Quote(https://photos.moderncities.com/photos/i-Dq8bP5g/0/L/i-Dq8bP5g-L.jpg)
Does demolishing old buildings prime the pump for flashy new ones? Is 10,000 residents the magic number necessary to enliven Downtown Jacksonville? Is downtown development really as complicated as we make it? The Jaxson looks at five widespread but false myths about urban development that have held Downtown Jacksonville back for years.
Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/five-development-myths-that-hold-downtown-jax-back/
I thought the population of downtown, yes the 3.9 square miles downtown, was much more than 4,800; can't remember where I saw it or read it, but it was much closer to 10,000. Am I wrong? or is the 4,800 before downtown started to construct new residential dwellings?
Downtown isn't close to having 10k residents. That's just a number some have inaccurately promoted as a benchmark for vibrancy. In reality, we can have vibrancy before that number by dramatically increasing density and activity in concentrated areas.
Quote from: heights unknown on December 06, 2021, 10:57:14 AM
I thought the population of downtown, yes the 3.9 square miles downtown, was much more than 4,800; can't remember where I saw it or read it, but it was much closer to 10,000. Am I wrong? or is the 4,800 before downtown started to construct new residential dwellings?
The DVI State of downtown report claims that there are 6,830 residents in downtown and 4,314 multifamily units. 552 more units are currently under construction between The Doro, Ashley Square, and the Southerly on the southbank.
Great article and on the mark.
Some other myths, in no particular order, from my list:
(1) Jacksonville has a viable and thoughtful master plan for Downtown.
(2) The City has appropriate and firm standards for urban development.
(3) The City has to give away the house with over the top incentives to attract urban development.
(4) City "planners" know what they are doing and have vision, creativity and leadership to properly develop Downtown.
(5) We need to give away our valued riverfront to developers to get Downtown jump started.
(6) Painted boxes are acceptable architecture for apartments/condos.
(7) Because we don't adequately fund our parks, we don't need to set aside more green space in the urban core, especially along the river.
(8 ) Because locals are wedded to their automobiles at all times and can't be retrained, we shouldn't invest in mass transit that circulates only in the urban core.
(9) We need to do "sexy" projects (AV/Skyway, Lot J, Four Seasons, etc.) to cover for our many other Downtown inadequacies, most of which are self-inflicted.
(10) Our history is not worth saving or promoting.
(11) Downtown is dead on arrival without Shad Khan and the Jaguars.
(12) Our current City government and agency structures can connect dots and create sustainable projects to make for a successful Downtown without putting their self-interests and supporting special interests above those of the citizenry.
(13) Subsidizing urban sprawl with the majority of our infrastructure dollars gives a better ROI than spending those dollars in the urban core areas.
(14) Downtown can thrive without better integrating it with its more populated surrounding urban neighborhoods via more connective mass transit and cross promotion.
I think Jax may have more myths than the Greeks!
^^
That is a good list. Here is one more.
15) Consolidation makes reviving DT impossible or at the least much harder than normal.
Quote from: vicupstate on December 07, 2021, 09:58:56 AM
^^
That is a good list. Here is one more.
15) Consolidation makes reviving DT impossible or at the least much harder than normal.
All of those are good, and this one especially. May need to do a future piece on that.
Start a project, but see no need to finish it.
Damn... put a Harrahs at the Landing or the ford... 20 stories... lights...advertisement
Perhaps review what has happened to Rouse projects nationwide, malls/ Orange Park mall for a hint to the dynamic danced around here on this excellent Thread.
Quote from: Florida Power And Light on December 08, 2021, 06:40:00 PM
Perhaps review what has happened to Rouse projects nationwide, malls/ Orange Park mall for a hint to the dynamic danced around here on this excellent Thread.
The Jaxson has already covered the Rouse projects. While most/all failed as the festival marketplace concept, everyone but us was able to convert them into another successful use without tearing them down. We are the only one that went full Rampage on our downtown waterfront (insert picture of giant wolf and gorilla here).