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

[Cricket]

The definition of a boomtown is a town that experiences rapid economic growth. Does anyone really believe that upgrading and renovating a park (or parks) will somehow result in a boom for the city of Jacksonville? Can you just hear the folks in GA, SC, Tampa and SFl, "hey, let's head over to Jax, they have some nice parks with live music, shopping, new lights and everything". Sure, all of that would be nice but ....

Jacksonville has been back of the herd for much too long. C'mon, more shopping, more lights, better parks, more arts, more two-way streets, a museum ... these are all very nice amenities and I am sure they will  bring some long-term results. But none of those improvements will lead to a boom. What we need is some bold thinking on the part of our political leaders and city planners. Get out of the box and come up with ideas that will make this town stand out from the others and that don't take 10 or 15 years to implement.

[sandyshoes]

Just a flight of fantasy, but it might be nice to consider turning some of our many vacant buildings into more free-standing (not megaplex) theatres or playhouses that can also show films so there would be more venues for the Film Festival to expand...more locations to rush to (would lead to more restaurants/coffee houses popping up nearby, in another currently vacant building) to feed the hungry filmgoers,  and yep maybe even a few streetcars would be just the ticket to rush filmgoers to the next movie on their agendas.  When it's not film festival season, rent these buildings out as rehearsal space or for private parties or art exhibits, or even house some workspace for independent filmmakers. Discuss.

[Captain Zissou]

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.

My favorite idea so far.  This would also drive up land values around here and create opportunities for some nice infill between DT and Springfield.  I'd volunteer for a clean up if that would be in any way helpful.

[Ocklawaha]

Just a flight of fantasy, but it might be nice to consider turning some of our many vacant buildings into more free-standing (not megaplex) theatres or playhouses that can also show films so there would be more venues for the Film Festival to expand...more locations to rush to (would lead to more restaurants/coffee houses popping up nearby, in another currently vacant building) to feed the hungry filmgoers,  and yep maybe even a few streetcars would be just the ticket to rush filmgoers to the next movie on their agendas.  When it's not film festival season, rent these buildings out as rehearsal space or for private parties or art exhibits, or even house some workspace for independent filmmakers. Discuss.

Yes, like a combination of LIGHT RAIL/STREETCAR, COMMUTER RAIL, EXPRESS/QUALITY BUS, and a FINISHED SKYWAY. Once we have the only FIXED and COMPREHENSIVE transit system in the South, we won't have to want for anything. But that will take leadership with thought!

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

The definition of a boomtown is a town that experiences rapid economic growth. Does anyone really believe that upgrading and renovating a park (or parks) will somehow result in a boom for the city of Jacksonville?

Cricket, if you read the entire thread you will see that parks were only one of many elements suggested to attract visitors and residents and improve Downtown, not a stand alone improvement.

Jacksonville has been back of the herd for much too long. C'mon, more shopping, more lights, better parks, more arts, more two-way streets, a museum ... these are all very nice amenities and I am sure they will  bring some long-term results. But none of those improvements will lead to a boom. What we need is some bold thinking on the part of our political leaders and city planners. Get out of the box and come up with ideas that will make this town stand out from the others and that don't take 10 or 15 years to implement.

Cricket, again read the thread for lots of ideas.  There is unlikely going to be a single event that creates a "boom" Downtown.  It will take a variety of upgrades working in concert together.  All the amenties you dismiss plus a few others are the investments in what Downtown needs to induce people to want to spend time and live there.  By the way, nearly all the suggestions made could be implemented in 1 to 5 years with others significantly phased in during that time with followup in future years.

You say "get out of the box".  What are your new ideas that we are overlooking?  I didn't see you mention these.  Help us out!

[mtraininjax]

Cricket, love the passion! Why don't we try and fix something that is close to all of our hearts and one that has been a problem for a long, long time, Hogan's creek. You fix the creek, then the whole area will blossom. The creek is sick. We can fix it and then watch the whole area blossom, which will add the shops, theatres, life back to what was the MAJOR park of Jacksonville.

It can happen, all we need to do is believe.

[ac]

If the belief re: fixed route transit spurring development is true, then the City really needs to do two things:

1.) Put in streetcar line/LRT

2.) Get out of the way

I'm oversimplifying, but isn't that the general idea?

[Cricket]

Cricket, again read the thread for lots of ideas.  There is unlikely going to be a single event that creates a "boom" Downtown.  It will take a variety of upgrades working in concert together.  All the amenties you dismiss plus a few others are the investments in what Downtown needs to induce people to want to spend time and live there.  By the way, nearly all the suggestions made could be implemented in 1 to 5 years with others significantly phased in during that time with followup in future years.

stjr, you failed to mention what I said, that "these are all very nice amenities and I am sure they will  bring some long-term results". I especially like the Hogan's Creek idea which could be implemented in a relatively short timeframe but for most of the other dream projects like transit you are talking well beyond your 1 to  5 years. But still all of these improvements to downtown will enhance our standard of living and induce our own locals to spend more time downtown.

But in order to make downtown a boomtown (your word) we have to be able to consistently lure outsiders into the city of Jacksonville for an experience that is different. That is the principal reason people leave their own cities and spend money in other cities.

You say "get out of the box".  What are your new ideas that we are overlooking?  I didn't see you mention these.  Help us out![/b]

Well you can go back and read the thread and disagree with my original out-of-the-box idea all you want - a downtown casino - but I still say it has some merit if you are looking for something different and exciting to jumpstart downtown. Once we get past all the legal hurdles. Not only will it funnel some much needed bucks from outside into our coffers but a downtown casino will be a catalyst for most of the other things on the list.

[Omarvelous09]

I've always wondered why no major retailers have taken advantage of the empty spaces downtown. Stores like American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, etc...in other cities these are main staples for urban areas. With riverside, springfield & San Marco...you would think that someone would take advantage of the common ground.  Guess I'm just 40 years late...

[GideonGlib]

I like the idea of tearing down the ParkView Inn, clearing the debris and adding that land to Confederate park, but I would say tear down the fences that are there (except the dog park) and make it accessible to everyone from every side.

Making a well lit walkway of some type like the riverwalk on both sides of the creek from the river into Springfield making it an extension of the riverwalk and a safe way to walk/bike all the way to riverside and the sports complex.

Widening the creek to be large enough to accommodate small boats (like peddle boats, canoes, small motor boats, etc) with places to tie up would bring in boat traffic and parking  for big events downtown and use the river as a tie in to bring life to the neighborhood and the back side of downtown.

[stjr]

I've always wondered why no major retailers have taken advantage of the empty spaces downtown. Stores like American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, etc...in other cities these are main staples for urban areas. With riverside, springfield & San Marco...you would think that someone would take advantage of the common ground.  Guess I'm just 40 years late...

To have stores, you need shoppers.  To have shoppers, you need residents and/or visitors.  To have residents, you need amenities that attract them (affordable housing, schools, parks, "everyday stores and services", transit connectivity, etc).  To get tourists, you need residents to visit, attractions, events, public spaces, transit connectivity, etc.

This is as simple as lining up the dominoes  in the right order, and knocking them down.  No magic bullets.  We just need some entity or person to take the lead on making it happen.  It's really not rocket science.  There are inner cities/downtowns all over the world who have solved this problem against far greater odds.  We can too! 

[thelakelander]

I like the idea of tearing down the ParkView Inn, clearing the debris and adding that land to Confederate park, but I would say tear down the fences that are there (except the dog park) and make it accessible to everyone from every side.

Not me.  That's the busiest corner in Central Jacksonville, traffic wise.  Instead of creating additional park space when there is already plenty next door, the entire area would be better off by it being developed into a pedestrian friendly commercial use (ex. grocery, hotel, retail anchor, mixed-use, etc.).  Designed right, it could benefit from the traffic using State, Union, Main and Ocean, plus provide the park with everyday use.

[Ocklawaha]

Widening the creek to be large enough to accommodate small boats (like peddle boats, canoes, small motor boats, etc) with places to tie up would bring in boat traffic and parking for big events downtown and use the river as a tie in to bring life to the neighborhood and the back side of downtown. 

Your singing my song gib. Having slurped my way up this sewer in a canoe, and doing an article on it in MJ, it needs help fast. The thing that struck me most, was the Arlington Expressway, right where it comes down at State and Union. The creek underpass is a tiny box culvert, no way in hell to get through it without a shit-submarine. All along the creek the old historic bridges could be raised maybe 6' feet, and the channel deepened. It appears back in the old days to have either had several ponds along it's course, or to have been much wider. Fresno CA, is the last city I lived in with an active swan boat fleet, and concessions in the park, but it's well worth the effort.

Springfielder's and urbanist's, they are planning to rebuild that roadway in the near future, if we want to address flooding and the parks water courses, now is the time.

OCKLAWAHA

[zoo]

Does anyone really believe that upgrading and renovating a park (or parks) will somehow result in a boom for the city of Jacksonville?

Cricket, re: your comments on doing something different, you must be a visionary! ;-) Re: your comment above, when the folks at Project for Public Spaces (pps.org) visited Jax to contribute on the Hogan's Creek Parks master planning project, they indicated that 2 projects they did in Detroit and Houston (Campus Martius and Discovery Green, respectively), which were significantly smaller in terms of acreage, generated more than $1/2B in adjacent economic development combined. Your comment was about short-term, and I'm not sure of the actual timing of completion of these two projects, but my memory wants to spit out 2005-2006 time frame. If that is the timing, then that amount of economic development in that short of a time frame in park space adjacent communities is staggering!

[Johnny]

The only project that I can think of to spur immediate development would be a casino, otherwise the improvements are the best option. Increasing quality of life = corporations wanting to be in the area, simple fact. Hogan's Creek is one of the many obstacles in Jacksonville's way so really the city could just pick one and do it. Instead of sitting on their hands waiting for the next elected official to get behind it.