Everbank Center is on its way to being half empty again.
QuoteAT&T Inc. is beginning to relocate its employees, months ahead of vacating the EverBank Center in Downtown Jacksonville.
The Florida Times-Union reports AT&T is moving 64 employees from Downtown to a new location in Orange Park as part of a corporate reshuffling plan to consolidate operations. AT&T is also moving workers in Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky and North Carolina.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/morning-edition/2013/12/att-starts-moving-workers-out-of.html
Spoke with sources at Everbank a few days ago. They are committed to downtown, but it seems the Mayor and the City are dragging their feet on the Greyhound Station issue. One of the issues to moving to the Everbank building was to have the bus station removed. No progress on that issue, at least not publicly and you can infer what you want, but the perception of people getting panhandled and accosted around the building is a REAL issue.
Mayor Brown and the city leaders would do well to keep their promises...downtown is counting on them.
Construction on the greyhound bus station is underway.
Quote from: mtraininjax on December 27, 2013, 11:15:05 AM
but the perception of people getting panhandled and accosted around the building is a REAL issue.
fortunately or unfortunately, perception is pretty much all it is
Quotefortunately or unfortunately, perception is pretty much all it is
Not when it happens to the people telling me that its happening to them and their employees.
Everbank has more people they COULD send downtown from Cypress Village......
I worked in the BB&T Building for about 5 years and was panhandled probably once per month or so. Have to admit the simple panhandlers were not nearly as bothersome as the mentally ill approaching you yelling at their imaginary friends as quite frankly you never knew what to expect.
Quote from: stephendare on December 27, 2013, 04:15:15 PM
Quote from: mtraininjax on December 27, 2013, 04:11:08 PM
Quotefortunately or unfortunately, perception is pretty much all it is
Not when it happens to the people telling me that its happening to them and their employees.
Everbank has more people they COULD send downtown from Cypress Village......
so you heard it from a friend who....heard it from a friend who....heard it from another..?
I work in Everbank. Currently park in garage above 7-11, formerly parked in garage down past Greyhound. Never been physically accosted, but plenty of times panhandled. This may be sexist, but as a guy I didn't feel threatened (a little annoyed depending on my sleep) but can see how a woman walking in during the dark AM hours would no be comfortable. A lot of just random people out there. Although it seems to me that is the case in any dimly lit parking lot anywhere.
There is an interesting character that has taken up residence in the parking garage entrance ramp that I see and have to drive around often when I arrive @ 5AM. Again not threatening. Maybe the best word is just annoying?
^^ guess I was lucky enough not to encounter the crazy pasta man. The other crazies were enough for me.
Also I park on the street in this area whenever attending events at the T-U Center and have to admit a lot more people hang out in this area at night now that 7-11 has opened.
I'm not denying that panhandling happens downtown..as it did when I lived in Center City Philly...I'm just saying it isn't like being acosted every two minutes...and its doubtful that Greyhound moving will help the situation...in fact it means the area will have even less activity, which might make it more uncomfortable for pedestrians.
Quoteso you heard it from a friend who....heard it from a friend who....heard it from another..?
Say it, say it, Say it......"you've been messing around"....oh Stephen!
Quoteand its doubtful that Greyhound moving will help the situation...in fact it means the area will have even less activity, which might make it more uncomfortable for pedestrians.
That is hard to say with a straight face. A prime piece of real estate, located next to a Major Employer and steps from the new Courthouse, in a rising economy. I don't see it staying vacant or empty for long. If it were over by the Bostwick, yeah, good luck, but where it is has a LOT more hustle and bustle going on and when the old Federal Building is fully occupied, the place will really be rocking with many more people in the area. Again, don't see it staying empty as long as the Eastside of Downtown.
Quote from: tufsu1 on December 27, 2013, 04:50:54 PM
I'm not denying that panhandling happens downtown..as it did when I lived in Center City Philly...I'm just saying it isn't like being acosted every two minutes...and its doubtful that Greyhound moving will help the situation...in fact it means the area will have even less activity, which might make it more uncomfortable for pedestrians.
Tufsu, come on. A year or so ago I met my dad for an improptu dinner, he'd just gotten out of a mediation in the Bank of America building, and I met him with two subway sandwiches and we sat in his car to eat them and just say hi. In the 15 minutes we tried to eat two sandwiches there were 4 or 5 people that banged on the window asking for money. It was annoying as a good sized man, with another guy in the car. If I'd been a single female I'd probably have been scared rather than irritated. Either way, there's a problem with it. What to do about it I have no clue. But denying it exists doesn't help anyone, even the panhandlers.
Quote from: edjax on December 27, 2013, 04:32:02 PM
Also I park on the street in this area whenever attending events at the T-U Center and have to admit a lot more people hang out in this area at night now that 7-11 has opened.
I recently had an experience when I pulled into a metered spot and when I got out I was approached that "We'll keep an eye on your vehicle for you". I thanked them and then found another spot a block over. I don't know if it is at all connected w/7-11
"The Business Journal reported in fall 2012 that AT&T was shopping Jacksonville's commercial real estate market for space and possibly looking to downsize."
I didn't see anything in the reference articles that mentioned panhandlers. It looks to me more like a cost of space and reorganization issue.
QuoteI didn't see anything in the reference articles that mentioned panhandlers. It looks to me more like a cost of space and reorganization issue.
The panhandler issue was raised to me by an Executive with Everbank as an issue for their staff in the new space, which ATT vacated.
Quote from: Overstreet on January 02, 2014, 09:09:12 AM
"The Business Journal reported in fall 2012 that AT&T was shopping Jacksonville's commercial real estate market for space and possibly looking to downsize."
I didn't see anything in the reference articles that mentioned panhandlers. It looks to me more like a cost of space and reorganization issue.
They never would have said so, even if panhandling was the primary issue. They know better than to needlessly invite controversy. That said, I don't doubt that costs and space requirements were the primary drivers of whatever the decision was.