Bellsouth Bails?

[Metro Jacksonville]

Bellsouth Bails?

Word on the street is that Bellsouth, the corporate giant whose decision to locate its headquarters in Downtown inaugurated the Godbold Era of Downtown revitalization is preparing to depart the long suffering district in favor of the southside.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/567

[hightowerlover]

That explains why they havent slapped the at&t logo on that building.  I was wondering.

[vicupstate]

More bad news on the DT front.

San Marco Riverwalk - scratch
JEA Southbank deal - scratch
Riverwatch or One12 - scratch
Bell South - vacated
Hemming Plaza going 9-5 again
Courthouse - likely scratch

I guess St. John's Town Center REALLY IS the new Downtown.

[downtownparks]

In fairness, one and two are the same project, and three is just in limbo... There is plenty of positive stuff going on. If you focus on the negative, you will kill your drive and spirit behind the downtown push.

We will get there, we might just have to wait a couple of years until the real estate market picks back up.

[Captain Zissou]

1 and 2 are different projects.  San Marco Riverwalk was the project slated to be adjacent to the Peninsula/Strand  on the Raddison site. JEA project is east of the School Board building.  Three is in limbo, but it will be one or the other, not both as it once was.

[Ocklawaha]

Both JTA'S horrid planning for blowing BRT right through the middle of downtown, and UNDER our unfinished Skyway is nearly conspiratorial. City Hall's fumbling and sleeping at the wheel in carrying out a comprehensive plan is equally deplorable. These blood sucking Neanderthals are a prime example of why people shouldn't drink their own urine. But then my opinion falls short of fully describing the depths they are capable of descending to. Should we get ready for:

"For sale, downtown Jacksonville, CHEAP, 50% South of the BRT and another 50% available North of the damn thing..."

Ocklawaha

[vicupstate]

As Captain stated, one and two are two different projects.  If anyone doesn't think that SERIOUS momentum hasn't been lost the last few years, they are in denial.  Much of it is related to the R.E. slowdown, but just as much of it isn't. 

I am not going to put on rose-colored glasses, we need to raise the flag on just how bad it has gotten, so that someone WAKES UP.   

Keep in mind that JAX was already a decade behind similiar sized cities in this regard, even before the loss of momentum of the last few years.

       

[downtownparks]

I have no doubt momentum has been lost, but there is still enough positive that I would hate to talk down what positive stuff is happening.

[citykitty]

Jacksonville was and always will be Cowford until our city leaders pull their heads out of the sand.

[fsujax]

It is sad to see what has happend to Downtown over the last couple of years.  I had so much hope at the end of Delaney's last term. It is going to have to be up to the small businesses to keep Downtown moving forward. We have to support them as much as possible.  I noticed CitiStreet has a small sign on the ground floor of the Bellsouth Tower, I wonder if they could buy the naming rights to the top of the tower?