Quote
Efforts are under way to bring a large poker room across from Regency Square mall in Arlington. The Garden Ridge store at 201 Monument Road is closing because Jacksonville Kennel Club has a contract to purchase the property.
The kennel club has applied with the state to open a poker room on the site, which a spokesman said would create 200 new jobs .
Last year, the Legislature changed the law to allow pari-mutuel businesses to operate a separate cardroom and betting facility if the license holder closed an existing facility and opened the poker room in the same county and within 30 miles of the old one.
Jacksonville Kennel Club on McDuff Avenue closed in 2009 after operating for 74 years. Its owner, Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, donated the entire facility to the Knowledge is Power Program, which targets underprivileged children.
Quote
He said that designs for the building are still being drawn and reviewed. It's not certain if the existing 109,000-square-foot building would be converted or a new one built. But even if it's a new building, it would be almost as large as the current one, he said.
The only thing definite about it is that it will include a poker room, he said, adding it would be similar in size to the Orange Park facility, which has 40 tables. Other possibilities include simulcast betting and a restaurant, Munz said, but that has not been decided.
It could open as early as next spring, he said. The facility plans to hire about 200 people, with an average salary of about $50,000 a year. Job fairs will be held this fall or early next year.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-06-28/story/jacksonville-kennel-club-open-poker-room-near-regency-square-mall#ixzz1Qe3sKEAT
200 jobs is the big news here. How long until a poker room is built downtown? Maybe at the Landing?
Quote from: copperfiend on June 29, 2011, 08:46:27 AM
200 jobs is the big news here. How long until a poker room is built downtown? Maybe at the Landing?
I read that and wondered, how many jobs are being lost by the Garden Ridge closing? The poker room may have a higher average salary but how is that salary figured - are there a couple people making $75k+ and everyone else in the $20k range? Has a poker room ever improved a neighborhood?
Evidentally Garden Ridge was planning to close anyways. It doesnt seem that if the store was doing good they would close for a poker room. That doesnt sound right. And to be honest, the garden ridge at Regency never really did all that well. Everytime I have went in that store over the past ten years, it is always half empty. They only get alot of business during the holiday season. (November and December)
Quote from: Bativac on June 29, 2011, 10:14:47 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on June 29, 2011, 08:46:27 AM
200 jobs is the big news here. How long until a poker room is built downtown? Maybe at the Landing?
I read that and wondered, how many jobs are being lost by the Garden Ridge closing? The poker room may have a higher average salary but how is that salary figured - are there a couple people making $75k+ and everyone else in the $20k range? Has a poker room ever improved a neighborhood?
Anything for Regency at this point is a plus. The existence of the poker room could bring additional restaurants (as disclosed in the article) or other entertainment venues (IMO). Arlington is one of our oldest neighborhoods and I dont like the condition its in. Anything to bring some life to the area is fine with me.
does anything do good in or around Regency anymore??? I try to frequent there as much as possible, but it seems to get worse and worse. Well, maybe besides Bealls! haha
Quote from: fsujax on June 29, 2011, 10:26:44 AM
does anything do good in or around Regency anymore??? I try to frequent there as much as possible, but it seems to get worse and worse. Well, maybe besides Bealls! haha
And Ross!! lol
Poker Room employees make alot. Most get tons of tips. You have waitresses that get tips, dealrers that get tips, sushi bar employee gets tips. The only person that doesn't is the money counters and the hostesses and hosts.
A downtown one would be nice.
Quote from: Bativac on June 29, 2011, 10:14:47 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on June 29, 2011, 08:46:27 AM
200 jobs is the big news here. How long until a poker room is built downtown? Maybe at the Landing?
I read that and wondered, how many jobs are being lost by the Garden Ridge closing? The poker room may have a higher average salary but how is that salary figured - are there a couple people making $75k+ and everyone else in the $20k range? Has a poker room ever improved a neighborhood?
That Garden Ridge was disgusting and it was a ghost town every time I went in there the last few years.
Quote from: fsujax on June 29, 2011, 10:26:44 AM
does anything do good in or around Regency anymore??? I try to frequent there as much as possible, but it seems to get worse and worse. Well, maybe besides Bealls! haha
I think the big boxes north of the mall are doing ok. It seems like THD, Lowe's and Target do well. I go to the Ruby Tuesday, Zaxby's and Cracker Barrel over there , and they all seem to do well.
Regency is still a viable commercial district. The mall sucks because it's time has passed. They don't last forever and must be periodically updated to keep up with retail trends. Until a massive revamp happens don't expect things to improve.
They did revamp the mall some years back. It just hasn't had the effect they were looking for. I doubt another one would do much better, and it seems unlikely any mall would be able to do a major overhaul every ten years or so anyway.
The revamp these days isn't changing up tile and paint colors, when you've been around since the 1960s (super long for a center like Regency). Judging from what's been going on in the country, they should have been considering the lifestyle concept roughly about a decade ago.
Quote from: thelakelander on June 29, 2011, 12:34:32 PM
The revamp these days isn't changing up tile and paint colors, when you've been around since the 1960s (super long for a center like Regency). Judging from what's been going on in the country, they should have been considering the lifestyle concept roughly about a decade ago.
Agreed. Im actually impressed that they have held on for 51 years. There has been downturn in the area over the pass 20 years, but they still manage to get through. I only want to see good things happen for them. And If im not mistaken, arent there some renovation plans in place to make it somewhat of a lifestyle center? I remember us dicussing it on here about two years ago.
I'm not aware of any plans to renovate Regency into a lifestyle center. The stuff discussed here was vision plan oriented on a public level. More or less, dreams from local residents who want to see the place improved.
Quote from: thelakelander on June 29, 2011, 12:59:16 PM
I'm not aware of any plans to renovate Regency into a lifestyle center. The stuff discussed here was vision plan oriented on a public level. More or less, dreams from local residents who want to see the place improved.
Youre right. Here's the article.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-feb-rethinking-regency-mall
JD Byryder is opening up a dealership at the old sound advice location AND the old Toy's or Us building is under contract to be purchased.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/212776/483/Regency-Eyesore-Back-in-Business
Quote from: duvaldude08 on July 29, 2011, 11:04:38 AM
JD Byryder is opening up a dealership at the old sound advice location AND the old Toy's or Us building is under contract to be purchased.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/212776/483/Regency-Eyesore-Back-in-Business
WHATEVER goes in at Sound Advice will be an improvement. That place has been an eyesore for what, ten years?
Quote from: Bativac on July 29, 2011, 12:38:03 PM
Quote from: duvaldude08 on July 29, 2011, 11:04:38 AM
JD Byryder is opening up a dealership at the old sound advice location AND the old Toy's or Us building is under contract to be purchased.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/212776/483/Regency-Eyesore-Back-in-Business
WHATEVER goes in at Sound Advice will be an improvement. That place has been an eyesore for what, ten years?
Sound Advice has only been closed since December 2008.
The Kia dealership has also reopened on Atlantic next to Pier One. It is now Southside Kia.
The old Chrysler dealership on Southside is now Tulsa Welding School.
I shop at the big box stores to the north of Regency and go to the IMAX. They are always crowded.
Lots of good stuff in Arlington lately.
I have mixed feelings.... but I will say, though, that a great deal of our publication's readers are furiously opposed to the Monument Poker Room proposal.
Maybe they should have been more opposed before it went through permitting....
AFCassidy, if they are furious opposed to the poker room proposal, they could take it up with themselves and the city they pay taxes to. They have direct control over zoning and land use policies and should work to modify them at the public level, if they believe what's currently allowed should not be. They'll accomplish nothing by taking it out on some private entity that builds something that zoning allows in that location.
Non-Redneck - no permitting needed, the very broad zoning category allows many things from retail stores (Garden Ridge) to gambling halls. The only permit issue will come up if they want to serve alcohol.
Lake - the zoning code, I believe is currently being rewritten* - how much public input has been invited, and I don't mean by the legal notices in the Financial News for committee meetings held in the afternoon? Perhaps I am cynical from watching the process for a long time. I do not think the average citizen - or even highly interested citizens like yourself and others on this board - really has much influence over the developer-controlled process.
* or are they done? I am interested in the process, and I don't know where they are in it.
I don't think zoning is developer controlled (ex. RAP and the Riverside Overlay). If so, our zoning policies would allow for much higher densities and mix of uses because the more stuff one can pile on a site, the more money they'll make. I believe our policies have been implemented by community demand over issues that might have not been fully understood (ex. I don't want a McDonald's drive thru near my house, so let's completely outlaw commerical even though a small coffee or tea house would have been compatible).
I also don't believe the revising off the zoning code has started. There have been some comp plan changes with the mobility plan and that was highly community oriented (remember the COJ Visioning Plan process?). Here is a link to the community visioning plans that have already been adopted by council.
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Planning-and-Development/Community-Planning-Division/Plans-and-Studies/Vision-Plans.aspx
The 2030 Mobility Plan and future rezoning process both are/will be generated from the results of the visioning process.
Ditto to what Charles Hunter said. The only approval they needed was from the state and that came swiftly. No local review was required from the city council.
It's located near a library and a school. :-\
I think the concern is probably overblown, but the feeling from our readers (about a dozen letters to the editor on just that topic) was that the poker room would draw crime, prostitution, etc.
Hard to sell a poker room as anything particularly family-friendly, so I'm guessing they just want to get it built and open as quickly as possible... and prove to people that it won't drag down the surrounding areas or cause some kind of massive "crime wave" or whatever.
OK, you have one counter-example in Riverside. Maybe Springfield.
And I do remember the 6 Vision Plans - lots of public input. Is the City actually using them in zoning or land-use decisions? I don't remember anything in the Arlington Vision Plan about a poker room at Regency.
Oh, and as an Arlington resident (but not next to the poker room), I don't think it will be a problem* - just using it as an example of how little control we the citizens have over zoning and development.
* I would have more confidence if the Kennel Club would provide crime stats from their two current locations during their "everything is wonderful" visits to community groups.
Quote from: Charles Hunter on September 04, 2011, 01:46:57 AM
OK, you have one counter-example in Riverside. Maybe Springfield.
Because we're late to the party. There are tons of cities across the US already doing this. There's no reason neighborhoods like Arlington and Jacksonville as a whole can't.
QuoteAnd I do remember the 6 Vision Plans - lots of public input. Is the City actually using them in zoning or land-use decisions? I don't remember anything in the Arlington Vision Plan about a poker room at Regency.
They don't have any impact at this point because the land use and zoning modification hasn't occurred yet. However, they will play a role whenever it starts.
QuoteOh, and as an Arlington resident (but not next to the poker room), I don't think it will be a problem* - just using it as an example of how little control we the citizens have over zoning and development.
We have all the control in the world and significantly more than we have in overturning a private development that's already allowed to build their product under our zoning ordinances. We're just a decade or two behind several of our peer communities in realizing and modifying it to reflect what specific communities want.
Quote* I would have more confidence if the Kennel Club would provide crime stats from their two current locations during their "everything is wonderful" visits to community groups.
I'm fine with whatever goes there personally but if your zoning allows the Kennel Club's use, then they're not required to show anything that a McDonalds, Best Buy or Home Depot, etc. wouldn't have too. If you want more analysis before giving approval, then the use needs to be modified to force something like this to go through the PUD or variance process.
Quote from: AFCassidy on September 04, 2011, 12:52:47 AM
Ditto to what Charles Hunter said. The only approval they needed was from the state and that came swiftly. No local review was required from the city council.
This is because the land use and zoning regulations for that site already allow the type of use the Kennel Club proposed. On the flip end, they'd have trouble getting something like that in Springfield or Riverside because of the overlays that make such a use difficult to get approved.
Riverside and Springfield are geographically small and heavily-historic districts, Arlington is gigantic. If we made development as difficult in Arlington, nothing would ever get done and that area of town would be in worse shape than it already is.
When I moved here in 2003, I noticed that Jacksonville feels and looks at various situations about a decade behind its peers. For example, talk mass transit here and the discussion centers on whether people will use it or not. Talk it in Charlotte, Salt Lake City or St. Louis and residents fight over who's neighborhood is more deserving of the next infrastructure investment. Talk 7-Eleven and we debate can a convenience store fit into a commercial strip like Avondale, when thousands already exist worldwide in more prestigious communities just fine.
With that said, Arlington is pretty small in terms of looking at what communities outside of Jax have been successful in doing with the land use and zoning regulations. Also, land use and zoning regulations that protect and build up the surrounding context don't equate to "making things more difficult" for the private sector.
Arlington is small? It's like 7 or 8 miles from end to end.
What's an example of a larger community with Riverside-like zoning requirements?
Yes, 7 or 8 square miles is pretty small. Miami is around 36 square miles and modifying their land use and zoning is working for them:
http://www.planetizen.com/node/41370
http://www.miami21.org/
So, let's just say you want your neighborhood to be more walkable or new development to fit in with the surround context. Instead of fighting each new proposal, simply change your zoning to a Form-based Code:
QuoteWhat Are Form-Based Codes?
Definition of a Form-Based Code
Form-based codes foster predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code. They are regulations, not mere guidelines, adopted into city or county law. Form-based codes offer a powerful alternative to conventional zoning.
Form-based codes address the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. The regulations and standards in form-based codes are presented in both words and clearly drawn diagrams and other visuals. They are keyed to a regulating plan that designates the appropriate form and scale (and therefore, character) of development, rather than only distinctions in land-use types.
This approach contrasts with conventional zoning's focus on the micromanagement and segregation of land uses, and the control of development intensity through abstract and uncoordinated parameters (e.g., FAR, dwellings per acre, setbacks, parking ratios, traffic LOS), to the neglect of an integrated built form. Not to be confused with design guidelines or general statements of policy, form-based codes are regulatory, not advisory. They are drafted to implement a community plan. They try to achieve a community vision based on time-tested forms of urbanism. Ultimately, a form-based code is a tool; the quality of development outcomes depends on the quality and objectives of the community plan that a code implements.
Elements of a Form-Based Code
Form-based codes commonly include the following elements:
• Regulating Plan. A plan or map of the regulated area designating the locations where different building form standards apply, based on clear community intentions regarding the physical character of the area being coded.
• Public Space Standards. Specifications for the elements within the public realm (e.g., sidewalks, travel lanes, on-street parking, street trees, street furniture, etc.).
• Building Form Standards. Regulations controlling the configuration, features, and functions of buildings that define and shape the public realm.
• Administration. A clearly defined application and project review process.
• Definitions. A glossary to ensure the precise use of technical terms.
Form-based codes may also include:
• Architectural Standards. Regulations controlling external architectural materials and quality.
• Landscaping Standards. Regulations controlling landscape design and plant materials on private property as they impact public spaces (e.g. regulations about parking lot screening and shading, maintaining sight lines, ensuring unobstructed pedestrian movement, etc.).
• Signage Standards. Regulations controlling allowable signage sizes, materials, illumination, and placement.
• Environmental Resource Standards. Regulations controlling issues such as storm water drainage and infiltration, development on slopes, tree protection, solar access, etc.
• Annotation. Text and illustrations explaining the intentions of specific code provisions.
http://www.formbasedcodes.org/what-are-form-based-codes
(http://www.1000fof.org/planning/Images/FormBased2.jpg)
Also, I wouldn't call their codes "Riverside-like." Riverside's code works for Riverside but may not be applicable to Arlington's context or the community's desire. Nevertheless, the general concept of moving away from our traditional way of looking at land use and zoning (which has failed us) would still apply.
Ok but I didn't say 7 or 8 square miles, I said it's 7-8 miles from end to end. Gotta be at least 25 square miles, depending on how you draw the boundaries in your mind.
Comparing the city of Miami's resources and needs to that of the Arlington area is... ehhh... beyond a reach.
We some of these standards you describe along Merrill Road. It retards development and many of the businesses located along there are extremely unhappy with it. I've talked to several who've advertised in our community paper -- they are basically stuck in buildings that are old and have very little visibility, but they can't do anything significant to upgrade the exteriors of their businesses or to make changes to their signage, etc. The codes have basically trapped businesses and there are a good number who are thinking about relocating to more business-friendly areas of town.
"So, let's just say you want your neighborhood to be more walkable or new development to fit in with the surround context."
If I want that, then I guess I ought to support businesses that promote that with my purchases and maybe if everyone else feels the same way that's how the neighborhood will evolve.
It seems to me that your focus is always on the scenario of some person who decides they want to be able to stroll around their neighborhood and how he or she can go about forcing these businesses to comply with those wishes and make that a reality, regardless of the actual circumstances of the area or the obvious wishes of the majority of the residents.
If everyone wanted to live in 5 Points, then every neighborhood would naturally look like 5 Points.
Its only beyond reach because you're making it that. I could pull successful examples for big and small places but if we're not willing to accept responsibility for what our own landscape looks like and what it's future will be, an excuse for why we can't do something will be generated.
However, at the end of the day, we (the community) made the zoning code that exists there and all over the entire city. If we (the community) don't like what we (the community) developed. Then we (the community) should work to revise it. Its really as simple as that.
Quote from: AFCassidy on September 04, 2011, 03:33:05 PM
We some of these standards you describe along Merrill Road. It retards development and many of the businesses located along there are extremely unhappy with it. I've talked to several who've advertised in our community paper -- they are basically stuck in buildings that are old and have very little visibility, but they can't do anything significant to upgrade the exteriors of their businesses or to make changes to their signage, etc. The codes have basically trapped businesses and there are a good number who are thinking about relocating to more business-friendly areas of town.
What Form Based or Smart Codes are you talking about specificially that are hampering business growth? My guess is that you may be confusing the information with our traditional zoning practices.
Quote"So, let's just say you want your neighborhood to be more walkable or new development to fit in with the surround context."
If I want that, then I guess I ought to support businesses that promote that with my purchases and maybe if everyone else feels the same way that's how the neighborhood will evolve.
If you want a walkable community, it shouldn't be about supporting or not supporting specific types of businesses. It should be about wanting your city and community to have a higher quality of life and keeping all of your tax dollars from going into subsidizing roadway projects. All commercial businesses can seamlessly fit into either environment (walkable or autocentric).
QuoteIt seems to me that your focus is always on the scenario of some person who decides they want to be able to stroll around their neighborhood and how he or she can go about forcing these businesses to comply with those wishes and make that a reality, regardless of the actual circumstances of the area or the obvious wishes of the majority of the residents.
My focus is on quality of life and fiscal responsibility from a public level. How we design our community has a significant impact on these items. Such a strategy actually helps the private sector by freeing up public money to be invested in areas other than asphalt and concrete.
QuoteIf everyone wanted to live in 5 Points, then every neighborhood would naturally look like 5 Points.
Correct, which is why I corrected you in an earlier post about "Riverside-like" zoning. For example, Downtown, Riverside and Jax Beach are all forms of walkable communities that still have distinct characteristics that make the different from one another. Even within Arlington, Old Arlington's context is vastly different from the Regency area.
The zoning code should not be designed to force "one size fits all" regulations on development, which is what we have today. Jacksonville is too diverse and the code should be modified to reflect its diversity.
OR...instead of instituting a new regulatory scheme we could just do away with zoning and let things develop organically.
You could do that too, but you'd probably end up with a mess on your hands like Houston. Imagine the opposition that would fly when your neighbor decides to operate a chicken manure plant on his property. Weird enough, I actually saw this happen in Central Florida, back in the 1990s.
It would be nice to have Houston's economic growth and unemployment rates.
All we need is a few hundred square miles of oil reserves and refineries and we'll be set.
^I was just going to say that. There's plenty to envy about Houston, not all of which can be replicated. And there's plenty to avoid as well.
From jacksonville.com:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-11-01/story/planned-poker-room-wins-jacksonville-city-councils-support-loosen-0 (http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-11-01/story/planned-poker-room-wins-jacksonville-city-councils-support-loosen-0)
QuotePlanned poker room wins Jacksonville City Council's support to loosen alcohol restrictions
Posted: November 1, 2011 - 9:19pm | Updated: November 2, 2011 - 9:16am
201 Monument Road, Jacksonville, Florida
By Steve Patterson
A poker room planned near Regency Square mall won a Jacksonville City Council committee’s support Tuesday for a rezoning that would loosen alcohol restrictions there.
The poker room can open with or without the zoning change. But neighborhood critics worried relaxed zoning could encourage a casino-like atmosphere in an area already troubled by loss of other businesses.
“Arlington is in trouble,†resident Pamela Sands told the council Land Use and Zoning Committee. “... We need to make things harder for them [poker rooms], and we need to work on different levels to bring good businesses to Arlington.â€
The business at 201 Monument Road, a former Garden Ridge store bought by the Jacksonville Kennel Club’s operators, will be the only poker room in Jacksonville.
Don Cheatham, who said he spoke for a Woodmere homeowners association, told the committee the building would be a natural place for slot machines to be introduced if state lawmakers ultimately allow broader gambling statewide.
With new zoning, “the future could well include a casino-like establishment on this location,†he said.
No slot machines or casinos are planned, answered attorney Paul Harden, who represented the owners.
Harden put in writing a list of other things that aren’t planned, saying his clients would sign deed restrictions that would ban more than a dozen activities, from pawn shops and adult entertainment to racetracks and plasma centers.
But he drew a line at promising not to do things the zoning doesn’t allow.
“There’s no reason to say we won’t put a casino there. It’s illegal,†he said.
The bill the committee backed (2011-585) rezones about 6.5 acres from a category called CCG-1 to CCG-2. The second zoning automatically allows liquor sales, while the first only guarantees beer and wine sales.
Part of the poker room site already had the higher zoning, and Harden said the owners wanted to have the entire site zoned a single way so any construction was done to a common set of standards.
It also means people could buy cocktails and carry them anywhere in the building, and that wouldn’t be allowed otherwise, city planner Sean Kelly told the committee.
Councilman Clay Yarborough, whose district includes the property, had urged the owners to use a different type of zoning that allows negotiation over the appearance and operation of the buildings there.
When the owners rejected that idea, the series of deed restrictions was developed instead.
The committee voted 5-1 for the rezoning, with Councilman Don Redman voting no.
The full council is scheduled to vote next week.
steve.patterson@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4263
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-11-01/story/planned-poker-room-wins-jacksonville-city-councils-support-loosen-0#ixzz1cYzZU5Tx
I heard an ad this morning on the radio about http://www.bestbetjax.com/
Open 24 hrs on the weekends.
Quote
Our newest facility â€" BestBet Jacksonville â€" opens the first week of March. It is located on Monument Road across from Regency Square, less than 20-minutes from Jacksonville International Airport, 15-minutes from Jacksonville’s Beaches and very convenient to the I-295 East Beltway- Exit 47 (Monument Road) and exit 48 (Atlantic Blvd.).
BestBet Jacksonville is Florida’s newest and largest poker room, boasting 70 tables, a state-of-the-art simulcast center and full food and beverage service. It is the home of the $1,000,000 WPT JACKSONVILLE BestBet OPEN, April 27 â€" May 2. This televised and live-streamed tournament is the centerpiece of the Jacksonville Spring Series, April 19 â€" May 2. Log on to the Poker Room link for details.
Private sector jobs. Excellent!
Sounds good to me, so long as the state holds them to the gambling laws so as not to infringe on our compact with the tribes.
Im not sure if anyone's paid attention, but they completely redone the building. The outside looks really nice! I seen it last week when I was at Regency. Someone previously was under the impression they were not doing anything to the outside, so I decided to mention it. (cant remember who is was though).
Time for an Arlington construction update!
(hey, we have the beaches and downtown, why neglect one of the densest populations in town??? Need a photo guy for arlington? ;D ?).
Here are some photos I snapped today:
(http://i.imgur.com/gYdy6.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8t49Y.jpg)
You can hardly recognize it. Lookin' good.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6909434501_826dc48985.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6909432389_b609e0ee1e.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6909430423_e51c614ba9.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6909427097_b656db093a.jpg)
Wow! That looks a lot better than Garden Ridge.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 20, 2012, 08:40:47 AM
Wow! That looks a lot better than Garden Ridge.
I'll bet (pun intended) it employs a lot more people than Garden Ridge and at a higher average wage.
Just out of curiosity, why regency? Why not mayport if they're trying to attract navy men?
Perhaps there was no Garden Ridge store to purchase that was a good distance away from any public schools or churches?
I'm not sure sailors are the prime demo ... and if so, it isn't that hard to get to via Wonderwood and Monument from Mayport
Quote from: thelakelander on February 20, 2012, 08:40:47 AM
Wow! That looks a lot better than Garden Ridge.
I know right! They have hooked that sucker up big time.
They need to come work on the mall next!
Quote from: TheProfessor on February 26, 2012, 10:46:36 AM
They need to come work on the mall next!
Good luck with that!
From the TU:
Quote
Gambling addiction groups wary of new Jacksonville poker room
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-02-28/story/gambling-addiction-groups-wary-new-jacksonville-poker-room#ixzz1nmeGuBnE
By Adam Kealoha Causey
A new Jacksonville poker room may seem a sure bet for the owners’ pocketbooks, but gambling addiction support groups and community leaders say BestBet Jacksonville could be a bad deal for card players.
Florida gambling addicts cite card games as the second most frequent cause of their financial woes, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. Slot machines rank No. 1.
Television should take part of the blame, said Brian Kongsvik, who runs the Florida council’s help line. A nearly constant offering of blackjack and Texas Hold ’em shows glamorizes poker.
“At any given time of the day or night you can turn on one of the sports channels and there’s going to be a tournament on,†Kongsvik said.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-02-28/story/gambling-addiction-groups-wary-new-jacksonville-poker-room#ixzz1nme6O0FT
From medicinenet.com
QuoteEstimates of the number of people who gamble socially qualify for being diagnosed with a gambling addiction range from 2%-5%, thereby affecting millions of people in the United States alone. Although more men than women are thought to suffer from pathological gambling, women are developing this disorder at higher rates, now making up as much as 25% of individuals with pathological gambling. Other facts about compulsive gambling are that men tend to develop this disorder during their early teenage years while women tend to develop it later. However, the disorder in women then tends to get worse at a much faster rate than in men. Other apparently gender-based differences in gambling addiction include the tendencies for men to become addicted to more interpersonal forms of gaming, like blackjack, craps or poker, whereas women tend to engage in less interpersonally based betting, like slot machines or bingo. Men with pathological gambling tend to receive counseling about issues other than gambling less often than their female counterparts.
http://www.medicinenet.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm (http://www.medicinenet.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm)
So yes, gambling can be addictive for 2-5% of the people who try it. Does that mean that it's good policy to try and keep the other 95% of adults from enjoying gambling if they decide to? It's going to happen whether it's legal or not. Shouldn't it happen out in the open where the occasional problems can be dealt with without the threat of prosecution?
Should be a boost for that area. The interior looks great.
No thanks. Will stick to throwing dice in back alleys and knocking backs Cobras. Someone needs to open a Bunny Ranch over their in Regency Square Mall. Make that happen then you will find Kaiser Soze throwing around his hard-earned money.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 29, 2012, 10:14:34 AM
From the TU:
Quote
Gambling addiction groups wary of new Jacksonville poker room
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-02-28/story/gambling-addiction-groups-wary-new-jacksonville-poker-room#ixzz1nmeGuBnE
By Adam Kealoha Causey
A new Jacksonville poker room may seem a sure bet for the owners’ pocketbooks, but gambling addiction support groups and community leaders say BestBet Jacksonville could be a bad deal for card players.
Florida gambling addicts cite card games as the second most frequent cause of their financial woes, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. Slot machines rank No. 1.
Television should take part of the blame, said Brian Kongsvik, who runs the Florida council’s help line. A nearly constant offering of blackjack and Texas Hold ’em shows glamorizes poker.
“At any given time of the day or night you can turn on one of the sports channels and there’s going to be a tournament on,†Kongsvik said.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-02-28/story/gambling-addiction-groups-wary-new-jacksonville-poker-room#ixzz1nme6O0FT
From medicinenet.com
QuoteEstimates of the number of people who gamble socially qualify for being diagnosed with a gambling addiction range from 2%-5%, thereby affecting millions of people in the United States alone. Although more men than women are thought to suffer from pathological gambling, women are developing this disorder at higher rates, now making up as much as 25% of individuals with pathological gambling. Other facts about compulsive gambling are that men tend to develop this disorder during their early teenage years while women tend to develop it later. However, the disorder in women then tends to get worse at a much faster rate than in men. Other apparently gender-based differences in gambling addiction include the tendencies for men to become addicted to more interpersonal forms of gaming, like blackjack, craps or poker, whereas women tend to engage in less interpersonally based betting, like slot machines or bingo. Men with pathological gambling tend to receive counseling about issues other than gambling less often than their female counterparts.
http://www.medicinenet.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm (http://www.medicinenet.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm)
So yes, gambling can be addictive for 2-5% of the people who try it. Does that mean that it's good policy to try and keep the other 95% of adults from enjoying gambling if they decide to? It's going to happen whether it's legal or not. Shouldn't it happen out in the open where the occasional problems can be dealt with without the threat of prosecution?
Well, part of the problem is that a good amount of the revenue gambling venues make is from this small percentage of problem gamblers. This isn't just a problem with poker rooms, but with all gambling venues (including tribal venues, which is why I know about it). The problem is much worse with fast-paced Vegas-style games like slots than in non-banked poker games. There was a study a while back, which I'll try to find, that found that up to 60% of revenue from machine gambling came from problem gamblers. This is clearly a problem.
Ok, so when this happens with legal gambling the gamblers with a problem can be identified and offered help. I realize the establishment has a disincentive to help these people if it will decrease revenue but they are way more likely to care if they are operating out in the open and trying to maintain a reputation as a responsible business.
When is the MJ tournament and what is the Bounty on Stephen Dare?
Wow, I can see the gravy train of gambler's anonymous coming soon. Broken homes, broken dreams, and we blame it all on freedom of choice. Same as smoking, its an addiction. Great! Next we'll hear, I was born a gambler. Its not my fault I blew the Christmas present money at the gambling hall, the devil made me do it. Love it!
Is it really that hard? Just take the advice of our silver-tongued (and haired) elders:
http://www.youtube.com/v/kn481KcjvMo?
You can't lose. At worse, you break even.
Quote from: Non-RedNeck Westsider on February 29, 2012, 11:18:28 PM
Is it really that hard? Just take the advice of our silver-tongued (and haired) elders:
http://www.youtube.com/v/kn481KcjvMo?
You can't lose. At worse, you break even.
i agree
Crime is down in area surrounding Regency Poker room
http://www.news4jax.com/morning-show/Crime-down-near-Best-Bet-Poker-Room/-/1875838/12341196/-/on6j1c/-/index.html
QuoteJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
Robberies, drunken fights and gambling-addicted clientele is what residents living next to the Best Bet Poker Room in Regency were expecting to encounter.
But in their first month, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is reporting the exact opposite and local businesses said they are actually reaping the benefits.
Most people in the area said the poker room has been a huge success.
Lou Salameh with The Sheik Restaurant said, "A lot of people have had some mixed feelings about bringing the bad element to the area, but we haven't seen any of that."
Salameh said he's been pleasantly surprised by the increased business he's noticed in just the past few months at his restaurant The Sheik.
While there's no real way to determine exactly where the customers are coming from, he has a pretty good idea.
"We have seen a lot of foot traffic in the area," Salameh said. "The poke room being open 24 hours, I get here very early in the morning and the parking lot is just full."
The Poker Room is just one block away, where one month revenues have surpassed everyone's expectations.
New statistics reveal Best Bet made more than all 24 Florida Poker Rooms, raking in more than a million dollars in a month.
"It's quiet. Nothing eventful," said Karen Jackson who lives next to the Poker Room.
"The only activity is over there. You see a lot of cars over there. It's good."
Jackson said her neighbors were concerned about crime, but JSO officers actually report a decrease, comparing this year and last.
Violent crime is down more than 26 percent. Property crime is down more than 24 percent and overall crime has dropped by more than 24 percent.
The locals and business owners we spoke to said the trend is encouraging, and are willing to bet, better days are ahead.
"It's a good thing and if it's help the local businesses, I'm all for it," Salameh said.
Quote from: Gators312 on May 01, 2012, 09:49:46 AM
Crime is down in area surrounding Regency Poker room
THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN IF THEY PUT IT IN AVONDALE!!!! PEOPLE WOULD BE PEEING IN THE STREETS AND SMASHING BEER BOTTLES ON HOUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The lengths that people go to in this town to monger fear is amazing. If they put that much effort into supporting their community, we would be in a much better situation.
So wait a minute. Wait just a minute. Are you trying to tell me a well lit and well maintained building and parking area with a regular influx of paying customers results in less crime than a blighted building and an abandoned parking lot?
So instead of forcibly trying to remove undesireable elements, you bring in desireable elements and the stuff you don't want naturally recedes?
maybe they should open one up Downtown!
Quote from: fsujax on May 01, 2012, 10:17:56 AM
maybe they should open one up Downtown!
That won't happen. They would have opened up in the old dog track on McDuff if they wanted to be close to downtown. Instead they transferred the license from McDuff to the Regency location and spent millions in renovations. Plus it is only about 7 miles away from downtown.
I have said this repeatedly,all you have to do to get rid of the "element" is make them uncomfortable. For example, if our downtown began to flourish the homeless would feel uncomfortable. They would not feel welcomed. They would either leave downtown all together or just hide. Of course there are the ones who dont give a damn and will beg you for money anyways.