Landing Millennials Into Downtown

[mtraininjax]

Nevertheless, while working on that, it doesn't mean you ignore all the other things that help breed foot traffic and vibrancy as well.

So let's go spend 1.2 million on funding for Hemming Plaza? WTF? There are NO PEOPLE there but a handful of days. Why not spend the money WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE DOWNTOWN?

Sorry Ron - I know your shop is close to Hemming, but this idea of spending millions to maintain a park is the latest dumb idea in a long list of dumb ideas.

[mtraininjax]

OMG, I am shocked, where is the Stephen I know? I was ready for it. 

[marty904]

My question is: why is this post focusing on getting a specific generation of people? It seems like "millennials" is the new buzzword just because a few articles and business owners fit into that generation. This post should be about "Landing more residents into Downtown"...

As a "Gen X'er" that lives and has business interests (and more on the way), in downtown, I take slight offense.

[thelakelander]

No need to take offense. Feel free to submit an article or an editorial about landing more residents downtown. We have no problem running it.  In fact, we highly encourage it.

[Overstreet]

If you think that modifying the Landing to bring people down town you are drinking the same kool-aid they were putting out in 1985. The Landing will never be the "majic bullet" to solve the problem.  It isn't a resturant or event (One Spark)  that brings people from the suburbs day in and day out. If that were true the stadium area would be packed every day. Events bring people then "FLASH" they're gone.  When I'm in town I pass too many resturants I like to go down town to eat. 

People got to live and work downtown. Then the entertainment and eateries will come. Think of the burbs...do they move there for a resturant? ......or does the developer build houses, people move there and  then the services come.

Downtown has to compete for clients with the suburbs. Owners have to make it economic for companies to want to be downtown. If you get cheaper rent and free parking at the burbs where most of your people live the company will move there. If cost to be down town are more forget it. 

Housing also has to compete with the burbs. Millennials move often to take advantage of specials and new amenities. Same-o-same-o won't cut it. A Million dollar condo is too much and too much of a committment for this group. Walking is fine and they do it. But every one of our high rise apartments has a big parking garage. I can look out of my 8th floor office and see 12 other parking garages and I got a small window. 

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

If you think that modifying the Landing to bring people down town you are drinking the same kool-aid they were putting out in 1985. The Landing will never be the "majic bullet" to solve the problem.  It isn't a resturant or event (One Spark)  that brings people from the suburbs day in and day out. If that were true the stadium area would be packed every day. Events bring people then "FLASH" they're gone.  When I'm in town I pass too many resturants I like to go down town to eat. 

People got to live and work downtown. Then the entertainment and eateries will come. Think of the burbs...do they move there for a resturant? ......or does the developer build houses, people move there and  then the services come.

Downtown has to compete for clients with the suburbs. Owners have to make it economic for companies to want to be downtown. If you get cheaper rent and free parking at the burbs where most of your people live the company will move there. If cost to be down town are more forget it. 

Housing also has to compete with the burbs. Millennials move often to take advantage of specials and new amenities. Same-o-same-o won't cut it. A Million dollar condo is too much and too much of a committment for this group. Walking is fine and they do it. But every one of our high rise apartments has a big parking garage. I can look out of my 8th floor office and see 12 other parking garages and I got a small window.

Exactly!!!

Our downtown needs more middle income apartments and condos.  If you must have a parking garage, make sure the only the entrance/exit is visible on the street level.  The rest of the street level should be an attractive apartment entrance surrounded by retail shops so when you walk out your door you do no see an ugly parking garage and lifeless, windswept plazas like the Beekman and those highrise condos on the Southbank.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Let's also remember that great and vibrant downtowns often have a (or a few) colleges with classrooms, labs and dorms downtown that are not islands to themselves, blocked off by gates and lifeless plazas.

Others are just having edgie bars where small unknown bands to us but highly sought after bands who play the college bar/party circuits, these people/venues are what attracts young people.  I'm sure that downtown Jax has some of this much somehow we need to encourage a critical mass.  Us old foggies (i.e. over 30) are not the ones who'll jumpstart that kind of activity except for us older people who think we are edgie and with it for the new band and music of 19y/os.   

It'll be up to the younger college students to make this happen. Let's also be mindful that the first Millennials were born, what? 1977 or 1982, they are aging as we Generation Xers have aged so perhaps it's time to look past the Millennials because soon those younger so called Millennials will form a generation gap with the older Millennials who are pushing 30 and beyond.

[benfranklinbof]

I remember in high school how empty the hemming plaza was on an Art Walk night but now one could almost confuse it for One Spark becuse it's that busy! (BTW Art Walk is tonight from 5-9 pm) There is also a food truck village there. I'm pretty sure the village is a new addition.

I am a millienial and I go where ever the bars, resturants, parks and bands are. I'm hoping that downtown will try to copy what riverside has. I think downtown still has a descent amount of places to enjoy.  MacCool's, Burror Bar, TSI, Underbelly, 1904, Volstead, Chomp Chomp, Pita Pit, Burrito Gallery, Dive Bar, Chamblins and the Florida theater are all places that I love going to on a weekly basis.

I do believe modifying the landing would help downtown. If it were to become a mall that had actual clothing stores and resturants then people will flock there. I would rather bike or drive to the landing for clothes than going all the way to the avenues/town center. Plus the landing has an incredible view compared to your typical shopping mall.

[GoldenEst82]

Yeah, as someone born in 1982, I am never sure if I am millenial or an Xer. What I am sure of is, if I could rent a 3/2 for under 1k/mo IN DT- I'd move there. Heck yeah.

/I really don't understand current trends, catering to people in higher and higher income brackets, completely ignoring everything we know about income trends and distribution. The larger demographics are in the lower brackets! If you want your project to be successful, make it income accessible! /rant

[thelakelander]

^I don't know if the trend is catering to higher income moreso than the private sector catering to feasible projects. In many markets, without some sort of public subsidy, it's simply not financial feasible or worth the risk for the private sector to buy material, pay labor, land costs, permitting, etc. and build new from the ground up and make money or break even, at certain affordable rent levels. This is the case in downtown Jacksonville.

[Know Growth]

When I was on the tail end of 'Millennial' age as presently defined, like so many both then and others a few years before, I was attracted to Riverside Avondale.

Always alert to Demographic drivers, I have recently met two folk Headed Out From Here,one for San Francisco but the moves might be more about them than us.

10/4 on the post reflecting the divisive role of the Wonderful,Mighty St Johns River   
The river placement,barriers and concerted efforts to Bridge have been a definitive aspect of Jacksonville history....why not now?
Reminds me of a friend from West Virginia,intent on residing with us in his retirement era..........non Millenial,fairly quickly,some years ago settled on the Downtown Riverfront South bank,to the specific exclusion of the North bank.Perhaps,likely,at the enthusiastic input,directive of this writer.

Now it is time for The North Bank.

Retired non-millennial cool too,and perhaps an important demographic driver.Another Downtown  Ambassador.
  Everybody counts.