The 1992 Downtown White Paper: Catastrophe

[Metro Jacksonville]

The 1992 Downtown White Paper: Catastrophe



In 1992 five years had passed since the 1987 plan which reformulated the 1972 Master Plan.

In the twenty that had passed since the '72 Plan was implemented, most of the elements of that strategy had been executed.

Massive redevelopment of the Hemming Park area, the implementation of the ASE, the reconstruction of the Riverfront, the installment of the "Loop System" and the deliberate creation of "Pedestrian Malls".

The Result: Complete, crashing failure at the expense of a billion dollars of taxpayer money. The renovations obliterated the retail district, the loop system stifled connectivity and confused downtown patrons, the Skyway was a non starter connecting nothing directly to nothing, right through the middle of nothing. By 1992 it was apparent that the new riverfront development, the Jacksonville Landing, was headed for trouble.  

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-sep-the-1992-downtown-white-paper-catastrophe