Downtown is getting another Dog Park

[Bill Hoff]

Fyi - the Main Street pocket park is being converted to a dog park.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/city-planning-downtowns-first-dog-park

Fyi × 2 - there's already a dog park 6 blocks away, the Confederate Park Dog Park.

Between these two and the Riverside Park Dog Park, I would wager this Downtown area has the highest ratio of dog parks to dogs in the Northern Hemisphere.

[jaxnyc79]

Fyi - the Main Street pocket park is being converted to a dog park.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/city-planning-downtowns-first-dog-park

Fyi × 2 - there's already a dog park 6 blocks away, the Confederate Oark Dog Park.

Between these two and the Riverside Park Dog Park, I would wager this Downtown area has the highest ratio of dog parks to dogs in the Northern Hemisphere.

When I last visited downtown, this park was teeming with vagrants.  It was the only place I saw people assembled at scale anywhere I went in downtown's core, and they were all clearly homeless and some were tweaking.  Left a horrible impression on my out of town guests as well.  I suppose a dog park is one solution to break up the vagabonds' claim.

[KenFSU]

I suppose a dog park is one solution to break up the vagabonds' claim.

The thing is though, they've gotta go somewhere.

I fear it's back to Hemming, which has made a lot of really positive strides in the last two years.

Hopefully the city has some type of displacement plan in place.

It's not just homeless people who hang out in that park, but obvious drug addicts and people with clear mental disabilities.

We need to be careful that in solving one problem, we're not creating another.

[jaxnyc79]

I suppose a dog park is one solution to break up the vagabonds' claim.

The thing is though, they've gotta go somewhere.

I fear it's back to Hemming, which has made a lot of really positive strides in the last two years.

Hopefully the city has some type of displacement plan in place.

It's not just homeless people who hang out in that park, but obvious drug addicts and people with clear mental disabilities.

We need to be careful that in solving one problem, we're not creating another.

I agree.  Plenty of cities have far worse homelessness problems than Jax, but given how few people gather in an around downtown Jax, the fact that the vagrant gathering in the Main Street Pocket Park is generally the largest one creates an awful spectacle and worse branding than anything I've seen in other cities.  In other words, the vagrant gathering isn't offset/counter-balanced by other gatherings and vibrancy in and around downtown. 

Homelessness is awful and complex, and I know this next comment will make me sound terrible, but anything that the city can do to disperse the matter is likely good for downtown's branding.

[acme54321]

That park has gotten pretty out of control with the homeless.  Last time I drove by it looked like a homeless street party in the park with what looked to be some people living in cars parked along the street there.  Not something that looks good for the city right there on Main. 

[thelakelander]

Fyi - the Main Street pocket park is being converted to a dog park.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/city-planning-downtowns-first-dog-park

Fyi × 2 - there's already a dog park 6 blocks away, the Confederate Oark Dog Park.

Between these two and the Riverside Park Dog Park, I would wager this Downtown area has the highest ratio of dog parks to dogs in the Northern Hemisphere.

When I last visited downtown, this park was teeming with vagrants.  It was the only place I saw people assembled at scale anywhere I went in downtown's core, and they were all clearly homeless and some were tweaking.  Left a horrible impression on my out of town guests as well.  I suppose a dog park is one solution to break up the vagabonds' claim.

This all could have been avoidable.....

Peytons Pocket Park Disaster
https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2007-oct-peytons-pocket-park-disaster

[jaxnyc79]

Fyi - the Main Street pocket park is being converted to a dog park.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/city-planning-downtowns-first-dog-park

Fyi × 2 - there's already a dog park 6 blocks away, the Confederate Oark Dog Park.

Between these two and the Riverside Park Dog Park, I would wager this Downtown area has the highest ratio of dog parks to dogs in the Northern Hemisphere.

When I last visited downtown, this park was teeming with vagrants.  It was the only place I saw people assembled at scale anywhere I went in downtown's core, and they were all clearly homeless and some were tweaking.  Left a horrible impression on my out of town guests as well.  I suppose a dog park is one solution to break up the vagabonds' claim.

This all could have been avoidable.....

Peytons Pocket Park Disaster
https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2007-oct-peytons-pocket-park-disaster

Wow, this site should go from JaxsonMag to The Great Portender.
You all seem to have been spot on.