New Ford on Bay RFP

[heights unknown]

I hate how we are parceling this property out like a suburban development. Just feel like there will be zero continuity across parcels.

You mean "hodgepodge" rather than planned, continuous, and consonant development on par with other parcels and the areas as a whole (thought out).

[Jax_Developer]

Jax is so close to having an actual night life scene for younger crowds. You have several hundred feet of frontage to flank Decca & Myth. Agreed with others that splitting this up for these proposed uses doesn't make sense. It will just overshadow the organic nightclubs literally across the street. Why not grow that? All for a big player like the Culinary School but I'm sure there are other great opportunities for them in literally every direction. It doesn't need to be in the only block that has any nightlife DT.

[CityLife]

Jax is so close to having an actual night life scene for younger crowds. You have several hundred feet of frontage to flank Decca & Myth. Agreed with others that splitting this up for these proposed uses doesn't make sense. It will just overshadow the organic nightclubs literally across the street. Why not grow that? All for a big player like the Culinary School but I'm sure there are other great opportunities for them in literally every direction. It doesn't need to be in the only block that has any nightlife DT.

I have been saying for maybe 15 years now, that COJ should make Bay Street one way in each direction and allow businesses to expand outdoor seating into the right-of-way. The r-o-w is huge, so there should be an opportunity make a truly awesome area. Everything on the south side of Bay that gets redeveloped should be required to have commercial spaces fronting onto Bay Street, and with that new outdoor seating area they would be foolish not to. I would also close down Bay Street from Main/Ocean to Liberty every Art Walk and Special Event at minimum, and would probably do so on weekends too. You can still get to the Hyatt/Ford on Bay from Independent Drive and everyone else can use Forsyth or Adams to go east/west, so that isn't an issue. The only hinderance to this idea is that little sprinter van that carries 40 passengers a day...

You don't need a synthetic entertainment district near the stadium or Gateway. You have it right here, and its next to the Florida Theater, JCPA, hotels, waterfront parks and is only a short walk to the sports district.

Clematis Street in WPB or Atlantic Avenue in Delray do not have nearly as much r-o-w to work with compared to Bay Street, but still have enough to create  awesome dining/entertainment districts. WPB closes Clematis down every weekend for their farmers market and also for special events and so does Delray.

Doing something like this is far and away the biggest no brainer to me in Downtown Jax

Atlantic Avenue-Delray


Clematis during WPB Farmers Market, which extends to the waterfront parks


Most restaurants outdoor seating is on the street side of sidewalk on Clematis

[thelakelander]

^Something having a real master plan and following it would easily reveal.

[jaxlongtimer]

FLASHBACK to 2005: For the Super Bowl, the Main Street bridge and Bay Street from Main to the Stadium were closed to traffic during the week.  Bay Street was lined with street vendors. Musicians played on the Shipyard's property on a large stage. Activity was also at the Landing and the Baseball Grounds along with the NFL experience where Rivers Edge is going.

Pedestrian traffic all week from Friendship Park and Rivers Edge to the Landing and the Stadium was wall to wall.

On weekends, it would cost the City a few police to close off the Main Street Bridge and Bay Street and create a popup street festival, to bring back even a piece of Super Bowl week.  Where is DVI and DIA to promote such simple steps?

I note that major cities such as Tokyo and NYC now close major throughfares on weekends, or even permanently, to create such pedestrian opportunities.

Simple, low cost, easy to implement.  But, again, Jax has no vision (despite the "vision" name in DVI) or creative thoughts on how to do something unless it involves millions of dollars in "incentives."  Small and easy projects just aren't sexy enough or ego satisfying.