Metro Jacksonville

Remember, you can only choose 1 thing to happen because of your super power, and whatever comes after as a result your choice will come naturally.

That was tough. I went with Laura Trio just because I'm looking to move downtown and it would help make adaptive reuse common practice instead of just a trend. Light rail and Skyway extension were my other big ones.

I was torn between that and my vote, the convention center. I think both would be a HUGE help to downtown. The trio is a huge embarrassing eye sore:(
My vote for the convention center is that it would get the terminal started as a terminal again:)

Shipyards.  It's the most cost effective activator of a public friendly downtown that attracts people who don't necessarily work downtown.  For under $100M you can have a great park/riverwalk with monuments, tennis courts, basketball courts, a skate park, eco-friendly features, a stage or amphitheater area, and a space for venues/food trucks/events.  Add to that greenspace and jogging trails and you have yourself a destination.

It could also serve as a connector between the stadium district, East Bay and downtown.

The rest of the items on the list cost a lot more or don't serve as much of a public good (Ford Assembly/Annie Lytle).

No contest, considering the development track record of Light Rail, most of the things on the list would quickly follow the tracks.

OCKLAWAHA

I had a whole thread on my feelings about where a convention center should fall in Jax's priorities (not at all).  :-\

I went with LRT although I should have probably went with other, since my intention was streetcar.  For $50 million, you could put in a streetcar line tying half of Jacksonville's urban neighborhood destinations with one another, which would help stimulate market rate revitalization to downtown and several surrounding neighborhoods.  All in all, I think you get more ROI for the money invested in the long run with this one over the others.

Quote from: JFman00 on June 20, 2012, 10:55:55 PM
I had a whole thread on my feelings about where a convention center should fall in Jax's priorities (not at all).  :-\

That's a growing mindset. I still think if we could get that many more people downtown, we could get more infill, but that pretty much goes for about everything on the list.

I am going LRT be that commuter rail or streetcar.

It would be obvious , if you know me :)

I am constantly amazed by the followers here.  Where is the discussion on the JaxPort or the Navy? After all, they are the Number 2 and Number 1 employers in Jacksonville. If everyday was Christmas, I would bag all those non-items on the list and have the river dredged to 50 feet, fix mile point, move the cruise terminal to Mayport where a 2nd berth would be built out of the rustic dirth known as Mayport, build the Hanjin docks, add the Nuclear Aircraft Carrier and its 5000+ sailors and additional ships and supplies to our local area.

Quote from: mtraininjax on June 20, 2012, 11:11:27 PM
I am constantly amazed by the followers here.  Where is the discussion on the JaxPort or the Navy? After all, they are the Number 2 and Number 1 employers in Jacksonville. If everyday was Christmas, I would bag all those non-items on the list and have the river dredged to 50 feet, fix mile point, move the cruise terminal to Mayport where a 2nd berth would be built out of the rustic dirth known as Mayport, build the Hanjin docks, add the Nuclear Aircraft Carrier and its 5000+ sailors and additional ships and supplies to our local area.

I thought the options (bar HSR) made sense in a local context. Not sure how much local politicians could do on the river projects (Army Corps) and military (DoD) moves. Plus, a CVN is still coming isn't it? Just not as quickly as might have been hoped for.

However, I was *stunned* when I read just a couple weeks ago that the city gave up the Navy's Master Jet Base to Va Beach. Would've at least discouraged further sprawl west of 295, and it's not like the city has been particularly successful in transforming Cecil.

^You must be new to the area.  When the master jet base issue was going on, it consumed the forums for months.

As I mentioned in the vacant lot the city doesn't have plans for thread, been here less than a year. I should probably wander over to the introductions forum one of these days.

Oh, I didn't read that particular post in that thread.  The forums were pretty split with this issue back in 2005.  Some wanted the Navy back while others wanted more development (the real estate market was booming back then).  Others felt that suburban development had already encroached on Cecil Field and that its time as a jet base had moved on due to the number of nearby tract homes. Here was the executive summary of the economic estimates from a thread a few years back.

(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/images/Cecil/summary.JPG)

There were too many homes in the path of the Jets at Cecil Field, and after seeing a jet land in a neighborhood up there in Virginia, many of us on the westside were saying, "told you so". Jacksonville can thrive without the jets, yeah they are cool at the air shows and the maneuvers, but we do just fine with the Sub hunters and Helicopters at NASJAX.

I went with rail as I think it will have the greatest domino effect. My pet personal project would be the Laura Street Trio though.

Shipyards, seriously doubt anyone on this board will be alive to see a street car or LR in Jacksonville.

Other:  A Rooftop, Par 3 Golf Course.

If you want more holes, then you have to build more buildings.

Quote from: mtraininjax on June 20, 2012, 11:11:27 PM
I am constantly amazed by the followers here.  Where is the discussion on the JaxPort or the Navy? After all, they are the Number 2 and Number 1 employers in Jacksonville.

Barring the choices presented in the poll, I would agree with you to the point that anything that brings massive economic gain to the local economy would help the development scene and city coffers.  Charleston is BOOMING right now in terms of population growth and subsequent feeder projects because of Boeing, its port and other recent big job creators.  It has 3,500 multifamily units UC right now, much of that is infill.  It has also been growing at a Raleigh/Austin rate the past couple years and is one of the major employment draws in the south right now.