There is a wealth of opportunities in the RiverCity and our Downtown landscape... What are your dreams for downtown? A riverfront park, a new highrise design, affordable housing, entertainment venues, trollies???
Tell us, or even better, show the Forum your dream plan!
Great Ideas can spawn Great Realities!
Pretty busy this week and weekend (hey anyone want to carry boxes? ha ha - YUCK!) But I will post a short something here.
Hmm.. I think I can rattle off a quick something in my head.
1. Maxwell House has a "factory store" and cafe, and offers tours.
2. Hart Bridge onramps that fly over East Jacksonville torn down in favor of surface streets.
3. LaVilla area infill of any kind that is urban/street oriented, not this suburban designed crap that turns its back to the street.
4. Smart Meters
5. All parking garages must have street level retail (Like Center Square at Forsyth).
6. Bank of America/Modis Building public observation decks.
7. Expand the Landing, include shops that face the street, instead of the current "back turned to the street" design.
8. Expand the Skyway to the stadiums, DOWNTOWN SAN MARCO, Five Points, Springfield.
9. Create a real downtown circulator system that compliments the skyway.
10. Make it so every single bus that travels through the county doesnt have to run a rediculous route through downtown that adds 30 minutes to a journey before heading to Rosa Parks.
11. One12 = rental apartments ala 11E
12. More reasonable MARKET RATE upscale rental properties downtown.
13. Ban surface parking lots.
14. No more pointless parks.
15. STREET LEVEL RETAIL, EVERYWHERE.
16. Train connections to Orange Park, Southside/Baymeadows, The Beaches, The Airport, NAS JAX.. With the ability to connect to a larger system at Union Terminal with service as far north as Kingsland and as far south as St. Augustine (something like the LIRR or Metro-North, on a smaller scale obviously).
17. Put Jerry Moran on the city council. ;D
18. Put Jerry Moran on the city council so he can close down "De Real Ting" cafe.
19. Finally build a parking garage/RiverWatch.. ANYTHING on that site besides a dirt lot in the CENTER of our fair city.
20. The St. James Building is once again a department store (maybe even a Target).
21. Publix takes over part of a newly expanded Landing.
22. Walgreens/CVS opens a store on the corner of Forsyth and Main.
23. A hookah bar goes next to Eddie Farah.
24. Buses are replaced with something similar to MBTA "Silver Line" service in Boston... As the lines run through downtown, the buses are electric, allowing quiet and clean transportation to not disturb shoppers/diners. Hell, why not just have STREETCARS!
thats it for now... 24 points off the top of my head.
If you REALLY like those ideas... What a cool place this would be if we only had leaders with vision. I think we all wish someone would get in charge that cares about Jacksonville and it's citizens more then he/she cares about his own pocket. Here's a few of mine...
(http://static.flickr.com/1397/540966983_7a9df2bde6_m.jpg)
1. Streetcars, honest to God, steel-wheel-on-steel rails, electric, rail vehicles, running on Water, Independence, Newnan, Beaver, Randolph, Duval, Lee, May, Riverside, etc... Reaching into Springfield, Fairfield, LaVilla, Riverside, Avondale, Fairfax, San Marco, San Jose and from Union Terminal to Stadiums.
2. LRT/DMU transit, dual mode (diesel and electric) operating on the former "S" line to the Airport, Cruise Port, Fernandina, NAS, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, former Maxwell House Spur and across the streetcar line from Union Station to Stadium.
3. Commuter Rail DMU service, on the FEC to South Jacksonville, Avenues, Nocatee, St Augustine Airport, St. Augustine.
4. Commuter Rail push-pull trains to and from downtown to Gainesville and Tallahassee
5. Skyway completed with transfer stations, garages and retail levels to Stadium (Randolph), Edward Waters, San Marco, Saint Nicholas, Riverside/5 points.
6. Interurban rail along Arlington Expressway to beaches
7. BRT/in HOV to Northwest Jax, JT Butler, Blanding, Normandy
8. 10 Cent transit dayz
(http://static.flickr.com/84/255256162_d28044165f_m.jpg)
9. New Matthews tunnel
10. Skycable system over river near or to stadium district
11. Maritime museum, with a rebuilt "City of Jacksonville" riverboat offering cruises to Sanford and connecting with tour buses for Disney etc... Also former war ships, and a promise of the USS Jacksonville when she is retired
12. Sell a tract in Fairfield to the Seminole Tribe of Florida to build a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
(http://static.flickr.com/233/458397600_1af384c9c8_m.jpg)
13. Tie the Hard Rock into a "Southern Music Hall of Fame" with recording studios, sound stage, institute of advanced music theory and 5 star museum
14. Turn the "cookie cutter" baseball park into "The Home of the Negro Leagues" and build a National museum of the Negro leagues and hall of fame.
15. Rip down the flyover ramps in all of Fairfield and replace them with broad parkways.
16. Place a one-of-a-kind, Trolley - streetcar - interurban museum in downtown, complete with a antique powerhouse, car shops, restaurant, retail
17. Line the Riverwalk with life-size statues of Oliver Hardy, Ray Charles and everyone in between that gained fame and called Jacksonville home.
(http://static.flickr.com/1031/535477195_cc96b091a9_m.jpg)
18. A Jacksonville Creek-Walk along Hogans Creek, South of State Street, featuring Creek barges, hotels, unique retail, loft apartments, and lots of shady retreats.
19. Restore/build a Jacksonville film studios, circa 1920, a mini-theme park and museum complex unlike ANYTHING found in Orlando or California. Guests see what the original "Hollywood" was really like, they can leave with their own DVD silent flick that they star in (ONLY IN JACKSONVILLE)
(http://www.toreigeland.com/trogloire2003/trogloire2003_table_edit/images/W8583-LaCaveinterior.jpg)
20. We rebuild, restore and create a complete tunnel system and offer tours, clubs and night life in a formerly unknown part of the City known as something unique like: "20 Feet Below"
21. Jacksonville, is the home to an international Tall Ship festival ever 5 years
22. A convention center is built where the former City Hall or Courthouse stood and the Prime Osbourne is restored to transportation purposes as God intended
23. We would create decorative signs that would mark a Jacksonville Civil War trail that starts and ends downtown and passes through the beaches, West-side to Olustee and back
24. We flood the New Acosta bridge with orange lights, the Fuller Warren with green, we create water fall curtains that drape off the sides of the New Acosta and on special events bounce lazer videos off the water screens.
(http://www.modern-airships.info/images/zeppelin/2004/japan/800/sl0027030.jpg)
Zeppelins new ship comes to town
25. JSO buys a blimp and we establish the first Airship festival in the century, Zeppelin Airship brings their new ships to visit the River City, we open the first trans-Atlantic Zeppelin cargo port in the North-side
26. The JTA board, directors and BRT planners, decide to take a zeppelin trip over the North Pole and are never seen again
hee hee
[img]http://static.flickr.com/31/43393649_5fa2a4dd40_m.jpg[/]
i would love to have a little more of a nightlife downtown. perhaps a section of downtown known for it's nightlife, not spread out so people can walk back and forth between places easily. it seems like it's started in that direction already.
more modern apartments/condos so more people can live downtown. they especially need to be moderately priced so that it doesn't turn into only the wealthy living downtown. i think this would complement the nightlife, either following it or leading it.
places open later in the day. besides during artwalk, it seems like a lot of restaurants and such close down after the workday is over. of course, restaurants could stay open later if more people lived downtown.
high city fees for surface parking lots, or any vacant lot that is not developed within a reasonable time frame. fees for dormant projects. severely high fees for demolishing structures, if they somehow get approved.
no more demolishing buildings.
city incentives for restoring buildings.
light rail to the burbs and tunneled under downtown, using existing tunnels if possible and/or reasonable. this could even replace the skyway if it ends up saving lots of money, although that would probably not work with tunnels, since it's a skyway.
a large and well-maintained urban park, with lots of attractions other than being just a park (museums, sports fields, large events, etc). i have no idea where it would go, but it'd be nice.
Quotea large and well-maintained urban park, with lots of attractions other than being just a park (museums, sports fields, large events, etc). i have no idea where it would go, but it'd be nice.
yes, this would be nice.
We have one with sports fields, a college campus, medical center and a museum that can be used for large events. Its the chain that parallels Hogans Creek. We just have to find a way to keep it maintained and fill up it's surroundings with a diverse amount of uses that open up and feed activity onto it.
Hogans Creek photo tour: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/289/119/
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/images/urban_stores/overall-connectivity-map.jpg)
I dont know how feasible tunnels are in Florida. Our water table is like a few feet below the surface.
There's a tunnel under the Las Olas River in Downtown Fort Lauderdale and we may have our own Big Dig Part II going on in Miami. Right now, they are considering reconstructing I-395 as a tunnel to reconnecting Overtown back with downtown Miami. There's also a plan to construct a new tunnel to access the cruise port down there.
Thanks Downtown Parks and Lakelander, Add to the tunnels Lake mentioned, a score of old tunnels under Jacksonville, that are already in place and another tunnel under part of the old Union Terminal that was big enough to drive a car through, built in a swamp in 1919! I have some of the signs that came from inside that last tunnel... Oh yes, we COULD do this. I like a mix of "cave" and "old Mine" theme myself as there is nothing else like that in the land.
Get the schoolboard off the river.
Quote from: thelakelander on August 29, 2007, 12:31:38 PM
There's a tunnel under the Las Olas River in Downtown Fort Lauderdale and we may have our own Big Dig Part II going on in Miami. Right now, they are considering reconstructing I-395 as a tunnel to reconnecting Overtown back with downtown Miami. There's also a plan to construct a new tunnel to access the cruise port down there.
I think the part of 395 they are lloking to tunnel separates the new Performing Arts Center (and burgeoning arts district) from downtown....isn't Overtown west of 95?
Talk about killing a neighborhood, I-95 went right through the heart of Overtown. If that wasn't enough, I-395 took out another section. The old Overtown business district, where the Lyric Theater is at, is located between I-95 and the FEC rail line. The Performing Arts Center is in the same general area, but a few blocks east of the rail line. I know we talk about our homeless, situation here, but you don't want to get caught under the I-95/395 interchange at night. Its like a third world country down there.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2c/Overtown1.JPG/448px-Overtown1.JPG)
Quote from: thelakelander on August 29, 2007, 10:52:00 AM
Quotea large and well-maintained urban park, with lots of attractions other than being just a park (museums, sports fields, large events, etc). i have no idea where it would go, but it'd be nice.
yes, this would be nice.
We have one with sports fields, a college campus, medical center and a museum that can be used for large events. Its the chain that parallels Hogans Creek. We just have to find a way to keep it maintained and fill up it's surroundings with a diverse amount of uses that open up and feed activity onto it.
Hogans Creek photo tour: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/289/119/
it doesn't seem that big from the ground, but i've never driven along the whole length of it. definitely, the problem is keeping it maintained. they also need to try to have outdoor events there. i definitely enjoyed the springfield old-timey baseball, but there needs to be more than that. i wonder if they could host a beer festival or music festival there. i could even give consider enjoying a wine festival, even though wine still seems overly hyped to me.
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra played in Klutho Park back in May.
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-874-dsc_0012.jpg)
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/427/117/ (http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/427/117/)
Quote from: big ben on August 30, 2007, 12:38:30 AM
Quote from: thelakelander on August 29, 2007, 10:52:00 AM
Quotea large and well-maintained urban park, with lots of attractions other than being just a park (museums, sports fields, large events, etc). i have no idea where it would go, but it'd be nice.
yes, this would be nice.
We have one with sports fields, a college campus, medical center and a museum that can be used for large events. Its the chain that parallels Hogans Creek. We just have to find a way to keep it maintained and fill up it's surroundings with a diverse amount of uses that open up and feed activity onto it.
Hogans Creek photo tour: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/289/119/
it doesn't seem that big from the ground, but i've never driven along the whole length of it. definitely, the problem is keeping it maintained. they also need to try to have outdoor events there. i definitely enjoyed the springfield old-timey baseball, but there needs to be more than that. i wonder if they could host a beer festival or music festival there. i could even give consider enjoying a wine festival, even though wine still seems overly hyped to me.
As one of the organizers of the old time baseball, we appreciate the support. We will be having one more game this year in October. I will post it when we have more info.
There is a lot more that could be done, its just a matter of getting someone who will organize it. I have been talking to one of my neighbors about trying to organize a St Patricks Day in the park, and try to get a bunch of beer vendors out there... maybe do it in Confederate Park, and dye the pond green...
Live music would be awesome, we just need someone to do it. I tried to put together movies in the park, but licensing was cost prohibitive. If you have an event you would be willing to put together, please contact SPAR (you can email me at downtownparks@gmail.com) and we will try to help you put it together!!!
There is Dog Days in the Park on Sept 29th in Klutho.
(http://www.sacarc.org/assets/images/autogen/a_cropdd2007.jpg)
Also, there is the annual Memorial Day, Labor Day softball games in the park (we will be out there next Monday morning)
The issue is the licensing. If it is done legally, there is about $250 per movie cost. The City of Jacksonville also didn't realize this when they started doing the movies at the beach several years ago. They recently had to pay the back licensing fees to the tune of $80K... I can get the equipment, its the movies I cant get, unless we did a series of the old movies that are now considered public domain, or hosted a series of locally produced shorts (I don't know how we would pay the film makers though). I would be cool with both, I just don't know how sustainable they are by themselves. How often could you do it, and expect enough people to make it worth your time?
I may revisit this at some point once the weather cools, I just have other things I am focusing on right now :-)
Are we talking about showing some of the flicks from the early film days in Jacksonville? I plan to screen every one of the movies or shorts that I can find and see if a cut and paste can be done on Trolley scenes. There aer a couple of great video archive sites, and the library downtown was started by such a society. Those films may be vaulted right under our noses.
A public showing (not for profit) can still bring legal action unless SAG and ASCAP are in on the show. They do make exceptions and also grants for historical screenings. Anyone just casually reading this be warned, if you play a public radio station at your work site, and a ASCAP spotter walks in the door, YOU WILL be served for unauthorized public performance. As long as the licence fee is paid, it's okay to do. The folks at "Leave Em Laughing" at the San Pablo library might also be able to help depending on their experience.
Showing movies from Jacksonville's film industry might not be a bad idea, and I bet most of them are now public domain, so there wouldn't be any licensing fees. It also makes sense to use Klutho Park since many of the films were shot in and around Springfield.
And interesting side note, Jacksonvilles zoo Started in Springfield park, over near what is now Part of Klutho, and Part of Schell Park. Most of the zoos early animals came from movie shoots. Once the movie was shot, the animals were often released onto city streets. Once the zoo opened, many of the animals were turned over to the zoo.
Quote from: thelakelander on August 29, 2007, 08:51:31 PM
Talk about killing a neighborhood, I-95 went right through the heart of Overtown. If that wasn't enough, I-395 took out another section. The old Overtown business district, where the Lyric Theater is at, is located between I-95 and the FEC rail line. The Performing Arts Center is in the same general area, but a few blocks east of the rail line. I know we talk about our homeless, situation here, but you don't want to get caught under the I-95/395 interchange at night. Its like a third world country down there.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2c/Overtown1.JPG/448px-Overtown1.JPG)
great info....after looking at the aerial, the part of 395 they want to bury is from the FEC line east....so it may not help Overtown much....and the "homeless camp" problem is exaserbated by Miami-Dade's rules on sex offenders living anywhere near a school, park, etc.....apparently the whole city is off-limits....there was a story on TV about someone who got out of prison and is now forced to live under a 395 bridge!
Yes, you're right, Overtown will still be covered by a maze of overpasses. Here's a few graphics on the I-395 trench proposal.
(http://www.miamiinvest.com/imagez/future/i95.jpg)
(http://www.arc.miami.edu/programs/Design_Center_CUCD/I395-pic.jpg)
Yeah, we talked about that, but it adds a whole new layer of things to worry about and put together. I would LOVE to see it happen, I just haven't had the time to do it.
i had to work all labor day weekend (and the 2 weeks and weekends before that). hopefully i'll be able to make it to the dog days. i definitely enjoy springfield.
Or just push the School Board into the river and sell the whole parcel to the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida. Between the Miccosukees (see: web site Miccosukee Resorts) agressive development, the National Indian Gaming Association (see: web site), and our ideas for a Southern Music Hall of Fame, Jacksonvile would be unbelieveable.
Would be
Could be
Should be.
Again, giving land to the Miccosukee is a fantastic idea. Although, the sports district or LaVilla would be better suited because it would be more connected to the core.
Isn't there a law that prohibits indian tribes from just going out and buying land to build casinos?
I think so. The land that they have is usually designated as some sort of reservation or is at least given to the tribe. I'm not to sure as to how it all works though.
In order to build a casino, the land has to be designated an Indian Reservation. This is definitely something that the city does not have the authority to create. Also, just because Indians buy the land, does not make it a reservation.
So would the designation be a state or federal thing?
It's federal. The reservations operate as quasi sovereign nations.
I have no idea if new ones can be created at this point.
I wonder how long the Hollywood, FL site had been designated a reservation.
Sometime before 1938. Its probably safe to assume sprawl in South Florida grew around it in the past 70 years.
http://www.seminoletribe.com/history/survival.shtml
Easy to do folks, we just have to deed the land to the tribe or they can purchase it. IF it is placed in trust by the BIA then it becomes soverign indian land, a reservation beyond the reach of the City, or County. Check out the following exerpt:
QuoteJan. 23--One of the largest hotels in Florida could one day tower over Coconut Creek as the Seminole Tribe of Florida considers transforming its casino there. And the Seminoles could go forward with the project without the city's oversight if the federal government approves their request to have 44 acres of land declared sovereign.
Preliminary plans filed at Coconut Creek City Hall call for a 24-story, 1,500-room hotel at the casino -- 500 more rooms than Broward County's largest hotel, The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood. The nine-story parking garage alone would be five stories higher than the tallest building in Coconut Creek.
The proposed entertainment complex near State Road 7 and Sample Road also would include an expanded casino, a 2,500-seat concert venue and 150,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and offices.
A bulked-up casino could mean big changes for the city of about 50,000 that touts its major tourist attraction as the world's largest butterfly aviary. The increased traffic worries some city officials.
Seminole Gaming CEO James Allen said the initial proposal shows the casino site's potential. There's no market for a 1,500-room hotel in Coconut Creek now, but that would change if the Seminoles are successful in getting Las Vegas-style slot machines and table games, he said.
"If we maximize all the land, that's the type of resort that could be built there," Allen said. "It's a master plan, not a definite plan."
Allen said the casino complex could employ as many as 5,000 people, which would make it the city's largest employer.
The Seminole Tribal Council hasn't signed off on any development plans yet, said tribal attorney Jim Shore.
Within coming years, Broward could have as many as six major gambling/entertainment complexes. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood -- the first one to open -- already has solidified its reputation as a major South Florida destination. Mardi Gras Racetrack & Gaming Center in Hallandale Beach wants to build a complex with a 320-room hotel and retail space comparable to the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale. A project attached to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach is slated to have a 500-room hotel, 750,000 square feet of retail space and 1,500 residential units.
The current Seminole Coconut Creek Casino sits on almost five acres of sovereign land, deeded to the tribe two decades ago by the county in exchange for Hollywood tribal property used for road easements. The tribe has since bought 44 acres surrounding the casino, which are subject to city, county and state regulations and taxes. All of the proposed entertainment complex would be on that land except for the casino, some hotel rooms and a smoke shop.
But the Seminoles have asked the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to have those 44 acres put in a trust, making it sovereign land. If that happens, the city would have no legal authority over the development and the county couldn't assess taxes. There have been no estimates done on how much tax money the county could lose if the project is fully built.
For those who are unfamiliar with the area, this is quite North of the current Casino, and more or less Northwest of Ft. Lauderdale, but still in the Burbs. There is already a Metro-Rail station at Coconut Creek, and FTL has plans for a LRT system.
A lot of the ideas mentioned at the beginning of this article are brilliant, and should seriously be considered. Especially about the north pole trip.
Theme park
Wishful thinking... but Maxwell House is obviously an eyesore. I understand they want to invest in it, and it's the last manufacture in the country. However, for a second imagine if it was relocated to somewhere out of downtown that's more suitable for manufacturing. My proposition is what if MH moves?
I think this would be a great project to put in its place. I'm talking about a cruise ship themed hotel. This would be perfect as far as location. You have a great Shipyards West park across the street, MOSH minutes away, potentially a Convention center nearby and it's also minutes from the stadiums and arena.
A project of this magnitude would put Jacksonville on the map. A all in 1 resort. This cruise ship themed hotel/ resort would include retail space, hotel rooms, aquarium (which everyone has been asking for), sports bar maybe, like actual an cruise ship, dining, ballrooms for shows etc, and casino (far fetched), theme park on top decks, and 2 towers of hotel/residence.
This project would be good for Jacksonville because it brings people downtown! Retail, dining, family friendly themed park(none in this general area), and much needed hotel rooms DT etc. It would be a destination for Jacksonville and non Jacksonville residence alike. Instead of being a drive through city, this can attract more tourist.
The plans are online if you were to dig into it. It never was fully built because of feuds between the residence and government, then later politics. It is called the Harbour City Melaka. But I envision possibly a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino(if allowed).
(https://i.postimg.cc/xCY5gvpq/IMG-9917.jpg)
This is the original planned resort promo.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKFpzzG0vw&pp=ygUTSGFyYm91ciBjaXR5IG1lbGFrYQ%3D%3D
Included is a few of the plans and stateroom floor plans. There's other site that show more in depth building plans.
https://www.propertyguru.com.my/condo/harbour-city-resort-suites-pulau-melaka-7652
https://melakaharbourcitymall.weebly.com/retail-mall.html
Would like to hear others thoughts on this.
^FYI, what is now call the Southbank Hotel Jacksonville Riverwalk by Marriott (rebranded so many times I can remember all the names) originally opened with a nautical theme as a Sheraton as it was developed as a joint venture with Jacksonville Shipyards on land they once used to service ships.
In the lobby, was a giant polished steel ship propeller (like 10 to 12 feet across it seemed) and the upscale dining room was called the Admiralty Room.
Sadly, the property has not been utilized to its fullest extent in modern times and based on web reviews, it appears it is in dire need of a complete makeover and update. Surprised Marriott puts their name on it but it isn't the first Marriott that hasn't lived up to their so called "reputation." Seems they have gotten a bit sloppy enforcing the standards they claim to adhere to.
Maxwell House is one of Downtown Jax's most unique, iconic assets. The giant sign. The steampunk architecture. The smell of roasting coffee drifting across downtown when the wind blows north. The very last thing we need to do is remove one of the few remaining things that make Downtown Jax what it is. If anything, we should be working with them to have some public facing element of the factory on Bay Street.
Maxwell needs to start hosting tours of that facility!! They would get a lot of spill-over support from the new Jacksonville History Center, new MOSH, Vystar Arena events, Jags stadium, and etc....
So many people have echoed this.
I did see MaxWell recently announced they are investing a decent amount of money into their dt Jax facility...I'd like to learn more about their plans for the facility.
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2025/may/22/kraft-heinz-plans-upgrades-to-maxwell-house-coffee-plant/
I remember touring Maxwell's facility during a field trip in elementary school. That was over 20 years ago, though. Not sure when they stopped
Back in the mid-70s, when I was a wee Transportation-Logistics major at UNF (then, only an upper-division school). we got a tour of the Maxwell House plant. Fascinating. As I recall, the factory wasn't really set up for tours, and the MH people shepherded us closely to make sure we didn't get in their way, or we didn't get roasted or canned.
I'd love to see a Maxwell House coffee shop or kiosk built to coincide with Shipyards West Park across the street
Quote from: Des on June 16, 2025, 09:59:39 AM
I remember touring Maxwell's facility during a field trip in elementary school. That was over 20 years ago, though. Not sure when they stopped
Probably the same reason Busch stopped doing their tours. Ownership changes and the bigger companies are more concerned about profitability, streamlining production and staff. So some of the nonrevenue generating things (i.e. tours) get the ax.
^Aside from corporate efficiencies, there are issues of food safety, security and liability in today's world. Sad but true. Most high profile companies now have full time in-house security, badging, and even metal detectors and multiple layers of locking doors.
What would be best is to set up an isolated "simulated" factory/museum with a coffee sampling counter. This promotes the brand without interfering in operational issues. Some wineries in California and candy factories (see Hershey, PA) do this. Even some government sites like the FBI in Washington and the Kennedy Space Center.
Maybe if a factory went through major renovations, they could build in a tour path that would allow visitors to look on behind glass walls, physically separating them from operations. May not be easy to do in a 100 year old building, though.
Besides my above MH proposal, what about a Ferris wheel between Jags HQ and MOSH? Last I read was JEA was going to use it as staging site - that was a year or 2 ago.
I would love to have a ferris wheel along the river. I know they're gimmicky tourist traps but I do enjoy riding one when visiting a new city and seeing the different vantage points