Friendship Fountain October 2023 Photo Tour

[Ken_FSU]

Thanks for venturing out to see this, Ken. I recall a few months ago there being some mention of funding shortfalls for some of the DIA park projects, I would imagine this is the outcome.

If this is the case, I'm dying to know what happened to the nearly $6 million we allocated to Friendship Park between the 2019 and 2020 budgets. 

[CityLife]

^People recently took this stand at the ballot box. Lets give the Deegan administration a chance to deviate from previous administration priorities.

While the last administration was bad and is at fault for a lot of problems, Jacksonville's issues are much, much deeper than one administration, imo.

Many of the City Council members were in place during this (and other Curry debacles), are they up in arms about this (and other issues)?

What's bigger than the faces you see representing a machine in local politics? How do you overcome that? One of the best ways the general public can respond is to go to the ballot box. That has been done and now there's been a recent change in the administration and several council seats. What has been important and will continue to be important over the next few months is modifying representation at strategic staff levels and with the various boards and commissions. It took us years to get to this point and its going to take us just as long to get out of it. No doubt, the last decade of politics and strategy with downtown will go down in history as a complete trainwreck. Nevertheless, as of now, I'm more excited for Jacksonville's future than I've been in a long time.

Jacksonville has a group called "Riverfront Parks Now" that is tied in with Scenic Jacksonville. Both groups are actively lobbying for substantial improvements to Jacksonville's Downtown Parks system, an admirable cause. However, I see nothing on their social media or websites about Friendship Fountain. The Jessie Ball duPont fund hired a guy a year ago to be the "Downtown and Riverfront Parks Lead". Where are these people? Where is DVI and DIA?  You can't blame it all on Curry if there is no public lobbying effort or outcry about something.

It's incredibly short sighted to advocate for new major parks improvements downtown, while letting your primary existing asset languish. The Fuller Warren Shared Use Path just opened, Southerly and Soba Apartment's just finished, and Related Group and RiversEdge are attempting to get stuff done along the Southbank Riverfront. What does it say to prospective residents, businesses, and developers when COJ botches something like Friendship Fountain?

If there is some valid reason for the delay like waiting to see what happens to MOSH, budget shortfall, or a construction related lawsuit, come out and say it. Don't keep lying to the public about a grand reopening. The Mayors office is free to weigh in on this or come save the day any time...

[CityLife]

Also, this may have gotten lost by some in Ken's original post, but the new fountain itself is awesome.

If you didn't watch it before, watch it now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe4q9Ti5N88



Can anyone even attempt to win this argument^

[thelakelander]

^People recently took this stand at the ballot box. Lets give the Deegan administration a chance to deviate from previous administration priorities.

While the last administration was bad and is at fault for a lot of problems, Jacksonville's issues are much, much deeper than one administration, imo.

Many of the City Council members were in place during this (and other Curry debacles), are they up in arms about this (and other issues)?

What's bigger than the faces you see representing a machine in local politics? How do you overcome that? One of the best ways the general public can respond is to go to the ballot box. That has been done and now there's been a recent change in the administration and several council seats. What has been important and will continue to be important over the next few months is modifying representation at strategic staff levels and with the various boards and commissions. It took us years to get to this point and its going to take us just as long to get out of it. No doubt, the last decade of politics and strategy with downtown will go down in history as a complete trainwreck. Nevertheless, as of now, I'm more excited for Jacksonville's future than I've been in a long time.

Jacksonville has a group called "Riverfront Parks Now" that is tied in with Scenic Jacksonville. Both groups are actively lobbying for substantial improvements to Jacksonville's Downtown Parks system, an admirable cause. However, I see nothing on their social media or websites about Friendship Fountain. The Jessie Ball duPont fund hired a guy a year ago to be the "Downtown and Riverfront Parks Lead". Where are these people? Where is DVI and DIA?  You can't blame it all on Curry if there is no public lobbying effort or outcry about something.

It's incredibly short sighted to advocate for new major parks improvements downtown, while letting your primary existing asset languish. The Fuller Warren Shared Use Path just opened, Southerly and Soba Apartment's just finished, and Related Group and RiversEdge are attempting to get stuff done along the Southbank Riverfront. What does it say to prospective residents, businesses, and developers when COJ botches something like Friendship Fountain?

If there is some valid reason for the delay like waiting to see what happens to MOSH, budget shortfall, or a construction related lawsuit, come out and say it. Don't keep lying to the public about a grand reopening. The Mayors office is free to weigh in on this or come save the day any time...

Those groups are advocates that are just as influential as you when it came to the previous administration's priorities around how it spent money. Cheerleaders is one thing.

Stepping in and paying for it is another. In the case of FF, it's on the Deegan administration's hands now. No excuses or placing blame at this point. It's just time to get it done since the biggest obstacle has been removed from controlling the purse strings.

[Ken_FSU]

Jacksonville: It's Easier Here.

What a great tagline, when viewed in its appropriate context!* 

*An ad campaign, targeted to leisure and business travelers, living in congested metros like Atlanta, Chicago, New York, or Orlando, that contrasts those hectic cities and their amenities with things like our beautiful, serene airport; our miles of beaches with public access and free parking; our great restaurants and breweries that don't require reservations six months in advance or a jacket to get into; our peaceful nature preserves and laid back vibe, etc.

Viewed in its proper context, it wasn't an attempt to sweep the problems Jacksonville faces under the rug. It was an external campaign aimed at saying, "Hey you [prospect in crowded, angry, traffic-clogged target market], things are easier/less stressful in Jacksonville. Give us a shot. Come stay here in our hotels, and spend money stimulating our economy. We think it will be a nice change of pace." Was never intended to appeal to the retired couple in Arlington who have lived in Jacksonville for decades, it was intended for the family in their 30s in Boston, fed up from shoveling snow off their driveway for the 20th day in a row, browsing Travel Advisor or Conde Nast for vacation ideas and seeing a family just like them bicycling on the beach in Jacksonville in April instead.

So much better than "The Flip Side of Florida," inauthentically positioning Jacksonville as the Portland of Florida, with its ZaNy rEd DiNoSaUr and WeIrDnEss, and leaning into all the wrong stereotypes about Jax with the mullets, Gator colors, and flip-flops

With the first campaign, Jax is messaging the genuine value proposition of Jacksonville to those in busier cities. They come here with the expectation that they're going to get bigger city amenities without the headaches of an Atlanta or Orlando. And they leave satisfied, booking a return trip or telling their friends and family. With the second campaign, we're relying on gimmickry and the buzzyness of being weird. While there are unique elements of Jacksonville (see: Bill's book), anyone coming to Jax expecting an Austin or Portland is going to be sorely disappointed.

BUT I DIGRESS....

Also, this may have gotten lost by some in Ken's original post, but the new fountain itself is awesome.

If you didn't watch it before, watch it now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe4q9Ti5N88

It's BEAUTIFUL, and the public deserves to have been enjoying it for the last year and a half that it's been operational.

It's not at all dissimilar to the Shared Use Path debacle in Brooklyn/Riverside.

The taxpayers front the cost of an expensive overhaul to a public space.

And city officials apathetically sit on completion for years with no regard for the public, shifting blame from covid, to supply chain, to components, and back again.

I honestly don't think MOSH or Related have anything to do the delays, personally. MOSH now has clearance to move across the river, and Related's project largely exists outside of the park.

My bigger fear - aside from general apathy, lack of urgency, or disregard for the public - is that we're holding up completion of Friendship Park so that it can open alongside the other park across the river at the Times-Union Center. Friendship Fountain/St Johns Park is a Lori Boyer project that she has long positioned as being a complimentary project to Music Park, with a shared projection/audio/video experience spanning the Fountain, the Times-Union Center, and the side of the CSX building.

Big difference to me though between the Shared Use Path and Friendship Fountain is that the former was a new amenity that we had to wait longer than was reasonable to experience for the first time. The ladder was a beloved public space that the DIA and City have taken away from us, with no explanation, for nearly 4 years. We got every excuse in the book about why it hasn't been finished for about two years, before all parties involved just walked away from accountability and stopped talking about it. This ain't some suburban soccer field off the beaten path. It's one of the - if not the - most iconic remaining public space in downtown Jacksonville. And it looks like it's been hit by a nuclear weapon.

Hopefully things turn around with the new administration.

Random question for those who have studied turnarounds in other cities:

A common complaint is that the City of Jacksonville can't manage a capital improvement project to save its life. You look at how things have gone with major projects like the Courthouse, Coastline Drive, some of the bulkhead and park projects, etc, and it's not hard to see where that POV might come from. One of Lori Boyers common complaints, for example, is that the city is slow to secure bids, obtain permits and ultimately complete projects.

You contrast that with city owned projects that we allow the Jags to project manage, and those projects are always completed on time, on budget, and correctly.

Is there some requirement that the city has to project manage municipal projects like Friendship Fountain, Shipyards West, Coastline Drive, etc? If the city can't hit deadlines or finish a project within budget, is it possible to offload these tasks to private entities on a performance schedule, even if it costs a little more?

[fsu813]

Heard recently that the fountain is probably ~4 months out. The full park is a year or so away.

No opinion on that timeline, as building nice parks isn't my expertise.

I would say that whether it's marriage between two people, or between people and their government, communication is key.

[Ken_FSU]

Heard recently that the fountain is probably ~4 months out. The full park is a year or so away.

No opinion on that timeline, as building nice parks isn't my expertise.

I would say that whether it's marriage between two people, or between people and their government, communication is key.

All due respect, the fountain has been four months out and the park has been a year or so away since Nick Foles was on the Jags payroll, Kobe Bryant was still alive, and COVID-19 had yet to be observed in the wild.

I don't think you need to be an expert on building nice parks to look at the current state of the park and realize that, despite claims to the contrary for nearly four years, no actual work has started beyond repairing the fountain. And the fountain itself has been functional for over a year and a half.

Totally agree on the communication part, but it's gotta be honest, transparent communication. City officials have cried wolf on this project so many times on timelines and holdups that I'll personally believe it when I see it. Fool me once, shame on you. Tell me that speakers are the holdup from reopening when the park is in this untouched condition after being closed since 2020, shame on me.

[jaxlongtimer]

Maybe if we told developers that those incentives you want, we are going to invest them in our urban core parks instead of giving them directly to you.  Your developments will thrive with great parks around you that will be well maintained and that will offer a great amenity to your residents/office workers/shoppers/guests thus improving the value and success of your developments while also benefitting all the citizens of Jacksonville.

This is what I have been long advocating for.  A way that motivates and helps not just developers but all all of us... investing in infrastructure vs. incentives... green spaces, streetscapes, transportation, lighting, public art, safety and security, etc.

[simms3]

I had lunch at the River Club last week and noticed some people were on site and there was "fresh" dirt around the fountain, so it could be something, could be nothing.

[Captain Zissou]

Maybe if we told developers that those incentives you want, we are going to invest them in our urban core parks instead of giving them directly to you.  Your developments will thrive with great parks around you that will be well maintained and that will offer a great amenity to your residents/office workers/shoppers/guests thus improving the value and success of your developments while also benefitting all the citizens of Jacksonville.

This is what I have been long advocating for.  A way that motivates and helps not just developers but all all of us... investing in infrastructure vs. incentives... green spaces, streetscapes, transportation, lighting, public art, safety and security, etc.

The vast majority of dollars "given" to developers aren't given at all.  It's a temporary tax rebate on tax revenue that otherwise would never hit the city coffers. I have a tracker of about $2.6B in downtown development and the proposed incentive packages.  About 74% of the incentives given to developers are REV grants, 19% is cash upon completion or forgivable loans, and 6% is conveyance of the land to the developer for free. 

[jaxlongtimer]

^ I get it but tax rebates are tax revenue passed up that could pay for the infrastructure projects I suggested, either directly or by supporting bonding with future revenues.

Bottom line,  forgone revenue is real cash not received or out -the-door, just another flavor.  If it didn't have real cash value, it  wouldn't be an "incentive."  Cash benefits to developers is cash benefits taken from the City.

[sandyshoes]

Tried to attach a photo (#14, I believe) of the sulfuric acid barrel and the taller one next to it.  That's so nice for our FL/GA game tourists to enjoy, as well...not to mention what mischief this could provide for people who would want to mess with dangerous chemicals in the environment.  Thank you, Ken, for your diligence in exposing this. 

[marcuscnelson]

Melissa Ross, the Mayor's press liaison, posted photos from last night of the fountain running.

[Todd_Parker]

Melissa Ross, the Mayor's press liaison, posted photos from last night of the fountain running.

Looks like park opening will be at the end of January 2024 according to Ms. Ross' twitter account. Anyone taking the over?

[thelakelander]

Sounds like only the fountain will open in early 2024. The splash pad, kids playground, etc. will not be included in that opening.