JEDC: Developer eyes four historic downtown buildings

[thelakelander]

If you only come downtown for boat shows, isolated special events and football games, then it stands out more.......I guess.

If Metro Park is seen by the city as a higher priority for immediate investment than the Landing/historic preservation/walkable DT core, then the city doesn't view DT Jax as a self sustaining urban neighborhood.  Instead, the goal is to make it a place for suburbanites to drive in have some fun and head back across the river.

[stjr]

Let's solve several problems at once:

Convert Kids Kampus to Homeless Haven by executive fiat.  No money needed.  Homeless can live with what's there and the riverfront view and will be removed, out of site, from core downtown.

Take money saved, pay $3.5 million to Landing Parking fund.  Take balance and put in Historic Preservation Fund.  Save Trio, Barnett, Fire Station, future Lerners, school houses, etc.

Homeless, Landing, Historic Preservation win.  Kids (who don't vote) will have to wait another day.  Hey, 3 out 4 not too bad.  

[CS Foltz]

Oh Yeah! Just what we need.............something else to drive to with no parking available! Once again Johnny is chock full of idea's and has no funding available............wait I know............another "FEE" right? The City needs to make good on something that was promised 38 years ago, leave the historical funding alone and use what was allocated towards the parking situation! By the way..............stjr I concur with your proposal!

[thelakelander]

Stjr, take $2 million from your idea to raid Metropolitan Park money and invest it into redoing Hemming Plaza to become a family friendly centralized public space.  That way kids win too.

[Timkin]

no comment.. Im so off base

[Miss Fixit]

I have four kids, ranging in age from 5 to 21, and have lived in Jacksonville for more than 20 years.  Metro Park is great for Starry Nights events and boaters but Kids Kampus was a mistake from the beginning.   The money earmarked for Metro Park should be redirected to the urban core.

I LOVE Lakelander's comment about making Hemming Plaza more family friendly - talk about a critical mass:  main library, MOCA, City Hall, new Laura Street, the Landing, rides on the skyway to MOSH.  Oh - and within easy walking distance of another park that is much more deserving of attention than Metro Park is (and one where I could even support spending historic preservation funds): Klutho/Confederate/Dignan Park.

[Timkin]

I like your thinking Miss Fixit .

[thelakelander]

Critical mass is a beautiful thing!

[thelakelander]

a fraction of the money intended for Metro Park would completely rebuild Hemming if you wanted to. However, the benefit of Hemming is that the surrounding environment adds to the experience. So all it really needs is some green space, restrooms and a nice tot lot and fountain. That combined with the Landing, Laura Trio/Barnett, along with library and museum would really turn Laura St into a great place to be.

[CS Foltz]

stephen I would think so! It just makes too much sense, so forget it! This Administration just keeps dropping the ball and wasting money left and right! Until Johnny and his henchpersons are gone, we are going to keep going around and around in circles!

[thelakelander]

Stephen, if you take all the cash going to Metro Park, then yes.

[fieldafm]

I agree that Hemming Plaza needs to be more kid-friendly.  If you build restrooms, you better be sure you have built a daytime homeless facility first.

I will say it again, a friend of mine who worked at Kids Kampus for a few summers(who was there 5 days a week) said the attendance was far higher at the small water attraction at Hannah Park than that of Kids Kampus.  Heck it costs money to get into Hannah Park.  What's that tell you?

For KK to be getting a huge chunk of that 8 million dollars is a waste IMO.  For Metro Park to be getting anywhere near that amount of money is a waste.  You can see from the numbers I posted a few pages back that attendance is declining year after year at Metro Park.  It represents possibly the WORST bang for the buck of anything done in the last couple of years downtown.

[thelakelander]

I agree 100%.

[fieldafm]

about as useful as rubber cement based lubricant.

Lol, another reason I came to MetroJax was for these one-liners.

[Jaxson]

I agree that Hemming Park could use a facelift.  The city ruined the aura of the park when they tried to give it a 'contemporary mall' appearance.  Suburban mall shoppers were not fooled and downtown continued to decline. 
Restroom facilities (open during the day and locked after hours) would benefit people who are using the Skyway and those who visit the park.  Hemming Park gets pretty busy during events like ArtWalk.  The issue, however, is how many city policies punish the law abiding citizens due to the malfeasance of a few.  Homeless people and cruisers were the reason why the restrooms in Hemming Park went away.  How about some law enforcement this time around as well as a homeless day center.  We would have the added benefit of nice smelling restrooms in the Main Library.  Is it just me or do those restrooms always smell like a ripe armpit?