Mayor John Peyton’s plan to spend $23 million improving three downtown Jacksonville landmarks appears poised for City Council approval.
The council’s Finance Committee approved all three bills Monday, though only one received unanimous support. However, a majority of council members have indicated their intent to back the measures.
If approved during next week’s full council meeting, Metropolitan Park, Friendship Fountain and the Southbank Riverwalk would all undergo major overhauls.
Councilman Clay Yarborough initially cast doubt on the projects, questioning if they were a proper use of taxpayer funds during tough economic times.
“It’s just very hard to justify right now doing things like this when we are in the time we are as a city, with the other needs we have out there,†he said.
But Yarborough later surprised his colleagues by voting in favor of a $3.2 million appropriation to fix Friendship Fountain and make the surrounding park greener.
Yarborough said he decided to support the project because it’s funded by the Southbank Tax Increment District, which targets projects in that part of town.
Peyton and his staff have spent the past several weeks lobbying council members to drum up support for the downtown improvements â€" proposals that received a cold response during last summer’s budget deliberations. Peyton included the majority of the projects in the city’s Capital Improvement Program, but council members voted to remove funding until the mayor could justify the expenditures.
Yarborough voted against the other two bills, which draw funding from various city accounts or money that would be borrowed and paid back using general fund dollars. He was the lone dissenter on the Southbank Riverwalk project, which would be rebuilt using $11.8 million in new appropriations and about $3 million already earmarked for the job.
Yarborough and Councilman John Crescimbeni voted against the Metro Park renovation. Under the mayor’s plan, $8.2 million would be used to rebuild the western half of the park known as Kids Kampus, increasing the amount of green space.
Other areas of the park, including the tent and great lawn space where most special events are held, are not part of this first phase of improvements.
After the meeting, Crescimbeni complained that the city seemed to lack a clear vision for the Kids Kampus space, created about a decade ago with the support of the council.
“We either screwed up 10 years ago or we screwed up now, and we need to acknowledge one or the other,†he said.
Councilman Don Redman, who broke his leg while cycling on the Southbank Riverwalk on Thanksgiving, has been told by doctors that the metal pin running from his knee to his hip will be a permanent reminder that the aging wooden boardwalk is dangerous. The city plan calls for rebuilding the scenic pathway with more permanent materials, likely to mirror its sturdier Northbank cousin.
Redman said all three bills are important because they signal an investment in downtown parks that haven’t received the attention they deserve over the years.
“We’ve let them go,†Redman said.
Peyton had initially obtained the support of a majority of council members after 10 signed on as co-sponsors of the bills, but that number includes John Meserve. He was suspended from the council by Gov. Charlie Crist last month after he was charged with a felony.
Council Vice President Jack Webb offered to become a co-sponsor to again signify the mayor has the support of a majority of the council ahead of next week’s vote.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-01/story/downtown_improvement_plan_clears_first_hurdle
Gosh I hate the Metro Park Plan.
"After the meeting, Crescimbeni complained that the city seemed to lack a clear vision for the Kids Kampus space, created about a decade ago with the support of the council.
“We either screwed up 10 years ago or we screwed up now, and we need to acknowledge one or the other,†he said."
That $8.2 is much better served towards somewhere that will be visited and used everyday, ie the Hoagn's Creek Park renovations
QuoteThat $8.2 is much better served towards somewhere that will be visited and used everyday, ie the Hoagn's Creek Park renovations
Put turnstiles on the Hogan Creek park and see how many people frequent it versus Met park.
Lets put them at the Landing instead. That's where that $8.2 million would be better utilized. Although Sleiman owns the buildings, the city owns the land and the courtyard. Perhaps the city should use that +$8 million to help open the courtyard up to Laura Street and improve the public infrastructure around the complex. After all, even in its current state, its the most visited site in downtown.
Lake - The landing is so screwed up, at this point parking will not make the difference. Sleiman is big on talk, but what real improvements has he made to the space? He's done a better job of managing and bringing in local businesses, but nothing structural. He is not a structural guy, he is a strip mall maven.
I think the Landing is dead until the next administration.
Does anyone know where to find the design renderings for each of these projects? I think this will be a good investment to the city if they hire a top notch designer who knows what they are doing!
Quote from: mtraininjax on February 01, 2010, 11:14:37 PM
Lake - The landing is so screwed up, at this point parking will not make the difference. Sleiman is big on talk, but what real improvements has he made to the space? He's done a better job of managing and bringing in local businesses, but nothing structural. He is not a structural guy, he is a strip mall maven.
I think the Landing is dead until the next administration.
I didn't say anything about parking. I was talking about the city using money to improve centralized public property that the public actually goes to on a regular basis.
Can Sleiman do anything structural to the property, like opening up the Laura Street corridor, with the City owning the land?
Mr Charles ..........I don't know but, that is a good idea! City could just hand out tax incentives to do that while still controling the property but what do I know!
Charles H., outside of local politics and grudges, there is no set rule with what can be done with the Landing. As far as I'm concerned, the city could just sell the guy the land underneath the buildings in a deal that calls for him to turn around and open the center up to Laura Street. Considering the market conditions and its importance to the DT core, they could even provide tax incentives as a part of the project.
In this scenerio, the city makes an actual profit and then could reinvest that money in upgrading the riverfront land it owns around the complex. For all we know, the money made could be enough to pay for the construction of that proposed park along the Hogan Street corridor or redo the dated central courtyard.
Actually, i'd even prefer the Riverwalk expansion to Memorial Park rather than the Met Park plan too.
Quote from: TheProfessor on February 01, 2010, 11:16:45 PM
Does anyone know where to find the design renderings for each of these projects? I think this will be a good investment to the city if they hire a top notch designer who knows what they are doing!
Metro Park improvements are being designed (just about complete) by HDR...Friendship Fountain concepts were done by Chris Flagg, but both it and the riverwalk will be bid out as design/build contracts.
Quote from: fsu813 on February 02, 2010, 07:48:23 AM
Actually, i'd even prefer the Riverwalk expansion to Memorial Park rather than the Met Park plan too.
many of us would...but the City can't get the land just yet.
also, don't forget that many suburban families came to play at Kids Kampus when it was fully operational...fixing that back up will encourage those folks to once again return to the urban core.
I would love to see the Landing opened up to Laura Street but it really needs a complete overhaul. The space screams low class from it's empty stores to it's tacky decorations. I bank at the Landing and I cringed everytime I went there during the holidays. It looked like they purchased and threw together everything KMart had left at their after Christmas sale. I remember shopping at the Landing when it first opened and had top name stores and was so sad when the Johnny Rockets closed.
Toney won't do it unless he owns the land. He won't be able to get financing without that.
Quote from: tufsu1 on February 02, 2010, 08:30:08 AM
Quote from: fsu813 on February 02, 2010, 07:48:23 AM
Actually, i'd even prefer the Riverwalk expansion to Memorial Park rather than the Met Park plan too.
many of us would...but the City can't get the land just yet.
also, don't forget that many suburban families came to play at Kids Kampus when it was fully operational...fixing that back up will encourage those folks to once again return to the urban core.
Unfortunately, they won't spend money downtown. Its a mile away. Speaking from experience (the wife and kids & their mommies group used to go to kids campus on a regular basis), suburbanites that visit Metro Park will drive there and drive back to their suburb to spend their money for the most part.
Quote from: tufsu1 on February 02, 2010, 08:30:08 AM
Quote from: fsu813 on February 02, 2010, 07:48:23 AM
Actually, i'd even prefer the Riverwalk expansion to Memorial Park rather than the Met Park plan too.
many of us would...but the City can't get the land just yet.
Is this really the case? If memory serves me, they would only need easements from a handful of property owners (Cummer Museum, Women's Club, Red Cross) a couple of whom shockingly seemed okay with the idea back when it was proposed. Wasn't it just that one condominium building that threw a giant fit?
As, I recall it was just that one condominium building. If push came to shove, they could just build a boardwalk in the river to go around their property.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 04, 2010, 12:23:25 AM
As, I recall it was just that one condominium building. If push came to shove, they could just build a boardwalk in the river to go around their property.
correct...but just ask Tampa how much and how long the boardwalk enviornmental studies take
Don't know, how much.....$8 million?
Quote from: thelakelander on February 04, 2010, 09:07:13 AM
Don't know, how much.....$8 million?
good question...because it isn't done yet....they originally hoped to have it ready for the Super Bowl (last February) but don't evenhave all the permits yet.
If you can cantilever it off a bulkhead, the environmentalreview is pretty easy...if you need to put pilings in the water, it takes approval of the ACOE
It's official! :
Jacksonville council OKs downtown projects
The Jacksonville City Council has approved Mayor John Peyton’s plan to rebuild three downtown destinations: the Southbank Riverwalk, Friendship Fountain and Metropolitan Park.
The council on Tuesday night passed all three bills quickly and with no debate, something council President Richard Clark credited to hard work by Peyton’s staff.
“I think that the administration has done a great job in sitting down with each council person,†Clark said. “And I think we all understand the needs of downtown and the responsibility that we have, especially the properties that we, the city, own.â€
The council unanimously approved $3.2 million in renovations to Friendship Fountain and its surrounding park.
Councilman Clay Yarborough was sole dissenter on the bill approving $11.9 million to rebuild the Southbank Riverwalk, replacing its wooden planks with more permanent materials.
Yarborough and John Crescimbeni voted against spending $8.2 million to renovate Metro Park’s Kids Kampus area. They logged those same votes last week when the bills were passed in the Finance Committee.
Yarborough said he still believed it was wrong to spend taxpayer funds on these projects during an economic downturn. However, he also agreed the mayor’s office had done a good job selling the projects ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Yarborough said the lack of discussion during the meeting demonstrated the council’s confidence in the committee’s recommendation.
“It has been vetted,†he said.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-09/story/jacksonville_council_oks_downtown_projects
Mr Yarborough, you're outta the club, meeting is adjourned.
I am very hopeful. Ok lets get the this all talk posts out of the way.
After personally talking to Yarborough, I can vouch for his incompetence! He is holding our city back with his personal agenda.
Clay is a good guy, at least he is not deadwood like Corrigan. Clay fights for the people in his district, I mean, come on, who in Arlington even knows there is a riverwalk on the southbank? Corrigan did not know his district went all the way to the Clay/Duval line.
can metropark get an actual name......something that identifies it as the place in Jax?
Clay may be a good guy on his own time, but he sure he sure lacks a cosmopolitan edge
QuoteClay may be a good guy on his own time, but he sure he sure lacks a cosmopolitan edge
So does Redman, and any of the CC members who build statutes of themselves in public parks, but one thing Clay is not short on is fight. I admire him and wish my council person, Corrigan had 1/100th the fight that Clay does. Clay is not all about making "Clay look good", he fights for his constituents. I can't blame him for saying "To hell with downtown", but in the end, he will get votes for a future project for his area.
He is good for a few soundbites, without having to show up in an Aunt Jamima costume for the full effect.
"I can't blame him for saying "To hell with downtown", but in the end, he will get votes for a future project for his area. "
- i can. it shows he lacks perspective. a great downtown benefits the entire city, especially those neighborhoods that aren't too far away (such as Arlington)
Quote from: mtraininjax on February 10, 2010, 01:04:29 AM
Clay is a good guy, at least he is not deadwood like Corrigan. Clay fights for the people in his district, I mean, come on, who in Arlington even knows there is a riverwalk on the southbank? Corrigan did not know his district went all the way to the Clay/Duval line.
Having a prosperous, attractive and useful downtown is good for everyone's district.
I personally agree with his vote on Metro Park, but not for the same reasons. Since this money is available now, and must be spent DT, then NOW is exactly the time to spend it.
That is because the economy needs the boost, and construction prices are down. I just think the funds could be spent on something better than the isolated and rarely used Metro Park. I would have spent the money in the Northbank core.
The other items, I agree with, and the Southbank is a lawsuit waiting to happen, if it's condition is as bad as some make out.
From what I have read, Yarborough has a lot of potential. He won an uphill race against the 'powers that be' in the GOP. He also seems to be unbought, thus far. He's not afraid to go against the majority or the Mayor, all of which is good.
I don't think these votes were anti-DT as much as he felt it sent the wrong message, given the economy. There is nothing in the article to give the impression that he is anti-DT.
You will never agree 100% with any elected official anyway. Some votes you hold against an elected official, and some you don't. I would put this in the latter category, especially since it didn't affect the outcome.
Quote from: JeffreyS on February 09, 2010, 11:17:08 PM
I am very hopeful. Ok lets get the this all talk posts out of the way.
No doubt it is a done deal, 2 councilmen are now living in Peru and one councilwoman is on her way to Vela LaVela. Three others will break ground this week on new homes, and one is shopping at Brumos Motor Cars. It's wonderful when the city get's up and spreads the wealth around like that. OCKLAWAHA
Oh yes.............I can feel the love allright! To bad they don't subscribe to the trickle down theory!
Quote from: mtraininjax on February 10, 2010, 01:17:21 AM
I can't blame him for saying "To hell with downtown", but in the end, he will get votes for a future project for his area.
I agree that Clay fights and gets involved in things...but I'm not sure he would even support a projct for his area...he is so anti-tax, anti-spending that he might not see its value.
Big guy........he wants whats best for his constituents! Part of which is ensuring you are cognizant that the money you watch out over is not yours! Sometimes it is not a question of value but a question of being smart or prudent! There are others on the Council that are the same way..........not many, but there are some!
Quote from: tufsu1 on February 10, 2010, 09:37:41 PM
I agree that Clay fights and gets involved in things...but I'm not sure he would even support a projct for his area...he is so anti-tax, anti-spending that he might not see its value.
Which makes it very ironic that his district is slowly dying and has no real future.
You would think Clay would be able to see his districts proximity to the core would benefit his constituents. Take regency mall it is the closest regional mall to downtown.