He's been singing the right song lately, that's for sure. Posturing for a new job with the new administration, or being sincerely focused on keeping the conversation on the right path?
Can't post the entire article due to character length resrictions, so I'll quote some highlights
Via the Daily Record
http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=532654 (http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=532654)
QuoteJEDC’s Ron Barton: ‘My job is to keep my nose to the grindstone’
If you could narrow the commission’s goals for 2011 to just one, what is it?
Given the upcoming mayoral race, I think it would be incumbent on me to help frame the key issues that affect either economic development or Downtown development. Certainly being the practitioner that serves the mayor and the community, I think I’m certainly in a unique position to understand the issues and opportunities and constraints, and I think I have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayer to help present that information in a meaningful way, so that we can continue to execute on our objectives
What are those key issues?
I have to caveat any response by saying we’re in an unprecedented economic time. The national economists failed to use the word ‘depression,’ but it sure feels like it as you look around. Certainly it’s a deep recession. You have to filter your expectations.
Notwithstanding that, I think we have continued to map out paths for success, whether it’s Cecil Commerce Center, where we spent several years refining the master plan so that it could actually be implemented, and getting an appropriate nationally recognized partner to help us implement it.
Certainly in Downtown, when I got here, I’m not sure we were strategic about what we were doing, and so (that led to) the whole formulation of the Downtown Action Plan. Having that playbook and working it has been even more vital in this recession.
Much of it was in the realm we could control, which is the public realm. What you see today in the midst of almost zero private development are initiatives in our public realm â€" Friendship Fountain, Met (Metropolitan) Park, Laura Street, the floating docks that are eventually going to get implemented at Riverside Arts Market â€" those are all things that we established three years ago at the tail end of a hot development market.
I truly do not think we actually abide by or referance these 'action plans/master plans' nearly enough.
QuoteHow big of a factor will Downtown be in the spring mayoral election?
I hope it will be a big factor. Second to job creation, I believe that Downtown issues are the most important, because where the Downtown goes is where this community will go. Nothing in history suggests that a greater region is going to grow and prosper if the primary business center, entertainment center, the primary heart of an area, isn’t successful.
What about the cost of parking?
It’s ironic. There’s an ample supply of parking relative to other urban markets, and it’s also relatively inexpensive. I’ve worked in downtown Orlando, downtown Tampa, and downtown St. Petersburg, in both the public and the private sectors, and I’ve paid for my parking in every one of those circumstances. I’ve paid for mine here. The concept that employers need to underwrite their employees in order to stay Downtown is concerning for me because there are very few markets in the United States that operate that way.
It’s not a function of figuring out a way to underwrite it. It’s a function of creating value. You pay more for certain things because there’s a value proposition. I don’t think we’ve created a value proposition for Downtown. I think that’s the key, that if there’s any impediment for growth of employment in the Downtown setting, it’s because we’ve not made Downtown relevant to the business, and we’ve not made Downtown relevant to the employee.
What do you think it would take to make Downtown Jacksonville a value proposition? What are we talking about?
It’s the overall experience. Your streets should be enjoyable to be on. I hate that in 2010, we’re still talking about a fundamental issue of just making your streets pedestrian-friendly. That means great streetscapes, planting trees, good lighting, good signage, garbage cans, those are just base level. Many cities have turned the corner. Well, why haven’t we?
We have to formulate a strategy for a more relevant entertainment experience Downtown.
The issue of Jacksonville being involved in the convention industry is not going to go away, so we need to either embrace it and implement a solution, or make a determination that fundamentally, we’re not going to be in the convention business. Those are all building blocks.
We have some very strategic and important real estate holdings that we need to be real thoughtful about how we use them. Clearly, three or four years ago, we were on one path, and I think that the development environment is different today, so we have to rethink how we’re going to do that.
You have a lot of people in the suburbs who say Downtown has only gotten worse in terms of things to do. How do you respond?
Well, it has gotten worse for things to do. It’s gotten worse because the offerings have actually increased in the suburbs. Ten years ago, there was no St. Johns Town Center. There’s always going to be a competitor to Downtown. That’s OK. The question is, how does Downtown evolve and change to be relevant to a visitor, relevant to a worker, relevant to the citizen?
Are you having discussions about that?
I’m thinking about this (courthouse and annex) property that’s going to be vacated in about two years. What’s going to happen to those two buildings, short term and long term? You don’t have to be a great urban planner to figure out that’s where a convention center (has been discussed).
Is anybody talking about it seriously?
The answer is yes. About a year ago, the mayor sought advice about what’s next from a lot of folks who are respected in our community who have had their shoulder to the wheel for a long time in making Jacksonville a better place.
In that meeting were (business, development and civic leaders) Preston Haskell, Ed Burr, John Rood, Bob Rhodes, folks who have been involved, particularly in the Downtown agenda. It was an interesting meeting, because the mayor said, ‘I’ve got two years. What things can I do to progress the Downtown agenda that can be meaningful?’
The courthouse site and the (former) City Hall site were going to become vacant in about four years at that time, three years now. The Shipyards property, it was clear that was going to come back to us. We have key real estate assets.
What did they say?
Interestingly enough, there were four different opinions on what to do. And the mayor kind of said, ‘welcome to my world.’ Here are four intelligent, engaged folks that are both real estate savvy and community savvy. And all four of them came to a different conclusion. They weren’t close. That’s a great illustration that really engaged, smart people who care are going to have divergent opinions on where to go.
Does that mean four answers or no answers?
This was really at the same time that a lot of folks were thinking about the merits of a Jacksonville Civic Council and made the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce leadership visit to Kansas City, so this conversation morphed into the civic council being formed, embracing the question that the mayor posed.
So the mayor said, ‘why don’t you guys go bring back some of those observations?’ So, that’s what you have. There’s actually a lot of conversation. They are going to bring forward some Downtown recommendations here in the next week that are particularly focused on the future of the courthouse site.
What are we going to see?
Clearly the courthouse site’s an integral part, that’s no surprise. The convention facility is going to be part of conversation, no surprise. The entertainment part of the equation, no surprise. It comes at a good time because the CEO of the city has to be committed.
Are you advocating for the revival of the Downtown Development Authority?
I would challenge anybody to make a determination that in the last five years, this JEDC as the Downtown development agency has done any less, and in fact has done much more, than any dedicated downtown development authority. I think it’s a semantics issue. The fact is, we’ve had no resources, so I clearly don’t believe the Downtown issue is an issue of governance. I think it’s an issue of funding.
Let me give you an example. Metropolitan Park, the Southbank Riverwalk effort, the Friendship Fountain, fundamentally are maintenance efforts.
First, I would contend those are citywide assets. They’re not just Downtown assets. They are relevant to all of Jacksonville.
Second, they’re fundamentally maintenance, even though there’s some substantial redevelopment.
Third, the JEDC has had to fund that out of its resources, not the capital plan of the City.
I don’t think the issue is getting nine more people around a table to think about it. Frankly, I think we’re in a very appropriate public vetting environment.
But the issues are (having) the resources to execute and continuity. I think we provided more continuity in the last five years than any previous DDA. We’ve not had the resources.
First off, we should have listened to Preston Haskell et al and not Peyton's group years ago regarding the Convention Center. We may want to listen to him now, 34 years later.
Second, its clear people have finally figure out downtown has a VALUE problem. It currently does not create enough value.
Third, its nice to hear that leaders are realizing that the pedestrian experience is so integral to the health of an urban neighborhood... drive 2 hours south to Orlando and experience the stark contrast.
Fourth, Shipyards site, shipyards site, shipyards site... that along with a potential riverfront convention center represents such an opportunity to change the face of the Core. These sites MUST create value, they MUST activate the river, and they MUST be connected to the rest of the urban core.
Also, I think its kind of hogwash to say JEDC has done so much for DT relative to a specific DDA. DT missed the urban development revolution relative to other comparable metropolitan areas during one of the most unprecedented real estate booms in our lifetimes. As other metro areas were focusing on successful urbanization, we continued the same suburbination development trend of the last 30 years.
Just look at some of the JEDC board members and tell me that its comprised of a group wholly dedicated to urban development???
Agreed that it was nice to hear about the value problem and to not hear someone place the blame on the parking. That issue has been quite a debate on these forums.
I also liked the overall interview. It left me hopeful. Also, I keep hearing how we missed out on the big bubble boom of 04-06, but we did see quite a bit of development and frankly, Jacksonville presents opportunity for investors rather than a place like Miami or Las Vegas, which are "recover your losses" areas. A lot went up in Miami, but to this day many condos remain empty, new stores and restaurants that opened have closed or shortened hours, and developers are almost having to give away units in buildings. It has left a very sour taste for many investors and developers. That sour taste carries over to Jax by default since it is still in FL, but we are definitely a "from scratch" opportunity zone (as long as leadership is there). A trophy office building just sold in Miami for a pretty low price if you ask me. The office/retail portion of a suburban mixed use and smaller overall building in Atlanta is about to trade hands for a lot more ($346/SF).
In regards to parking/value problem, they aren't mutually exclusive. There hasn't been much value in DT since the department stores bolted in the mid-1980s. Plus, there is a parking problem in the form of antiquated technology and offensive enforcement. Combine that with no value and you get what you have to day....a 28 Days Later/I am Legend scene.
Since value to justify the negatives won't happen this decade, the parking issue (and many others...mainly public policy) will have to be addressed in some manner, if we want to stop the bleeding.
One thing I didn't read was the importance of stronger connectivity between DT and the adjacent urban neighborhoods. While the shipyards and a new convention center are important to the future of DT, neither will have the ROI that strong economic development stimulating "connectivity" will provide.
Quote from: simms3 on January 06, 2011, 04:58:25 PM
Agreed that it was nice to hear about the value problem and to not hear someone place the blame on the parking. That issue has been quite a debate on these forums.
I also liked the overall interview. It left me hopeful. Also, I keep hearing how we missed out on the big bubble boom of 04-06, but we did see quite a bit of development and frankly, Jacksonville presents opportunity for investors rather than a place like Miami or Las Vegas, which are "recover your losses" areas. A lot went up in Miami, but to this day many condos remain empty, new stores and restaurants that opened have closed or shortened hours, and developers are almost having to give away units in buildings. It has left a very sour taste for many investors and developers. That sour taste carries over to Jax by default since it is still in FL, but we are definitely a "from scratch" opportunity zone (as long as leadership is there). A trophy office building just sold in Miami for a pretty low price if you ask me. The office/retail portion of a suburban mixed use and smaller overall building in Atlanta is about to trade hands for a lot more ($346/SF).
The parking problem helps skew the cost/benefit analysis. It contributes to the lack of value problem.
Things go in cycles. Ron came in after the Shipyards debacle and a grand jury investigation of $36,500,000 of taxpayer money gone. Peyton gets reelected and a new 4 year stint for some city council members. I've shown the cycle of newspaper clippings at city council meetings,Waterways, and other meetings outside of Duval county.
Yes, He has been more vocal because we are just 90 days out and there will be new leadership and direction in this city. But what should concern everyone is that in the 2007 Downtown Action Plan the Promised 680' Downtown Public Pier isn't there. Is it his fault? I don't think it is. This is why the pier should be a city wide city council and mayoral campaign issue. The support for access to the river is awesome outside of Duval county.
We have new leadership at the JPA
We have new leadership with Visit Jacksonville.
We have new leadership at JAA.
We have the St. Johns River Alliance and a 310 mile potential statewide designation of a paddling trail.
We have legislation for a UTA (Urban Transition Area) in Riverside.
2010-856 Transient vendor ban.
All of these new and exciting leadership and legislative opportunities. But the real killer is another potential access point to our St. Johns River being taken away. Its true.
Quote from: thelakelander on January 06, 2011, 06:04:59 PM
One thing I didn't read was the importance of stronger connectivity between DT and the adjacent urban neighborhoods. While the shipyards and a new convention center are important to the future of DT, neither will have the ROI that strong economic development stimulating "connectivity" will provide.
I spent the last few days in Orlando.. and there is absolutely no reason that DT Jax and Springfield could not resemble the seemless transition b/w DT Orlando at Lake Eola and the very vibrant Thornton Park neighborhood.
If anyone at the JEDC, Civic Council, DVI, City Council, Mayor's Office, Parks Dept or Planning Dept wants to accompany me on a short 2 hour drive South.... there is no better evidence of the benefit of connecting the downtown core to a surrounding urban neighborhood than the closest metropolitan area to Jacksonville. I'll pay for the gas, so it won't cost you a dime to research simple solutions to the downtown problem(unless you want to buy me a chicken souvlaki at Pita Pit, or a burger at Graffiti Junction out of the kindness of your heart).
There is a virtual no mans land that serves as a land-based moat seperating Riverside and Springfield from Fort Downtown. Orlando's connectivity from DT to Thornton Park is a great justification for the development at Park View Inn and the rehabilation/activation of the Springfield/Klutho/Confederate/Hogans GREENBELT
You literally go from this:
(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/5243/picture061copy.jpg)
(http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/4925/picture042copy.jpg)
To this(a
vibrant urban neighborhood):
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3025/picture043copy.jpg)
(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8932/picture045copy.jpg)
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/5831/picture050copy.jpg)
(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/6582/picture054copy.jpg)
Its very hard not to imagine the same vibrancy happening in Jacksonville if we connect the dots. Luckily for our city, the physical natural assets are already in place. Its just a matter of connecting the puzzle pieces together to form a naturally symbiotic relationship instead of seperating and choking the neighborhoods off from each other.