LaVilla's Two Million Dollar Homeless Camp

[Metro Jacksonville]

LaVilla's Two Million Dollar Homeless Camp



Four years after $2 million in incentives were approved for its construction, the Sax Seafood Bar   Grill in LaVilla sits unfinished and occupied by the homeless.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/517

[tufsu1]

maybe Boomtown could have looked at occupying this site!

[thelakelander]

I wonder if Jax Casual Dining has decided to abandon this project.  If Sax can't, hopefully someone can.

[Dapperdan]

Did Chris H buy this place?lol

[Oh my]

This is part of Mayor Peyton's legacy........

[jbm32206]

Isn't that the truth....it's a real shame that this didn't finish and open...I was looking forward to having another place in the area.

[thelakelander]

I don't think Peyton can take the blame for this one.  Jax Casual Dining was selected as the finalist for this restaurant concept back in 2002.  Peyton took office in 2003.

[Dapperdan]

Please tell me Chris H doesn't already own this one.. if not, who does? Looks likea  fairly cheap fix up if some other club or restaurant takes over.

[walter]

yeah, as if the two million went anywhere but in someone's pockets.  Sort of like the grant money for the "hospital" restoration down the street that disappeared, what another couple hundred thousand for that? 

business as usual in old Jax eh?  can I get one of those grants/awards/consulting gigs???

[02roadking]

Just another "whose minding the store" in the COJ. I wonder who wrote the contracts up on this one? Mr. Mullaney maybe? Does anybody Know?

[Steve]

I don't think Peyton can take the blame for this one.  Jax Casual Dining was selected as the finalist for this restaurant concept back in 2002.  Peyton took office in 2003.

Amen to that - I'm never shy on blaming the guy when he does screw up.  I give the blue ribbon on this one to Reggie Fullwood - he was the one that pushed the project.

[thelakelander]

Btw, whatever happened to him?  He's dropped off the planet.

[Steve]

Btw, whatever happened to him?  He's dropped off the planet.

Well, he thought that after being elected in district 9, he would go to the state house, and run against Audrey Gibson.  Well, he seems to forget that she not only had a ton of name recognition, she was also fairly popular.  Thus, he ended up doing his best impression of Mike Tyson fighting Buster Douglas.

[02roadking]

Update....  http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021408/bus_246935506.shtml

Another day in the life of the COJ. 

[Steve]

Fullwood said he remains convinced the site is well-placed for a restaurant, and the city will eventually recover what was spent on the construction loan. He said the next restaurant probably needs to be part of a national or regional chain so it has built-in name recognition to attract diners.

Dear God - does the idea of connectivity occur to anyone here?  How is it possible that we can be so bad at urban development