(https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C5612AQFnNDxM1GfXdQ/article-cover_image-shrink_600_2000/0/1520062208337?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=XqSkaCnctL1mdoyRdAAa2jtic3gKn8WHM9z_IFG1O1A)
DIA has gotten a lot of flack for the lack of progress downtown.
Totally fair to also look at Downtown Vision and wonder how effective they are and whether their output justifies all the tax dollars they're collecting from downtown properties owners within the BID radius.
QuoteDISTRICT SERVICES
The cornerstone of a great Downtown is a clean, safe and hospitable environment, which is why we focus on it seven days a week. We collaborate to address unsightly issues in the public realm and we partner with the City, Sheriff's Office, property owners and others to support economic growth and the live/work/visit experience.
STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT
As the key support organization for Downtown's private property owners, we keep our fingers on the pulse of the needs of the Downtown community, represent and advocate for our stakeholders, and keep them informed on issues.
MARKETING
We market Downtown as the unique epicenter for business, history, culture, education and entertainment for our region through content creation and curation.
RESEARCH
As the primary source for information on Downtown, we collect data and analyze trends including: investment, office market and residential growth. By benchmarking and issuing reports, we tell the story of Downtown's revitalization.
Would argue that their marketing is somewhat duplicative with Visit Jax - which is funded by the bed tax, rather than property taxes - and would argue that their research is pure gaslit trash. I've met some very nice ambassadors, but it'd be great to have more visibility into where all those BID dollars are actually going and what meaningful progress DVI has made toward the above goals.
The #1 problem IMHO with Downtown is all the silos... DVI, DIA, VisitJax, Sports Council, JTA, FDOT, Mayor's Office, City Council, COJ Planning Dept., COJ Public Works, COJ Parks, COJ Planning Commission, COJ DDRB, 1st Downtown Jacksonville, Downtown Dwellers, Buildup Downtown, etc.... with no master planning or coordination between them. Until all these groups plus nonprofits (cultural institutions, foundations, social service agencies, Riverkeeper, educational institutions, etc.), residents, businesses, developers, etc. get on the same page, Downtown will continue to ping-pong along, well below its potential.
It is like watching a slow motion train wreck. I would say the emperor is naked and no one is calling it out but we don't even have an emperor to call out. We need one point of accountability for all things Downtown and until we do, we will have everyone doing their own thing to feed their self interests, egos, or as cover for their inherent incompetency. To add, Downtown planning needs to be expanded to include integrating the entire urban core, not just the strict boundaries of Downtown. Downtown needs full urban support to thrive.
If you're going to include private groups like 1st DT, Downtown Dwellers, and BUD... Why stop there? Scenic Jacksonville, Riverfront Parks Now, etc....
Quote from: Ken_FSU on October 07, 2024, 11:24:08 AM
DIA has gotten a lot of flack for the lack of progress downtown.
Totally fair to also look at Downtown Vision and wonder how effective they are and whether their output justifies all the tax dollars they're collecting from downtown properties owners within the BID radius.
QuoteDISTRICT SERVICES
The cornerstone of a great Downtown is a clean, safe and hospitable environment, which is why we focus on it seven days a week. We collaborate to address unsightly issues in the public realm and we partner with the City, Sheriff's Office, property owners and others to support economic growth and the live/work/visit experience.
STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT
As the key support organization for Downtown's private property owners, we keep our fingers on the pulse of the needs of the Downtown community, represent and advocate for our stakeholders, and keep them informed on issues.
MARKETING
We market Downtown as the unique epicenter for business, history, culture, education and entertainment for our region through content creation and curation.
RESEARCH
As the primary source for information on Downtown, we collect data and analyze trends including: investment, office market and residential growth. By benchmarking and issuing reports, we tell the story of Downtown's revitalization.
Would argue that their marketing is somewhat duplicative with Visit Jax - which is funded by the bed tax, rather than property taxes - and would argue that their research is pure gaslit trash. I've met some very nice ambassadors, but it'd be great to have more visibility into where all those BID dollars are actually going and what meaningful progress DVI has made toward the above goals.
Good points. I started the thread because I'm legitimately curious what DVI's recent successes have been and what their role is moving forward. The Special Committee for the Future of Downtown is tasked primarily to focus on the DIA, which makes sense. DVI is technically an independent not-for profit funded through a special assessment of downtown property owners. That said, I think the City should take a look at the effectiveness of the organization. There is an "Enhanced Municipal Services Agreement" that is in place between DVI and COJ, with DIA having oversight over the agreement. The City agrees to allow 1.1 mills of special assessment to go to DVI in exchange for the "enhanced services". The boundary of the DVI was expanded in 2021 to include LaVilla and Brooklyn, which also extended the assessment until the year 2031.
All that is to say that even though DVI is an "independent" agency" and has an agreement in place until 2031, the City through the DIA still has the ability to enforce the Enhanced Municipal Services Agreement. Just skimmed the agreement, and either party can terminate the agreement
for cause with 30 days notice, but more interestingly
either party can terminate the agreement with just one years notice without cause. If I'm reading that correctly, COJ can effectively eliminate DVI anytime they want, for any reason they want, with just one years notice. With that leverage, the Special Committee on Downtown should be able to make findings and recommendations about the DVI.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ydDsNVKL/IMG-5801.jpg)
See, now this is the type of gaslighty bullshit that would infuriate me as a business owner handing extra property tax dollars over to the DVI each year, and that leads me to believe that DVI leadership needs to go. You can cherry pick all the stats you want from the Southbank and from analytics companies on your payroll, and you can make all the vague excuses you want about work from home hurting office occupancy without introducing any actual hard stats about how much Jacksonville is failing in recovery versus other urban areas, but you can't tell the downtown businesses paying your salaries that things are looking great on the streets.
Jake Gordon and the DVI need simply to peek right down Laura Street from their shiny new offices on Duval - one of the few retail storefronts to open in the area in the last two years ironically - and see the "upswing" that has taken place over the last twelve months with their own eyes:
Peterbrooke - Closed
Vagabond - Closed
Bread & Board - Closed
Alewife - Closed
Jumpin Jax - Closed
Mag's Cafe - Closed
Back to the Grind - Closed
Boba & Rice - Closed
Burrito Gallery - Closed
Estrella Cocina - Hours reduced, barely hanging on
Bellwether - Hours reduced
Superfood - For Sale; only hanging on because of forgivable loan obligation
Bank of America Retail Branch - Closed
Jacob's Jewelers - Closed
Ambassador Hotel - Project Abandoned
Independent Life Building - Project Abandoned
Laura Street Trio - Crumbling to the ground with no development agreement
Jones Bros Furniture - Announced years ago, not yet started
UNF Center for Entrepreneurship - Moved back the Southside
Chamblins Apartments - Crumbling to the ground
Snyder Memorial - Still not RFP'd
Citizens Insurance - Likely leaving downtown
Dalton - Likely leaving downtown
While the DIA hasn't spurred development and failed to bring in new businesses, the DVI has actively FAILED the existing downtown businesses that bankroll their existence. They can hide behind the imaginary $8 billion pipeline of Shad Khan and COJ projects that would have happened regardless, but the streets surrounding their HQ don't lie. And when we've all got eyeballs, and see the shuttered storefronts, trash on the streets, vagrants swinging hooks at passersbys, and general Walking Dead vibe on the streets, ain't no one want to see the head of the DVI all smiles with the good ol' boys talking about how every metric is trending up.
Again, pure gaslighting.
Lots of very cool things may be proposed, or even permitted, but neither the DVI nor the CBD are in any position to be patting themselves on the back for momentum in 2024. It's not pessimism, it's just put up or shut up. When you've got what is currently the worst downtown of perhaps any Top 40 city in the U.S., you don't get to brag - yet.
If the people tasked with fixing it don't recognize that there's a problem, the whole thing falls apart.
^ DIA also lost HD Supply on both the North and Southbanks... hundreds of people. And, TIAA left town. Wells Fargo shrunk to half their space in the former WF Tower and no longer has a branch Downtown. And, along with Citizens Insurance, is Black Knight in play? It also seems we still can't get enough funding approved to fully develop to a proper level Downtown riverfront parks that might attract more residents and visitors. Where is the former District headed?
But great news... we are getting a Daily's gas station and JTA boondoggle U2C center at the entrance to Downtown to make a great impression on arrivals.
Just an aside... passed through Downtown this past week and both the Acosta and Riverside Avenue accesses were closed off for some race/run. Not sure if Main Street was also closed as I headed to I-95. No detour signs posted, lots of JSO but none directing traffic... just standing around, no tweaking traffic lights, no Plan B... as traffic bottlenecked wondering where to go next. This unpredictable appearance and careless management of these closures discourages visiting Downtown shows, eateries, etc. as no other part of town suffers this fate. By the way, if you ever leave the Arena or Performing Arts Center after a show, again, no traffic management like the Jaguars get. Can take forever to get out of Downtown. Where are DVI, DIA, etc. with thinking about the most basic obstacles to Downtown businesses?
Quote from: jaxlongtimer on October 20, 2024, 12:39:58 AM
^ DIA also lost HD Supply on both the North and Southbanks... hundreds of people. And, TIAA left town. Wells Fargo shrunk to half their space in the former WF Tower and no longer has a branch Downtown. And, along with Citizens Insurance, is Black Knight in play? It also seems we still can't get enough funding approved to fully develop to a proper level Downtown riverfront parks that might attract more residents and visitors. Where is the former District headed?
Everything else aside, RiversEdge (hasn't been called The District in years) is literally under construction as we speak with the first townhomes almost finished
Piggy backing off of Ken's comment with some more firsthand experience about the downtown expereince. I had a great conversation this weekend with two young professionals renting an apartment in the Barnett Tower. They moved here from another mid-size city and assumed Jacksonville's downtown would be similar. They are now counting down the days until they can move out of the Urban Core and move to the Southbank or San Marco. Their chief complaint? Safety. After the sun goes down, anytime they walked outside, the only other people they come across were vagrants. They also told me about how frequently they can hear people screaming/wailing in the middle of the night from their high-rise apartment. I asked them if they saw a couple of JSO officers posted on street corners would that make them feel safer? They enthusiastically said yes, absolutely. This forum talks about hitting ground balls for development. I think another easy solution (but maybe expensive) would be to post two JSO officers on every street corner on Laura and Hogan Street from the river to City Hall from the hours of 6pm to midnight on weekdays and until 2 am on weekends.
Great questions Joey. If you were a downtown property owner, would you rather your special assessment dollars go to extra policing or the "Downtown Ambassador "program?
I once told Terry Lorrince (the previous director of DVI) that the Downtown Ambassador program was a total waste and that they could get virtually the same results from retirees looking to volunteer and stay active, along with occasional weekend cleanups from various groups. My dad's Rotary Club and mom's Garden Club in NC provide a ton of free volunteer hours to help maintain very well regarded downtown's and greenway's up there. It would be extremely easy to do this in Jax.
But even if you keep the Ambassador's, are their hours even the most optimal? They work from Monday-Friday 7am to 8:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4:30pm. Shouldn't Saturday and Sunday from 4:30 to 8:30 be peak visitor demand?
Another question, Terry Lorrince and DVI used to get some flak on here back in the day for being ineffective and not doing a whole lot, but I believe they only had a staff of about 4-6 people (excluding ambassadors). DVI now has a staff of senior staff of 10 (possibly not counting admin), with 7 of them having titles of director, VP, or CEO. A very top heavy staff. With the increased staff, has anyone noticed an increased output?
Quote from: Zac T on October 20, 2024, 01:58:31 PM
Everything else aside, RiversEdge (hasn't been called The District in years) is literally under construction as we speak with the first townhomes almost finished
River's Edge is supposed to have 950 residential units, 147 hotel rooms, 200,000 sqft of office space, 134,000 sqft of retail, and a 125 slip marina. 10+ years in and all we have to show for it is a half dozen townhomes under construction. This is the ultimate bait and switch by COJ and the developer. 4 years from now I envision the 3 residents, who got sold on the dream of future density, driving golf balls from their front yard into the desolate abyss like Will Smith in I Am Legend.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on October 21, 2024, 09:43:02 AM
Quote from: Zac T on October 20, 2024, 01:58:31 PM
Everything else aside, RiversEdge (hasn't been called The District in years) is literally under construction as we speak with the first townhomes almost finished
River's Edge is supposed to have 950 residential units, 147 hotel rooms, 200,000 sqft of office space, 134,000 sqft of retail, and a 125 slip marina. 10+ years in and all we have to show for it is a half dozen townhomes under construction. This is the ultimate bait and switch by COJ and the developer. 4 years from now I envision the 3 residents, who got sold on the dream of future density, driving golf balls from their front yard into the desolate abyss like Will Smith in I Am Legend.
It's a great stat padder though. It's technically "under construction" with a $693 million investment.
Quote from: CityLife on October 21, 2024, 09:15:10 AM
Great questions Joey. If you were a downtown property owner, would you rather your special assessment dollars go to extra policing or the "Downtown Ambassador "program?
I once told Terry Lorrince (the previous director of DVI) that the Downtown Ambassador program was a total waste and that they could get virtually the same results from retirees looking to volunteer and stay active, along with occasional weekend cleanups from various groups. My dad's Rotary Club and mom's Garden Club in NC provide a ton of free volunteer hours to help maintain very well regarded downtown's and greenway's up there. It would be extremely easy to do this in Jax.
But even if you keep the Ambassador's, are their hours even the most optimal? They work from Monday-Friday 7am to 8:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4:30pm. Shouldn't Saturday and Sunday from 4:30 to 8:30 be peak visitor demand?
I would venture to say that if we took all of DVI's dollars and invested them in JSO officers Downtown, it would be better return than anything else DVI could add.
If DVI had dollars left over, they should be advocating for mass transit connectivity with Downtown via buses (not U2C or Skyway!) to the surrounding urban core and/or looping through the core. They should also be advocating for quality of life items like supporting riverfront parks, cultural events, etc. I have been to countless downtowns, many far bigger than ours (doesn't take much) and well placed maps with City landmarks and attractions on street corners is more than adequate. Add a well placed info center run by Visit Jax and you would have better outcomes with almost no additional expense.
It is time leaders in Downtown stop trying to show they are "smarter than the average bear" or how clever they are and just copy and paste what most every downtown in the world already does.
The Downtown Ambassadors do good work and are wanted. They take care of blight/safety/maintenance issues that would otherwise rely on X department to respond in their own time.
Related, the cost of paying for JSO off-duty officers has gone up 25% YoY, due to their third party scheduler.
Note to self: start a third party scheduling businesses. It's lucrative.
Quote from: jaxlongtimer on October 21, 2024, 10:30:22 PM
Quote from: CityLife on October 21, 2024, 09:15:10 AM
Great questions Joey. If you were a downtown property owner, would you rather your special assessment dollars go to extra policing or the "Downtown Ambassador "program?
I once told Terry Lorrince (the previous director of DVI) that the Downtown Ambassador program was a total waste and that they could get virtually the same results from retirees looking to volunteer and stay active, along with occasional weekend cleanups from various groups. My dad's Rotary Club and mom's Garden Club in NC provide a ton of free volunteer hours to help maintain very well regarded downtown's and greenway's up there. It would be extremely easy to do this in Jax.
But even if you keep the Ambassador's, are their hours even the most optimal? They work from Monday-Friday 7am to 8:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4:30pm. Shouldn't Saturday and Sunday from 4:30 to 8:30 be peak visitor demand?
I would venture to say that if we took all of DVI's dollars and invested them in JSO officers Downtown, it would be better return than anything else DVI could add.
If DVI had dollars left over, they should be advocating for mass transit connectivity with Downtown via buses (not U2C or Skyway!) to the surrounding urban core and/or looping through the core. They should also be advocating for quality of life items like supporting riverfront parks, cultural events, etc. I have been to countless downtowns, many far bigger than ours (doesn't take much) and well placed maps with City landmarks and attractions on street corners is more than adequate. Add a well placed info center run by Visit Jax and you would have better outcomes with almost no additional expense.
It is time leaders in Downtown stop trying to show they are "smarter than the average bear" or how clever they are and just copy and paste what most every downtown in the world already does.
Ambassador hours could definitely be better. I don't agree with throwing money at JSO though. If anything they could hire security guards and if there is a real issue they could call JSO.
Also, most people don't want to ride a bus. Like it or not it has a stigma in most places.
If paying for additional JSO hours is a challenge, then utilize volunteer police services to do the same thing. JSO already has a volunteer program called the "Auxiliary Officer Program". Jacksonville Beach (and countless other cities) has a Citizens on Patrol Program that uses volunteers to direct traffic, write parking tickets, and proactively patrol and report issues to real officers.
Jax is a civic oriented city and likely has hundreds of early retirees (50-65) and younger people that want a path to becoming a police officer that would love to volunteer 10-15 hours a week to help the city. DVI should partner with JSO to create a special program that utilizes the Auxiliary Officer Program to put uniformed police volunteers (without guns) all over downtown to assist with patrolling and monitoring issues. While they are around, I'm sure they could also help clean up trash and do whatever minor cosmetic things the DVI Ambassadors do. At minimum, this could greatly expand the police presence downtown and put more eyes on the street. At best, it could greatly reduce the expenses of the Ambassador program or even make it unnecessary altogether.
Quote from: CityLife on October 21, 2024, 09:15:10 AM
I once told Terry Lorrince (the previous director of DVI) that the Downtown Ambassador program was a total waste and that they could get virtually the same results from retirees looking to volunteer and stay active, along with occasional weekend cleanups from various groups. My dad's Rotary Club and mom's Garden Club in NC provide a ton of free volunteer hours to help maintain very well regarded downtown's and greenway's up there. It would be extremely easy to do this in Jax.
Ambassador's aside, we seem to be allergic to this sort of ask - working with business group and civic organizations to contribute. This happens in a lot of other cities, but we never seem to do this here. Case in point look at Lakeland's Bonnet Springs Park - $100M park with $0 from the taxpayers.
^City of Lakeland and the LDDA has demonstrated for decades that they can develop a downtown master plan and fund it through incremental implementation and investment. Local private money for public quality-of-life investments becomes more easy to secure when you have that type of track record. Lakeland is small beans compared to Jax. So it shows what could be easily accomplished here, if we get our act right.
I'm not sure why getting rid of Ambassadors would be a good thing. Plenty of other cities have similar programs to help open and maintain their urban centers, and the Sheriff's Office is very well funded (with the new union agreement even moreso). Obviously there's more work to do on the sense of safety Downtown but a lot of that starts with giving people with things to do, things to do Downtown. Live, work, play. If the bulk of people there are the ones with nothing better to do then naturally it is going to feel like that.
Quote from: jaxlongtimer on October 21, 2024, 10:30:22 PM
If DVI had dollars left over, they should be advocating for mass transit connectivity with Downtown via buses (not U2C or Skyway!) to the surrounding urban core and/or looping through the core. They should also be advocating for quality of life items like supporting riverfront parks, cultural events, etc. I have been to countless downtowns, many far bigger than ours (doesn't take much) and well placed maps with City landmarks and attractions on street corners is more than adequate. Add a well placed info center run by Visit Jax and you would have better outcomes with almost no additional expense.
It is time leaders in Downtown stop trying to show they are "smarter than the average bear" or how clever they are and just copy and paste what most every downtown in the world already does.
I absolutely agree that how people get around is one of the most important questions to answer, but I think it's important to think contextually instead of declaring buses a solution in and of itself. Obviously people have to get places, so we should be thinking about the fastest and most convenient way to do that for the context of the urban core. That might still mean a bus but for the distances we're dealing with, and if we are assuming that we want success then providing a competitive alternative to driving might not, and we should be willing to decide that and actually implement it.
But I doubly agree that we spend too much money, effort, and time trying to reinvent the wheel instead of just copying the best practices of cities that have succeeded.
Quote from: Ken_FSU on October 18, 2024, 07:38:40 PM
Lots of very cool things may be proposed, or even permitted, but neither the DVI nor the CBD are in any position to be patting themselves on the back for momentum in 2024. It's not pessimism, it's just put up or shut up. When you've got what is currently the worst downtown of perhaps any Top 40 city in the U.S., you don't get to brag - yet.
If the people tasked with fixing it don't recognize that there's a problem, the whole thing falls apart.
Again and again our problem seems to be leadership or the lack of it.
GOOD NEWS GUYS.
WE'VE GOT A BOOM!
(https://snipboard.io/Qo5JuG.jpg)
$9 BILLION IN THE PIPE.
DVI telling us downtown is booming is the same energy as the Biden Administration telling the average American the economy is doing great.
A lot of these projects are not happening. Some announced in 22 and seem dead.
Real gaslightly clown show.
Which is appropriate for an organization led by a fella who stomps around a dying downtown in shiny silver Crocs.
For some context, this report (the 2024 State of Downtown Report from DVI (https://issuu.com/downtownvision/docs/dvi-24002_stateofdowntown_report_2024_digital_6)) does the following:
- Counts One Riverside as 396 units Under Construction
- Counts RiversEdge as 950 units Under Construction
- Still includes Cathedral Commons as In Review
- Still includes Furchgott's as In Review
- Still includes Laura Street Trio as In Review (maybe that's not completely out the window)
- Still includes The Den as In Review
- Includes the Cross Regions Tower
- Includes the Armory Flats
- Includes RiversEdge as a 200 room hotel In Review with a $693 million total project cost
- Includes the Laura Street Trio hotel with an $89 million project cost
- Counts the Fuller Warren Shared Use Path as a $146 million project
- Counts the "Bay Street Innovation Corridor and the Ultimate Urban Circulator" as a $379 million project
Some TRULY wild gaslighting here.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/nov/21/inside-the-2024-state-of-downtown-report-by-downtown-vision/
Still waiting for someone to say what DVI's recent successes are...So let's look at DVI's 9 Principles to Improve Downtown as posted on their website. Copied and pasted directly from here: https://dtjax.com/whatwecareabout/
Quote1. Implementation of (and ample funding for) the City's Downtown Master Plan (including the Downtown Investment Authority and its CRA Plan and BID Plan)
Public investment is a transformative force in creating the Downtown we all want. Supporting the implementation of the City's Downtown Master Plan, which includes the DIA's CRA Plan and BID Plan requires adequate funding, streamlined processes, strategic advocacy and strengthened capacities within the DIA.
2. A strong sense of place through public investment and meticulous maintenance
Public investment and meticulous maintenance are essential to creating a strong sense of place. "Curb appeal" is an essential factor in economic development and requires strong pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, ample and well maintained public realm assets—including lighting, signage and landscaping— and vibrant, active parks. Enhancing the visual appeal, functionality and overall atmosphere of Downtown attracts residents, businesses and visitors alike.
3. A welcoming environment where absolutely everyone feels safe
Ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for everyone is a priority. Coordinated efforts, targeted homelessness outreach, enhanced security measures, and investments in infrastructure and lighting work together to create a downtown that feels inviting and inclusive.
4. More things to do! (ex. restaurants, retail, culture, events & tourism amenities)
Diverse cultural, entertainment and recreational offerings and activated public places foster a distinctive identity and a sense of place that resonates with residents and visitors. Strategic investments, regulatory and permitting adjustments, and community engagement are proposed to achieve this and make Downtown an exciting destination.
5. An accessible and connected Downtown focused on people not cars
A shift from car-centric urban design to a people-centric approach is crucial. Prioritizing pedestrians, bicycles and public transportation creates an accessible, safe, well-connected and environmentally sustainable Downtown that enhances well-being and quality of life.
6. A resilient and historically preserved Downtown
Balancing historical preservation with forward-looking resiliency strategies is key. Preserving historic buildings contributes to the character of Downtown, and being prepared for climate change impacts ensures a vibrant and connected environment for the future.
7. Eased barriers to development (ex. streamlined permitting & incentive support)
Addressing barriers in development requires streamlined permitting, robust funding incentive support, requirement flexibility, and coordination between City departments to stimulate economic growth, accommodate diverse projects, and transform the urban landscape.
8. A more livable Downtown with all the things that contribute to overall well-being
A plentiful and diverse residential base supports the Downtown ecosystem and is critical to Downtown's success. A livable Downtown requires well-maintained infrastructure, thoughtful urban planning, affordable housing, quality jobs, educational resources, and medical services, and great third places. A thriving community with a strong sense of belonging, safety, connectivity, and overall well-being, will cultivate a prosperous Downtown.
9. Downtown is Different
Rules, plans and standards should reflect Downtown's unique character, dense environment, walkability and public transit options.
How does everyone think DVI is doing at implementing the 9 principles?
Quote from: CityLife on November 21, 2024, 08:58:51 AM
Still waiting for someone to say what DVI's recent successes are...So let's look at DVI's 9 Principles to Improve Downtown as posted on their website. Copied and pasted directly from here: https://dtjax.com/whatwecareabout/
Quote1. Implementation of (and ample funding for) the City's Downtown Master Plan (including the Downtown Investment Authority and its CRA Plan and BID Plan)
Public investment is a transformative force in creating the Downtown we all want. Supporting the implementation of the City's Downtown Master Plan, which includes the DIA's CRA Plan and BID Plan requires adequate funding, streamlined processes, strategic advocacy and strengthened capacities within the DIA.
2. A strong sense of place through public investment and meticulous maintenance
Public investment and meticulous maintenance are essential to creating a strong sense of place. "Curb appeal" is an essential factor in economic development and requires strong pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, ample and well maintained public realm assets—including lighting, signage and landscaping— and vibrant, active parks. Enhancing the visual appeal, functionality and overall atmosphere of Downtown attracts residents, businesses and visitors alike.
3. A welcoming environment where absolutely everyone feels safe
Ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for everyone is a priority. Coordinated efforts, targeted homelessness outreach, enhanced security measures, and investments in infrastructure and lighting work together to create a downtown that feels inviting and inclusive.
4. More things to do! (ex. restaurants, retail, culture, events & tourism amenities)
Diverse cultural, entertainment and recreational offerings and activated public places foster a distinctive identity and a sense of place that resonates with residents and visitors. Strategic investments, regulatory and permitting adjustments, and community engagement are proposed to achieve this and make Downtown an exciting destination.
5. An accessible and connected Downtown focused on people not cars
A shift from car-centric urban design to a people-centric approach is crucial. Prioritizing pedestrians, bicycles and public transportation creates an accessible, safe, well-connected and environmentally sustainable Downtown that enhances well-being and quality of life.
6. A resilient and historically preserved Downtown
Balancing historical preservation with forward-looking resiliency strategies is key. Preserving historic buildings contributes to the character of Downtown, and being prepared for climate change impacts ensures a vibrant and connected environment for the future.
7. Eased barriers to development (ex. streamlined permitting & incentive support)
Addressing barriers in development requires streamlined permitting, robust funding incentive support, requirement flexibility, and coordination between City departments to stimulate economic growth, accommodate diverse projects, and transform the urban landscape.
8. A more livable Downtown with all the things that contribute to overall well-being
A plentiful and diverse residential base supports the Downtown ecosystem and is critical to Downtown's success. A livable Downtown requires well-maintained infrastructure, thoughtful urban planning, affordable housing, quality jobs, educational resources, and medical services, and great third places. A thriving community with a strong sense of belonging, safety, connectivity, and overall well-being, will cultivate a prosperous Downtown.
9. Downtown is Different
Rules, plans and standards should reflect Downtown's unique character, dense environment, walkability and public transit options.
How does everyone think DVI is doing at implementing the 9 principles?
I can't speak to #7 but on all the others, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, I find it hard to give many of these much over a 1, 2 or 3, and that's being generous in many cases.
Starting with #1, where is this City's Downtown master plan and, if there is one, is it adequately vetted, detailed and adhered to? Just one example: When you look at the Daily's gas station and JTA U2C maintenance center as gateway properties how can they say they are on top of this item. The random prostitution to any developer with a rendering on any given property further demonstrates failure in this regard.
#5 mentions promoting public transportation. Not counting the worthless U2C project, I don't see any improvements planned, starting with an urban circulating mass transit vehicle (bus, streetcar, horse and buggy...anything?).
I could detail examples of failure on the other principles but they have been well documented in numerous threads on the Jaxson.
This isn't all on DVI... it includes DIA, JTA, city council, mayoral administrations, etc.
I also read the Daily Record's report (https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/nov/21/inside-the-2024-state-of-downtown-report-by-downtown-vision/) on the real status of things reported by DVI's annual report, and it makes it clear that the report is not of much use given the way nebulous, failing, suspended, vapor, speculative, etc. projects are included or double counted (i.e. reported over multiple years). The report should only focus on real and actual new projects moving forward or being terminated in the subject year... as that is the real measure of incremental progress or lack thereof.