done in a vacuum... and leaders of Chatanooga didnt just get an aquariam, closed their eyes and waited for the one trick pony to save the city when they all went to bed that night. In fact, I got to town a day before Lakelander did and was texting him the very same things as I was walking around that day and talking to local business owners.

Stop flapping your lips and do something

The cynicism displayed with this aqauarium idea being floated probably has a lot to do with the fact that there has been an almost year-long media blitz being done... and no money raised. Ironically, that's the definition of 'lip flapping'.

[jake_jax]

Great so how much can Aqua Jax put you down for, for donating? Everyone here wants some other group to pay for it? That a white knight with a huge check book is going to pay for it...How about people donate their own money to make it happen

[jake_jax]

Great so how much can Aqua Jax put you down for, for donating? Everyone here wants some other group to pay for it? That a white knight with a huge check book is going to pay for it...How about people donate their own money to make it happen

Here is the link to help donate http://www.aquajax.net/give/

[fieldafm]

Great so how much can Aqua Jax put you down for, for donating? Everyone here wants some other group to pay for it? That a white knight with a huge check book is going to pay for it...How about people donate their own money to make it happen

You're barking up the wrong tree if you are directing that towards me, sport

[downtownbrown]

Great so how much can Aqua Jax put you down for, for donating? Everyone here wants some other group to pay for it? That a white knight with a huge check book is going to pay for it...How about people donate their own money to make it happen

That ain't gonna work.  The USS Adams guys have been trying to raise $4 million for the past 7 years and they still aren't there yet.  And you think community donors can raise $100,000,000???  The fact is it will either take public debt or that elusive white knight to get the aquarium off the ground.  Lip flapping is right.

[jake_jax]

At least the Adams Group is trying to bring a family attraction to Jacksonville, its been a long battle for them but it looks like they are nearing the finish line. The Aqua Jax Group is at least trying to bring an Aquarium here.
I am sure you have donated to the Adams Group or campaigned for them as well? The only person that is lip flapping is you

[thelakelander]

Great so how much can Aqua Jax put you down for, for donating? Everyone here wants some other group to pay for it? That a white knight with a huge check book is going to pay for it...How about people donate their own money to make it happen

I won't donate because I could care less if it happens or not. Regardless, it's not the "thing" that's going to breathe life and activity back into the urban core. Come with a comprehensive plan like Chattanooga or Delaney's BJP, that happens to include an attractive large fish tank and I'd be willing to have my taxes raised to contribute.

[downtownbrown]

At least the Adams Group is trying to bring a family attraction to Jacksonville, its been a long battle for them but it looks like they are nearing the finish line. The Aqua Jax Group is at least trying to bring an Aquarium here.
I am sure you have donated to the Adams Group or campaigned for them as well? The only person that is lip flapping is you

As a matter of fact I have donated to the Adams group.  Quite extensively.  And I applaud the aquarium people.  I just said it won't work unless there is city debt or a white knight.

[Bridges]

At least the Adams Group is trying to bring a family attraction to Jacksonville, its been a long battle for them but it looks like they are nearing the finish line. The Aqua Jax Group is at least trying to bring an Aquarium here.
I am sure you have donated to the Adams Group or campaigned for them as well? The only person that is lip flapping is you

See this is the problem mindset.  The idea that only large scale big projects can make downtown a place to come.  A lot of people here have the right opinion that smaller changes coupled with spreading investment dollars to several mid-sized projects is the way to go.  That's why a lot have pushed for first floor retail in parking garages, and small scale events to give life to downtown.  Neither are nearly as sexy as a bright light aquarium, but both are infinitely more real, and represent actual progress that are proven in other cities.

[downtownbrown]

I agree completely.  But I would categorize the Adams as small ball at only $4 million.

[fieldafm]

Regardless, it's not the "thing" that's going to breathe life and activity back into the urban core. Come with a comprehensive plan like Chattanooga or Delaney's BJP, that happens to include an attractive large fish tank and I'd be willing to have my taxes raised to contribute.

Agreed.

What you are glossing over is that in Chattanooga... there was an EXTENSIVE community-wide effort to change not only Chattanooga's polluted image, but also to revitilize their entire waterfront (Ross Landing, Walnut Street Bridge, Coolidge Park, Renaissance Park) and city core (Miller Plaza) along with a highly coordinated funding of complementary uses and highly structured contextually sensitive guidelines... that not only had thousands of citizens advocates behind it and extensive use of public bonding.. but also a large sum of money from the Lindhurst Foundation, and the corresponding private corporation formed called River Valley Partners (a good chunk of their funding came from Lindhurst) to build private complementary uses (multi-family buildings, hotels, restaurants, etc) to support a place that people would want to live and visit.

It wasn't just the aquariam... it was an extensive, comprehensive process driven by a large swath of Chatanooga citizens, large chunks of money from two major foundations, public money, the unquestionable buy-in of elected officials(over many administrations), taxpayer money, comprehensive and iron-clad land use policies that conformed to a community vision and a private company spun off (funded by very wealthy individuals) solely to invest in uses that would support tourism and commerce... and while all that was going on, elected officials and the Chamber were also making major efforts to bring high-quality manufacturing jobs back to the city... and on top of that, the publicly owned utility brought the Gig into the city, which helped spawn a burgeoning startup community (tech firms in Chattanooga actually rent employees from other cities for 6-8 month contracts because there is such a shortage of qualified coders, for example).

In fact, using Chattanooga to prove your point is about as far off as you can get.

[downtownbrown]

Wow.  Think about that, and then think about Jacksonville leadership.  Depressing.

[ProjectMaximus]

The only person that is lip flapping is you

I will take a moment to flap my lips and thank fieldafm for all his dedication and hard work for this city. Thanks for the Night Trolleys, thanks for the Jaxsons Night Market, thanks for the Cash Mobs, thanks for the numerous food truck events, and thanks for all the advocacy. I'm sure I missed some things but those are the highlights. Much respect for actually tangibly improving this city.