The Mendenhall Report: New DIA CEO shares outlook, strategy

[thelakelander]

Lori Boyer says marketing, focusing incentives on housing and retail are at the center of her plans.

Proposed uses for ground-floor space will be a focal point for DIA.

In her final months on council, Boyer led the redrafting of Downtown design standards and zoning, which emphasized that first-floor business in corridors like Bay Street should draw people into the urban core.

"We're clear in our minds that we want Bay Street to have a retail or restaurant or an activated first floor," Boyer said. "Whether the second and third floor is a hotel or office or residential, the developer can tell us what they're proposing."

When developing a property like the Jacksonville Landing site, Boyer thinks first-floor retail, dining and entertainment will have a direct impact on the success of any public green space included in the development.

Full article: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/the-mendenhall-report-new-dia-ceo-shares-outlook-strategy

[Snufflee]

"When developing a property like the Jacksonville Landing site, Boyer thinks first-floor retail, dining and entertainment will have a direct impact on the success of any public green space included in the development."

I am certainly no expert, but demolish a structure at XX Cost, to rebuild a structure at XX Cost. Am i missing the common sense in this? 

[thelakelander]

I suspect that's out of her control but there's no common sense with the Landing situation. If money, activating the retail scene at street level and time (taking advantage of market conditions and cycles) are important considerations, immediate adaptive reuse of a perfectly fine city-owned retail structure is a no-brainer and pretty easy win. To overpay for a retail structure, then tear it down, only to then rebuild more retail is about as wasteful and time-consuming as it gets.

[Captain Zissou]

"I have this real sense of urgency that we all know real estate markets are cyclical and the fact that it took Jacksonville as long as it did in this cycle to get to this high point, we need to capture it while it's here."

Her ideas about The Landing aside, I think she gets it.  Jacksonville has been super late to the game and needs to get some real points on the board before time runs out in this economic cycle.  Stop going for homeruns, just get some base runners.  Sports.

"If I'm going to an (Urban Land Institute) conference, I'm going to have a packet of information on Jacksonville — what our rent rates look like, what our construction costs are and what sites are available," Boyer said.

This is the bare minimum, but more than our city has done in the past.  Props.

[thelakelander]

It's a crying shame we don't already have this basic information....

[Bativac]

"When developing a property like the Jacksonville Landing site, Boyer thinks first-floor retail, dining and entertainment will have a direct impact on the success of any public green space included in the development."

I am certainly no expert, but demolish a structure at XX Cost, to rebuild a structure at XX Cost. Am i missing the common sense in this?

Sure, pay to tear down a structure that is already set up for first floor retail, dining and entertainment and pay to build something (which, currently, no developer anywhere has expressed interest in) to allow for first floor retail, dining and entertainment. Makes total sense.

The whole situation with the Landing is laughable and, frankly, embarrassing for the city. I have zero hope or confidence or faith that the DIA is going to do anything to help the situation downtown.