JEDC: Developer eyes four historic downtown buildings

[JeffreyS]

Jerry you have to be able to see how short sighted and self defeating removing amenities will be.

[duvaldude08]

As a city we keep shooting our self in the foot. The Landing and Laura are two areas in the core that could possiably come to life if both projects come to fruitation. But its like where taking from one, to complete the other, instead of coming up with a solution to solve both problems. I literally HATE this city government. They are the most backwads adminstration I have ever seen in my life. The Landing and Laura street compliment each other. Imagine a vibrant, walkable Laura street with the landing packed with people 24 hours a day. UGH, I really do pray for this city's leadership.


And I agree who gives a d@mn about Metro Park. I have been there TWICE in my whole life and I am 28 years old.

[TheProfessor]

I agree that the money for the landing parkign garage should come from Metro Park.  Metro Park is a once and awhile destination place of which people will come regardless of the look, since it has headliners.  If the money is spent on the core instead it would make a lasting daily impact.

[mtraininjax]

Not surprising at all.  The City does not care if these buildings continue to crumble. It would not surprise me at all if they (the City) does not try to do away with HPC altogether ,and ignore totally, a named Historic Landmark status, given its track record of the last 50 years. 

You are so off base, Richard Clark is the only person who wants to give the 3 million to Sleiman (Landing) to settle the parking issue. What I want to know from Clark, I sure as heck hope he reads this, is what return the city will get for giving 3 million for parking compared to the development and build out of 4 buildings IN THE CORE of downtown. Will critical mass be achieved with a parking lot, or new development?

Clark is so out of touch with reality, but then again most of the City Council is as well. What has been disheartening is that Art Graham has such promise at the end of his original term, now he is nothing more than a rubber stamper on deals.

This decision on the Landing is not the City Council's to make. Let your council person know, as Lake suggested, that money could be pulled from other areas to satisfy Sleiman, if he can prove the lot would grow the Landing business. My bet is he can't prove it or show it, for that matter. He has a parking lot know that sits empty most of the time, just like this one will. Its a huge waste.

[fieldafm]

Sleiman can do it.  He's not a man that overpromises and underdelivers.

Tell me again why over 8million is being spent on a piece of land that is hardly used?

Estimated Attendance by Facility for Major Sports, Cultural & Entertainment Venues
Source: City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events & Downtown Venues
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Jacksonville Landing 3,500,000 4,100,000 4,500,000 4,500,000 4,050,000
Metropolitan Park 230,000 257,700 199,850 189,100 180,850

[fieldafm]

I think one thing to be mindful of is this quote right here

He said other prospective buyers have previously had contracts to purchase the buildings but withdrew their offers over the past year

I know of a few people that put feelers out on Barnett, but nothing transgressed into an actual purchase contract.  So, its not as though there is an immenent deal to be signed tomorrow.

That being said, there are options available which preserve funds for the Laura Trio and the Landing.

[Miss Fixit]

PLEASE contact your city council representative about this issue!  They need to be bombarded with calls and emails.

No historic preservation fund money for parking!
Kids Kampus renovation can wait.....

[Ocklawaha]

If that $8 Million was going to any other park in the core it would make more sense then Metropolitan Park. Memorial Park to the Art Market on the Riverwalk, with some expansion of the art market would get us WAY MORE focus on a downtown or near downtown. We already have corridors in town that have great potential and Metropolitan Park isn't one of them.

OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

Not surprising at all.  The City does not care if these buildings continue to crumble. It would not surprise me at all if they (the City) does not try to do away with HPC altogether ,and ignore totally, a named Historic Landmark status, given its track record of the last 50 years. 

You are so off base, Richard Clark is the only person who wants to give the 3 million to Sleiman (Landing) to settle the parking issue. What I want to know from Clark, I sure as heck hope he reads this, is what return the city will get for giving 3 million for parking compared to the development and build out of 4 buildings IN THE CORE of downtown. Will critical mass be achieved with a parking lot, or new development?

Clark is so out of touch with reality, but then again most of the City Council is as well. What has been disheartening is that Art Graham has such promise at the end of his original term, now he is nothing more than a rubber stamper on deals.

This decision on the Landing is not the City Council's to make. Let your council person know, as Lake suggested, that money could be pulled from other areas to satisfy Sleiman, if he can prove the lot would grow the Landing business. My bet is he can't prove it or show it, for that matter. He has a parking lot know that sits empty most of the time, just like this one will. Its a huge waste.

  What is it that I am so far off base about M?

[tufsu1]

And I agree who gives a d@mn about Metro Park. I have been there TWICE in my whole life and I am 28 years old.

Well I've only been in Jax. for 4 years and have probably been to Metro Park 10+ times...plus, the project is to fix Kids Kampus...which unless you were under 10 before year 2000 or have kids, you would likely not have visited.

[Timkin]

Have never been to Metro Park.. preferred Friendship Park / Fountain It is much more interactive and pleasent.

[Jerry Moran]

Jerry at your and the merchants' request, more and more amenities keep getting removed from the downtown (Park visiting hours, benches, bathrooms, library access, etc)  Yet the downtown has more homeless people and fewer customers.

wonder how you explain that?

-  There is no legitimate reason to loiter in Hemming Park  between sunset and sunrise at this point in Downtown's development.

-  Benches are for parks and bus stops, not faceless urban canyons.

-  Public restrooms encourage loitering, and while loitering in a public place is apparently no longer illegal, we should not facilitate it.

-  The main library has a huge security problem.  It is not unreasonable to require identification or a library card to exclude troublemakers, and protect patrons.

I attribute the plethora of vagrants in Downtown Jacksonville to our abundance of poorly located and ineptly managed shelters, and the City's reluctance to effectively enforce the law and protect traditional community standards.  Who would want to endure such a place when there is St. John's Town Center?
   
"The best way to help the poor is to make them uncomfortable in their poverty" - Thomas Jefferson (And yes I know he kept slaves and occasionally boinked them.)

[thelakelander]

And I agree who gives a d@mn about Metro Park. I have been there TWICE in my whole life and I am 28 years old.

Well I've only been in Jax. for 4 years and have probably been to Metro Park 10+ times...plus, the project is to fix Kids Kampus...which unless you were under 10 before year 2000 or have kids, you would likely not have visited.

I've been there several times and most I've come in contact who have been there with their kids would agree that its not the most pressing need in DT to rip it up and plant sod.  I can also state from experience, that a trip to Kids Kampus does not typically result in a trip to visiting and spending money in "downtown."  You lose that benefit because you have to get in your car to get to anything else.  Once you've loaded up your family in the car, there are better options on how to spend the rest of your day and money than the Northbank.

If we're talking about really wanting to see a vibrant DT atmosphere, why not take $3.5 million out of the $8.2 million intended for Metro Park?  This way, some money still flows to the Mayor's pet project (although it would be phased) and the projects that really have a positive impact on pedestrian scale vibrancy and connectivity can move forward as well.

[JeffreyS]

This has a chance to be a real negative.  We end up showing a lack of commitment to the Landing and historic preservation. 

[buckethead]

Perhaps this is the wrong thread to ask, but it might be telling to learn who benefits financially from the improvements to Metro Park.

Construction companies? Vendors? Event planners/promoters?

It doesn't appear the general public is clamoring for improvements to the park. It isn't about votes. It isn't because the park is in  a state of disrepair. It seems more likely to be about money/cronyism.

(Pardon my cynicism. Mr Peyton, if you're reading, chime in and convince us otherwise) [or have one of your people do it]