Time for a "New" Downtown Master Plan?

[Brick]

With all the different issues facing the Urban Core, perhaps it is time for a fresh look at downtown as a whole... Previous plans have garnered bits and pieces of the master programs, but later lost momentum and support, leaving Jacksonville with a somewhat fractured and aimless urban landscape.

Is a whole new Master Plan that looks at real current conditions warranted?  And if so, what should the priorities be? How should future development, transportation, environment, economic models, etc. look?

What say you all?

[copperfiend]

What say you all?

Start a task force to look into it???

[thelakelander]

Starting over from scratch is what we've done time and time again over a couple of decades.  Take out the "Downtown Seam" (a mall like park between Main & Ocean, from the riverfront to State/Union) and the existing Downtown Master Plan makes a lot of sense.  It just needs to be implemented and fully enforced.  Everything else, like JTA's transit planning, the convention center and courthouse or potential trolley routes should be based off of it.

[tufsu1]

the current Master Plan is just fine...its actually really good.

http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville+Economic+Development+Commission/Downtown+Development/Downtown+Maste.htm

and Lake...I'm pretty sure the "seam" park is not in the plan...please correct me if I'm wrong.

[thelakelander]

I agree the current plan is fine, it just needs to be followed.

and Lake...I'm pretty sure the "seam" park is not in the plan...please correct me if I'm wrong.

check out page 68 of the Transportation Element section.  Didn't understand what it was until Jack Diamond personally explained it at a meeting a few months ago with Paul Crawford and Adam Hollingsworth.

http://www.coj.net/NR/rdonlyres/erldau2uovcfqbzoqz7ksh6emwetuddsqeesdaiw26xo5uqcipwvb22wfllzp5r22r555ha4cfiijlxqkrhnygglypb/transportation.pdf

[Ocklawaha]

The Downtown Seam is still on the plan, check the map under Transportation Plans. That's some messed up idea, wonder if they plan a "zipper" to go with it?  

Ocklawaha

[tufsu1]

interesting...I never saw that before....but take some solace in the fact that much of that transportation element was scrapped....the initial assumptions in setting up the TCEA were so wrong that the study was redone recently

[tufsu1]

its also odd that the "seam" is not mentioned at all in the open space section

[Captain Zissou]

The suggestions for skyway extentions on page 68 of the transportation section are right on the money in my opinion.

[thelakelander]

I wonder if JTA even attempted to read and follow these guidelines before diving in so deep with the idea of running a busway down Adams?

[Jason]

Everything I've read in the current plan is spot on.  And as Lake said, without enforcement the master plan is nothing more than a suggestion.