Top 10 Things to Make DOWN-town a BOOM-town

[Keith-N-Jax]

To much is being focused on Casinos, Tampa, Miami and many of the cities in the learning from serious dont have casinos in their downtown area. I would focus more on shopping, dinning, entertainment, housing, homeless issues. Aquarium, and entertainment district, arts, museums linked with transit should be a start.

[Ocklawaha]

To much is being focused on Casinos, Tampa, Miami and many of the cities in the learning from serious dont have casinos in their downtown area. I would focus more on shopping, dinning, entertainment, housing, homeless issues. Aquarium, and entertainment district, arts, museums linked with transit should be a start.

Keith, interesting thoughts, but it sounds like you haven't played the slots too many times. Years ago, being a part time desert rat, I drove up from my California cabin with the family to Ely, NV. to ride the Nevada Northern Railroad (Well worth the trip BTW). On the way to Yosemite and Monterey, we stopped in Tonopah, and old Silver Mining City. Ate lunch in a big restaurant next to the slots, and my two teens started to howl about striking it rich. I told them FORGET IT, it's a game for fools. By the time we left I was pretty pissed about the constant hounding, so I told them; "Look, I'm going to teach you something with these quarters..." Dropped them in a slot machine, pulled the handle and walked out! About 1/2 way to the car this Casino dude comes running up and says, "Hey mister, MAN you better come back in, and your going to need a sack!"
GREAT LESSON OCK!

I think what your missing is: shopping, dinning, entertainment, housing, Aquariums, entertainment district, arts, and even museums, all come with or WITHIN the Casinos. The Tonopah Casino is small but it's got half a damn ghost town to play in, displays, hands on, cabins, mine tram, gold panning...etc. Vegas, Reno or Tahoe, each have hundreds of these venues. Ever since the days of the old west, when pioneers came west in pin striped suits, and carved a gambling empire out of a wasteland with their sub-thompson machine guns, these places are huge money makers. Consider in JAX, we would cut off the folks headed south, we get them broke before they get into St. Johns County! Besides, if the tribe took title to land that was once theirs anyway, it's going to be freaking impossible to beat them in court. They've got more money then Florida has!

OCKLAWAHA

[Keith-N-Jax]

Ock I do like casinos, been to the one in Tampa 3 times this yr which is not in there downtown. All I am saying is we should focus on things most likely to happen. A casino in Jacksonville,,just dont see that happening.

[mtraininjax]

A casino in Jacksonville,,just dont see that happening.

JTA would embrace HSR and follow through on the Skyway, before the FBC allowed a casino in Jax.

[Johnny]

In St. Louis, the casinos are on the river. They used to have riverboat casinos and they started building the buildings in the water to get around the law... You'd never know you were in the water when you are inside, but from the outside you can tell that only the hotels are on land and the casinos are hanging out on the water. I wonder if something can be done to slip it by the opposition prior to them knowing it's a casino?

[thelakelander]

^Is that similar to how SunCruz casinos operate?

[mtraininjax]

SunCruz goes 3 miles offshore in International water to operate.

[reednavy]

You can sit on Atlantic Beach and see that crappy ass boat sitting out there many days.

[Ocklawaha]

Don't know how they do it in St. Louis, but several Mississippi River City's have casinos over the water, one even built like a giant steamboat. I didn't know WHY, but that's an interesting loophole; with the annual flooding I really don't know how they survive. Same thing happens on the Red River in Shreveport, another huge casino, which after it went up... well...it IS THE SKYLINE!

Those who don't think such venues as Casino, Museum, Aquarium - Marineland Jacksonville, or anything else would make it on the JEA site, note when coming into town on I-95, for the last 2-3 minutes of your trip toward the overland bridge, that Casino would rise right straight in front of you. A off ramp and on ramp to 95 South coming from that area, The Southbound lanes would need a Flyover but if they lower the highway, that would be easy. Northbound could be effected by branching off 95 between Emerson and Atlantic, running alongside 95, over Atlantic and down to the new area. A connecting surface street running East - West, could tie into the Hilton and Garage.

OCKLAWAHA

[Keith-N-Jax]

There's plenty of room downtown for alot of things especially on the North Bank.

[RiversideLoki]

^Is that similar to how SunCruz casinos operate?

Ehh.. sort of. SunCruz operates in "international waters", 3 miles off the coast. As long as the machines aren't operational during the cruise in/out they're fine.

Of course that also means that they also skirt regulation. SunCruz games have some of the worst odds in the casino industry.

[zoo]

Late to this thread, but...

Imo, top focus should be applied to things that help build a community from the ground up by better utilizing our existing assets

IMO, our central park is and should be the springfield parks along Hogan's creek.

4.  End the practice of stampeding 60 thousand potential customers out of downtown in 25 minutes after games.

Amen, amen, amen!!!!!

[mtraininjax]

In order for Hogan's Creek to be the central park of Jax, we need a few things done first:

1) Tear down Park View Inn and remove debris.
2) Clean up Hogan Creek, remove the ash residue and other nastiness from the creek.
3) Light up the park, add better facilities, and put up fencing around the park to funnel people into main areas.
4) Add security to the area in the form of more police patrols (good place for the horses to patrol).
5) Encourage small business zones for retail spaces close to the park. Right now there is plenty of space for this.
6) Promote it, as the City needs to promote the park for all kinds of events, year round.
7) Possibly expand and provide tennis and other jungle-gym items, such as what Boone Park offers in Avondale.

I love the idea, and these are a few of the many suggestions I am sure others have. I think it would be great to get the old park back and being used.

[stjr]

In order for Hogan's Creek to be the central park of Jax, we need a few things done first:

1) Tear down Park View Inn and remove debris.
2) Clean up Hogan Creek, remove the ash residue and other nastiness from the creek.
3) Light up the park, add better facilities, and put up fencing around the park to funnel people into main areas.
4) Add security to the area in the form of more police patrols (good place for the horses to patrol).
5) Encourage small business zones for retail spaces close to the park. Right now there is plenty of space for this.
6) Promote it, as the City needs to promote the park for all kinds of events, year round.
7) Possibly expand and provide tennis and other jungle-gym items, such as what Boone Park offers in Avondale.

I love the idea, and these are a few of the many suggestions I am sure others have. I think it would be great to get the old park back and being used.

I have said it before, there is no need to limit ourselves to one park.  This isn't a "park site" competition, it's about doing what is right for the long haul for greater downtown.  Having parks in several areas will help all corners of downtown thrive and make the sum of parts even greater.

The Shipyards and JEA sites could serve "downtown residents" living in other areas of town as well as offer a differing set of amenities, the least of which is direct access and viewing of the St. Johns River.  These sites also are shaped and sized differently and may accommodate better such features as playing fields for soccer, football, baseball/softball, etc. as well as outdoor staging, not to mention public access.

We need to keep an open mind and not let the needle get stuck in the groove.

[mtraininjax]

There are not enough resources to take this to all parks. Fix one park downtown, make it a "model" for the others and work to build them. This will take more resources to fix the creek, and who in Springfield would not relish a cleaner Hogan's Creek?