Downtown Jacksonville Becoming Vacant

[stjr]

This WJXT story points to "employee accessibility" and it's cost to Downtown employers as a reason big companies are moving on.

Wasn't that the Skyway's job?  This has nothing to do with ties to residential areas.  The Skyway's #1 stated purpose was to connect accessible parking lots to downtown.  Along with Rosa Parks for buses, it does offer that to some degree.  So, why is it not working?  I'll keep my powder dry while others chime in for now.  

Downtown Jacksonville Becoming Vacant
Large Companies Moving Because Area Doesn't Fit Their Bottom Line

POSTED: Friday, June 18, 2010
UPDATED: 5:10 pm EDT June 18, 2010
St. Johns River - downtown Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It is supposed to be the heartbeat of a city, the central spot for movers and shakers. Instead, those folks are moving out of downtown Jacksonville.

"We think this is a critical time in downtown," said Terry Lorince, of Downtown Vision, Inc. "We are concerned about the vacancy rates."

Nearly one-quarter of the urban core is vacant, and it's only getting worse, especially on the Northbank.

Two large companies, Rayonier and Adecco, are moving out, and Life of the South has said it is seriously considering leaving.

If the company goes, it will leave nearly 200,000 square feet of empty space and will take 400 employees with it.

"We have a lot of small businesses that thrive on those towers," said Valerie Stanley, of Wally Dogz. "If they phase out, it'll be a problem."

Business is why those companies are moving out. They said downtown doesn't fit their bottom line.

Downtown visitors may only need to feed the meter a quarter to park, but large companies like Adecco spend $500,000 just for their employees to park.

The companies said even moving across the river makes more sense. Buildings there offer more floor space, and they're more accessible to employees.

Nearly every bare window front tells the story, and downtown leaders are looking to change it.

"Having a vibrant employment base is critical to the success of any downtown," Lorince said.

Lorince said the city is looking into more economic incentives for businesses locating in the core.

Downtown Vision has been planning events and stepping up the streetscape.

Stanley just hopes it works, because she said her business can't afford to have a ghost town.

"I rely heavily on walking traffic," Stanley said. "If that goes, my business will go downhill."

http://www.news4jax.com/news/23955671/detail.html

[St. Auggie]

After reading this I cant for the life me understand why there is sprawl in this city. Hmmmm....

[thelakelander]

I don't know how you find only the skyway to throw under the bus for this situation.  This is clearly a result of a city who has turned its back to the needs of downtown the businesses invested in it.  Jacksonville does a lot of talking but talking is cheap.  With that said, new leadership and a change in how the thing is operated, could serve as part of the solution to some the issues hampering downtown.  

[thelakelander]

Lorince said the city is looking into more economic incentives for businesses locating in the core.

Downtown Vision has been planning events and stepping up the streetscape.

LOL, incentives and streetscapes?  I can save DVI and the city a lot of money by telling you now that this isn't going to work.  These places continue to bring up parking issues and we expect that landscaping the sidewalks will help their profitability?  Jacksonville is going to have to start investing in fixed mass transit to help level the playing field between the urban core and suburbs.  Nearly every other major city has figured this out.  However, we seem intent to be pulled kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

[stjr]

I don't know how you find only the skyway to throw under the bus for this situation.  This is clearly a result of a city who has turned its back to the needs of downtown the businesses invested in it.  Jacksonville does a lot of talking but talking is cheap.  With that said, new leadership and a change in how the thing is operated, could serve as part of the solution to some the issues hampering downtown.  

Lake, I took from the article that the crux of the issue was employee accessibility, specifically, cost and ease of parking access.  Given that this was the  charge of the Skyway, I thought it appropriate to note its failure to solve this problem to the satisfaction of downtown employers.  I left the door open for more conversation.  Feel free to add your perspective.

[thelakelander]

Here is my perspective.

Problem

Downtown is overrated and held back by toxic public policies.  It will continue to decline until the public sector changes policy to help level the playing field between the CBD and burbs.

Problem #2

Company A says:

Downtown visitors may only need to feed the meter a quarter to park, but large companies like Adecco spend $500,000 just for their employees to park.

DVI solution:

Lorince said the city is looking into more economic incentives for businesses locating in the core. Downtown Vision has been planning events and stepping up the streetscape.

What does this have to do with the situation described above?  Unless we're going to pave over DT with surface parking lots or subsidize every company's parking, we're going to have to invest in real mass transit solutions.

Solutions

Dust off some of the old mass transit and parking concepts for downtown and implement them.  This would include running "high frequency and reliable" transit service between outlying parking lots.  The skyway in its current state is anything but reliable for these companies.  Instead of giving every single company incentives to lower their parking costs, maybe we should invest in a real transit system that helps keep existing companies, connects neighborhoods and attracts additional economic development at the same time.

[JeffreyS]

Pull out the parking meters.

[mtraininjax]

Lake, why is it we must have transit downtown in order to overcome lower rents in the sprawl? What does mass transit have to do with lower rents in the suburbs? After all, basic business 101 would dictate that if it costs me less to ircorporate in the suburbs, why would I ever come downtown?

No downtown, MUST lower its rent rates to become competitive with the southside and sprawl areas. If someone can get new at less than the old downtown, why stay downtown?

Forget mass transit for the moment, you need tenants before mass transit can work.

[thelakelander]

Lake, why is it we must have transit downtown in order to overcome lower rents in the sprawl? What does mass transit have to do with lower rents in the suburbs?

The article mentions parking costs. The need for urban parking and mass transit go hand in hand.

After all, basic business 101 would dictate that if it costs me less to incorporate in the suburbs, why would I ever come downtown?

Quality of Life of a vibrant urban alternative offers several advantages to suburban facilities.  Unfortunately, we don't have that urban environment in place due to a lack of vision and refusal to address the real issues hampering downtown.

No downtown, MUST lower its rent rates to become competitive with the southside and sprawl areas.

That's unrealistic if you don't address the parking situation.  Structured parking is significantly more expensive than surface parking.  What I'm suggesting is lowering rates by unbundling the parking costs.  Unbundling parking is a popular TDM strategy used in more cosmopolitan regions of this country.

If someone can get new at less than the old downtown, why stay downtown?

Forget mass transit for the moment, you need tenants before mass transit can work.

We already have tenants, residents and businesses in the urban core.  From a holistic view, mass transit can help keep them, improve connectivity and attract more.  Consider this killing multiple birds with one stone.

[JeffreyS]

MTrain I know we talk a lot about transit but it is more about what has worked and is working in other urban cores.  Transit is a major one that has been demonstrated on this site with a preponderance of evidence and examples to work.

Some of the quality of life advantages are in place in down town the riverwalk, the Landing and the Nexus of our major interstates.

I just hope that everything isn't just whatever has the lowest rent will be fine for our square building and cubicles.

[thelakelander]

I wonder if companies are abandoning downtowns of cities like Denver, Austin, Phoenix, Charlotte, Salt Lake City and San Diego for their burbs?  If not, what are they doing to successfully compete against their sprawling cheaper suburbs?  Whatever it is, we ought to follow suit instead of recreating the wheel.

[tufsu1]

Here are the facts...

Downtown Jax. - $24/sf + parking
Southside - $20/sf w/ "free" parking

If the majority of your employees live at the beach, in Mandarin, or in St. Johns County, which would you choose?

And accessibility to downtown from these locations is about to get harder...FDOT plans to start major reconstruction on I-95 from JTB up in the next few years.

If anyone has ideas, I'm all ears...because my company is in the midst of making this type of decision

[stjr]

If anyone has ideas, I'm all ears...because my company is in the midst of making this type of decision

No one is explaining why employers and their employees are not using the Skyway?  Tufsu, how about it?  Why isn't that the "great equalizer" it was supposed to be?  I am all ears!  

[thelakelander]

^I've already told you why its ineffective.  Its unreliable in its current state.  That's about all you need to know.  

As for tufsu1's question, I don't think Jacksonville is experiencing anything that hasn't taken place in other cities before.  My advice for DVI, JEDC or whoever, would be to study what has and has not worked in peer communities.  Avoid the failures and attempt to implement the successful policies locally.

[thelakelander]

Here are the facts...

Downtown Jax. - $24/sf + parking
Southside - $20/sf w/ "free" parking.....

If anyone has ideas, I'm all ears...because my company is in the midst of making this type of decision

TDM strategies. Something similar to what Baptist Medical plans to do on a much larger holistic level.