Peyton introduces new Downtown promotional campaign

[vicupstate]

Mayor Peyton will never, ever get it.  On top of a parking garage, come on; and on a week day to boot, after work, when everyone will be clamoring, fighting, and bull rushing to get home. 

How about picking a weekend day and holding it in Hemming Plaza (we can retake those seats in Hemming Plaza for a one day event), or block off certain streets on a Sunday and hold it around and in Hemming Plaza, or how about at the Landing having the band on the stage in the Courtyard?  ........not bad for a business adminstration graduate huh?

Mayor Peyton, please get a grip, in all due respect sir.  Thank you.

Heights Unknown

Actually a weekday is better in my opinion.  Nothing except the Landing is open DT on Saturdays except a very few scattered restaurants.  I guess the other shops could open for that day, but for a one time event I don't know if it would be worth it to them.

What I would suggest is a WEEKLY event that seeks to become a signature citywide "Happy Hour" event.  Instead of everyone  getting into rush hour traffic, they hang back and have some drinks and listen to live music in Hemming Plaza or between Hemming and the Landing along Laura.  

One of the very first things Greenville did to revitialize DT was sponsor "Downtown Alive" every Thursday from 5pm until.  It was been held every Thursday for 8 months of the year, for going on close to 15 years now.  Main Street Jazz is the same thing but on Fridays.  

The two events firmly established DT as the entertainment/nightlife district of the entire metro.  What had been a boarded up largely abandoned area, became the place to be for entertainment/restauarants/nightlife all week long.  Once crowds could be expected on a regular basis, other retail eventually followed.        

A live band, a beer truck, radio live remotes, a gathering area with some ambience, that's all it really takes.   Sponsors pay for the expenses.

[thelakelander]

The problem with the location is:

A. This is no different from having an event at Metropolitan Park.  Just because an event is thrown within downtown's borders, it doesn't mean that it will create "buzz" and spill over traffic.

B. The location is not centralized, the Water Street garage is quite isolated from retail and dining uses in downtown.  Unless they are catering, the merchants get little benefit.  

C. It goes against the concept of encouraging street level activity.  People attact people, however, when the party is out of view, its ultimate impact is restricted.

In any event, I know Peyton's name is attached to this, but I don't think he's calling the shots on his own.  This idea probably arose from the group of downtown stakeholders that were assembled to be a part of the Events Committee.

[thelakelander]

Vic, were these events held on the top of a parking garage on the edge of Downtown Greenville?

[JeffreyS]

The party is not the important part of the story.  The organized regimented continual plan for promoting Downtown is whats new.  And a spiffy new slogan.

[thelakelander]

That part to me was old news because, other than the slogan, its been mentioned for a few months now.  I just don't understand how a party on a roof deck on the edge downtown could ever be considered as a way to add street life, which is what the article indicated.  However, maybe some mistakes were made writing the article and the party was never meant as a way to pull people downtown or enliven the streets.

[Driven1]

new slogans are awesome... i think we should get them more often.

[JaxNole]

It would have been nice if there was more than one week of promotion before the first event, especially since many believe Downtown is dead.  Regardless, I plan on attending and am interested in what the city will look like from the top of the garage.  It still seems odd to have a parking garage as the setting for happy hour.

Does anyone have a copy of the “Make a Scene Downtown” booklet mentioned in the article or know where to view it online?

[fightingosprey07]

According to the city's calendar of events:

http://www.coj.net/NR/rdonlyres/eqa2c5ipipgib3g2lvwwxiipziqieq2yttowtqsnjsfd3xma3kqru3odn4vuloxev3a6lafrcad3p4hpamixg3y34vc/May+Calendar.pdf

this party will be a weekly event, every thursday.

[vicupstate]

Vic, were these events held on the top of a parking garage on the edge of Downtown Greenville?

No, the heart of DT.

Glad to hear this is a weekly event.  Move it to a better location, and this could be a real catalyst for activity.

As a frequent critic of the mayor, I do salute Peyton and the city for doing this.   

[JaxNole]

I agree, Vic.  I'm not a big fan of Mayor Peyton, but I am looking forward to this.  Maybe we could take advantage of the Riverwalk since it seems dead at 5 looking out from Fidelity.

[Lunican]

I'm surprised they didn't want to make use of their fancy pocket park on Main St.

[heights unknown]

Every party can't be exactly where you want it to be. I'm a Peyton basher generally but he did a good thing here try not to nit pick.

A focus on downtown 
A plan for continued promotion 
Involving downtown merchants 
Following advice of Metro Jacksonville 

A small detail not exactly what you might plan (no biggie)

I agree, the intention was good but planning, focus, and using the brain wasn't.  Intentions don't always turn out or pan out as success!

No nit picking; our leaders need to earn those salaries that our tax dollars pay them for and use their heads instead of intentions.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

Plus you will be able to see the downtown better from the rooftop.

No sarcasm or pun intended, then in all due respect, maybe it should be held atop the MODIS Building.

Heights Unknown

[JeffreyS]

Plus you will be able to see the downtown better from the rooftop.

No sarcasm or pun intended, then in all due respect, maybe it should be held atop the MODIS Building.

Heights Unknown

That would be awesome.

I maybe changing sides here on the party but if it is every week it probably should be street level. 

[JaguarReign]

I think its a great start. At least something is being done by Peyton about the revitalization of downtown. I am in Honolulu right now and I must tell you the downtown here is a ghost town after 5 pm even on the weekends. However, we have Waikiki to fall back on, but that doesn't mean there is anything to do in Honolulu. This city is pretty boring unless you like to club and drink all the time. Trust me, Jacksonville has so much more to offer than even the popular tourist destination of Honolulu. At least downtown Jacksonville will now, hopefully, have a weekly event to go to.