Downtown Vision starts downtown sign campaign

[JeffreyS]

Downtown Vision starts downtown sign campaign
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-10-15/story/downtown_vision_starts_downtown_sign_campaign
The sign at Gus’s Shoe Shop will read “Saving your soles Monday through Saturday.”

At Hemming Plaza Jewelers, the sign will proclaim “Come Rock Out!” At Magnificat Cafe, the sign will boast “Real men eat quiche. It’s the best in town.”

Starting Monday, those signs will pop up on storefront windows as part of Downtown Vision’s campaign to promote retail establishments and seek tenants for vacant spaces that pockmark downtown.

In addition to about 50 window signs, Downtown Vision’s street-level campaign will apply 150 bigger signs on sidewalks and around 900 on parking meters. The sidewalk signs will give information about what’s available in a particular block or point walkers toward various destinations.

Downtown Vision, which represents downtown property-owners, previewed the signs today as it convened its annual meeting. The organization has a $1.2 million budget and gets its funding through assessments on property-owners. City Hall contributes about $230,000.

Downtown Vision officials said the signs are part of a broader campaign to fill vacant retail spaces in downtown.

“I really believe this will add some energy and sense of community,” said Downtown Vision board member Janice Lowe, general manager at the Jacksonville Landing.

To help market downtown, the organization will distribute brochures to property-owners and leasing agents, and give advice on how to make unattractive, unused space “show ready” for prospective tenants.

Board chairman Jay Southerland, president of the Southerland Group, said Downtown Vision also is promoting itself as the “place to call” if property-owners need information or see a problem that needs to be corrected. He said Downtown Vision already does that but wants to raise its profile as a central clearinghouse for assistance.

[urbanlibertarian]

Don't they know that "sign" is a four letter word in Jax? 

[Ocklawaha]

Just a couple of suggestions to get the "VISION" folks to VISION!

OCKLAWAHA

[jeh1980]

Wow, this is good news!

[reednavy]

“Real men eat quiche. It’s the best in town.”

How long until someone gets offended by this?

[danno]

“Real men eat quiche. It’s the best in town.”

How long until someone gets offended by this?

I am alergic to eggs.... Does that make me less of a man?

[Ocklawaha]

Welcome Danno, good point from both you and Reednavy. If I'm not mistaken I believe the founding fathers gave us the inalienable right to "FREEDOM OF QUICHE!" Based on the Supreme Courts decisions over the last 50 years or so, this could also mean "Freedom From Quiche!" Imagine, no City or Town could use a photo of quiche in their promotions. Lest we be offended, our schools will have to be purified of quiche, purged as it were. No scenes of a happy mother giving birth to a beautiful quiche in her kitchen. No sir, not here in the land of the free... You, reednavy and myself, we'll all be protected from the "hell feathers and gall stones," of the quiche believers. We are beyond quiche, and hopefully we'll never have to deal with quiche missals or music. What a liberating experience this is going to be, quiche free America. That's my vision friends... 2012 is almost here!

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

Maybe Downtown Vision should be paying for some bus shelters now.  Downtown bus patrons will be happier and the businesses will be known to their customers    Here is odds that's not who buys the ads though.  Local merchants won't be able to compete with national ad campaigns for the spaces.  We'll see.

[braeburn]

“Real men eat quiche. It’s the best in town.”

How long until someone gets offended by this?

Then I propose all weenie wagons get complimentary signs that say "real men eat kielbasa sausage" !!! 

[JaxBorn1962]

“Real men eat quiche. It’s the best in town.”

How long until someone gets offended by this?

[Seraphs]

What's with all the new electronic traffic signs on Bay Street.  Looks like they will assist traffic being turned all toward the stadium and then assist the cops herding everyone out of town after an event.  My point is this, I thought Bay Street was to get a medium in the middle with trees and grass.  Did I miss something, was this plan scrapped?

[mtraininjax]

I especially like (NOT) the folks placing downtown vision stickers on the coin-meters downtown. Nice green and orange contrast...