Jaguars amphitheater, flex field construction to begin next month

[pierre]

Yeah - kids will love coffee world.

I know when I took my kids to Hershey Park, they asked why we don't have something similar in Jacksonville with characters dressed up as dark roast and decaf.

[finehoe]

I know when I took my kids to Hershey Park, they asked why we don't have something similar in Jacksonville with characters dressed up as dark roast and decaf.

[martt12]

Lol - well I was talking about something similar to World of Coca Cola where they have different exhibits and different flavors for tasting. Maybe people get first taste on something they're working on or something like that. I know many people who LOVE coffee

[thelakelander]

^One problem. World of Coke, Hersey World, etc. are all located in cities that also serve as the company's headquarters. Maxwell House is owned by Kraft Heinz. The way they've been slashing jobs, we're lucky the Jax plant is still around. It would probably be easier to throw some money at a locally-based company like Sally to do something interesting.

[Wacca Pilatka]

^One problem. World of Coke, Hersey World, etc. are all located in cities that also serve as the company's headquarters. Maxwell House is owned by Kraft Heinz. The way they've been slashing jobs, we're lucky the Jax plant is still around. It would probably be easier to throw some money at a locally-based company like Sally to do something interesting.

Wasn't Maxwell House at some point approached about having some sort of coffee shop/demonstration tourist attraction at the plant and turned down the idea?

[Tacachale]

^One problem. World of Coke, Hersey World, etc. are all located in cities that also serve as the company's headquarters. Maxwell House is owned by Kraft Heinz. The way they've been slashing jobs, we're lucky the Jax plant is still around. It would probably be easier to throw some money at a locally-based company like Sally to do something interesting.

Wasn't Maxwell House at some point approached about having some sort of coffee shop/demonstration tourist attraction at the plant and turned down the idea?

Yes, a few times I think.

[thelakelander]

Jacksonville has grown up around the Maxwell House plant. The shipyards were neighbors early on and nearby buildings have changed names a few times.  Despite its size, being one of the biggest coffee roasting plants in the world, Maxwell House keeps a low profile in town. There are no plant tours and there's good reason for the plants secrecy.  The coffee business is competitive and Maxwell House's parent company Kraft Foods wants to keep it that way.  "We talked about our need to stay competitive. Part of that is to not let our competitors know how we operate to the minute detail," said Waryold

full article: First Coast News 11/8/2012 - Landmark Legend: Maxwell House - http://archive.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/281594/0/Landmark-Legend-Maxwell-House-

[KenFSU]

Jacksonville has grown up around the Maxwell House plant. The shipyards were neighbors early on and nearby buildings have changed names a few times.  Despite its size, being one of the biggest coffee roasting plants in the world, Maxwell House keeps a low profile in town. There are no plant tours and there's good reason for the plants secrecy.  The coffee business is competitive and Maxwell House's parent company Kraft Foods wants to keep it that way.  "We talked about our need to stay competitive. Part of that is to not let our competitors know how we operate to the minute detail," said Waryold

full article: First Coast News 11/8/2012 - Landmark Legend: Maxwell House - http://archive.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/281594/0/Landmark-Legend-Maxwell-House-

Thought I saw Slugworth creeping at the gates.

[JaGoaT]

World of Swisher is a much better idea 

[martt12]

/\ would def help that area

[RattlerGator]

I love the Sally Corporation idea. Ideally (and I know it may be a pipe dream but someone has to do it) they would participate in a development similar to the Family Kingdom Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach:

https://www.familykingdomfun.com/fast-facts-family-kingdom/

That amusement park sits on 13 acres. Our fairgrounds take up about the same amount of space. Metropolitan Park is 32 acres. That's plenty of room to move Metropolitan Park over to Shipyards territory, move the Fairgrounds down to the former Metropolitan Park area and have it co-exist with a Family Kingdom type of amusement park, along with a hotel or two.

Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity. All building off the sports aesthetic the area already has.

The Jacksonville Suns already play about 70 home games a year. That gives you a wide range of dates to build on activity for an area that is currently a dead zone; it is event-specific, and then you leave. Shad Khan, Iguana, the city et al. have a chance to change that. Develop an upgraded and iconic Metropolitan Park on the Shipyards property, that adds new life to the area. Intuition Ale's guaranteed success in the new Entertainment and Sports district will inevitably lead to more development & choices without any added elements.

Throw in the USS Adams and a few other component pieces and you have a fully formed district that begins to promise a diversity of year-round entertainment choices that involve the riverfront, sporting events, conventions and concerts.

[Jagsdrew]

Via Daily Record: City of Jacksonville, 1406 Gator Bowl Blvd., contractor is Realco Recycling Co., demolition of fabric canopy and steel support system of stage area, $107,126.

Oof. I'm sure I can get a few friends and do it for half that cost (sarcasm). But really, COJ has a hard time maintaining a lot of their assets. Building, Parks, Roads, etc.

[jaxjaguar]

I'm pretty sure that's about half of what was originally bid so I'd say that's a win. Keep in mind it's a lot more than just taking down the tent. They're also removing all of the supports, concrete, electrical equipment, etc and cleaning up the site after completion.

[jaxjaguar]

Stephen do you not think the circus tent from the 80's has outlived its intended lifespan?

[heights unknown]

Get off of our asses or assets? (no half pun intended). I agree wholeheartedly Stephen...you're on point.