So the courthouse still needs more money?
QuoteMayor John Peyton's office stopped city plans for a $500,000 lounge in the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena â€" even if projections show it would be paid for in about five years.
SMG Jacksonville, the company that manages the arena and other sports venues for the city, was pushing for the lounge, which would have had a bar and six plasma televisions.
The company was looking at other ways to bring in money, and the company estimates $90,000 a year in revenue, records show.
The money to build the lounge would have come from $1.3 million that was left over from construction of the arena that opened in 2003.
QuotePeyton’s staff is now having city attorneys look into the restrictions on the $1.3 million, spokeswoman Misty Skipper said.
The city is hoping to do one of two things with the money: move it to other building projects, such as the much-maligned Duval County courthouse, or use it to pay down the debt borrowed for the Better Jacksonville Plan.
Full article:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-06-08/story/plans-scrapped-500000-lounge-jacksonville-veterans-memorial-arena
Quote...or use it to pay down the debt borrowed for the Better Jacksonville Plan.
Lake, dovetail this with JTA's desire to increase the gas tax to finish BJP projects by... creating more debt. I love the "partnership" between COJ and JTA. It explains why Downtown and mass transit flounder.
no one is asking for more money here stjr....the article makes clear that there was $1.3 million left over from when the arena was built....the question now is what to do with it.
I'll take it. :)
How much longer are we stuck with Boy Wonder?
Well this royally sucks. I am sick of peyton and his stupidity. Not having liquor at the arena has been a complaint for a long time when we host major events there. So lounge This is would solve a huge problem, and maybe attract some more venues. Peyton is an idoit on two feet.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on June 09, 2010, 09:12:06 AM
Well this royally sucks. I am sick of peyton and his stupidity. Not having liquor at the arena has been a complaint for a long time when we host major events there. So lounge This is would solve a huge problem, and maybe attract some more venues. Peyton is an idoit on two feet.
Had the City spent $500,000 on the lounge, wanna guess how many people would have complaind about government waste?
I don't really care either way but the opposing argument is the lounge would be a revenue generator after five years in operation. Can't say the same about shifting funds to the courthouse (btw, which people will still complain as government waste).
Would the lounge have only been open during events, or would it have had regular hours?? This would have been great to have in the arena, but not a necessity. I am fine with the Mayor's office tabling this for a while, but they should not scrap it all together.
Yeah I agree. It shouldnt be scrapped altogether. But if the money is there, and it is money left over for the arena, then why not? I just been reading alot of negative comments about the arena's amenties and it would be nice to resolve some of them. It seems as if Peyton is trying to divert money to one of his "pet projects", which seems to be a trend with him. Why use 500,000 for the lounge and divert the remainder? Its not like they asking for 1.3 million for the lounge. They are not even asking for half. What Im wondering is how long has that money been sitting there, and why is Peyton just taking interest in it?
My issue is the funds were originally meant for the arena. We can use the 500k for a lounge that will generate revenue at the arena. Instead Peyton is talking about putting it towards the courthouse? The courthouse will no doubt go down in the history of this city as the biggest cluster-you know what.
Quote from: copperfiend on June 09, 2010, 09:34:21 AM
My issue is the funds were originally meant for the arena. We can use the 500k for a lounge that will generate revenue at the arena. Instead Peyton is talking about putting it towards the courthouse? The courthouse will no doubt go down in the history of this city as the biggest cluster-you know what.
I agree. Was the arena under budget then? If so, then of course they should get their own surplus money to build a bar.
This is kind of an interesting contrast between a Delaney era project and a Peyton era project. One is a great asset to the city and cost efficient, one is a blight on downtown and a money drainer.
I think they should scrap the courthouse and turn it into a lounge
Quote from: duvaldude08 on June 09, 2010, 09:12:06 AM
Well this royally sucks. I am sick of peyton and his stupidity. Not having liquor at the arena has been a complaint for a long time when we host major events there. So lounge This is would solve a huge problem, and maybe attract some more venues. Peyton is an idoit on two feet.
Liquor is served in the Everbank Club. During JU's 1-26 year, they got a lot of my business!
To me, another lounge option would be very well utilized at the Vet. Paying down debt is fine(thats never a bad thing), but diverting it to the courthouse would be just another nail in the coffin of disaster that thing has been on the city's finances.
Personally I wouldn't build squat for SMG - how about they start opening up & staffing ALL the concessions during major arena events before they ask for a swanky new one.
Usually, most of the major events have a full lineup of their concession stands... most of the big concerts, the NCAA Bball tourney, and the Sharks game have a full lineup.
They definately don't have but two concession stands opened up for the JU games and other smaller shows b/c demand is not there.
I'm curious, what big events have you been to where a full concession stand lineup was not opened? I really am curious b/c my experience has been the opposite and I'm prolly at the arena for a good 15-16 events a year.
Quote from: fieldafm on June 09, 2010, 11:38:52 AM
Usually, most of the major events have a full lineup of their concession stands... most of the big concerts, the NCAA Bball tourney, and the Sharks game have a full lineup.
They definately don't have but two concession stands opened up for the JU games and other smaller shows b/c demand is not there.
I'm curious, what big events have you been to where a full concession stand lineup was not opened? I really am curious b/c my experience has been the opposite and I'm prolly at the arena for a good 15-16 events a year.
The only thing I was refering to was alcohol. I know for the NCAA games it was that jacksonville did a job hosting, but they were concerned that it didnt sell out and people were complaining about having to walk across to the baseball park to get alcohol. A bar/lounge would atleast solve that issue.
QuoteThe only thing I was refering to was alcohol. I know for the NCAA games it was that jacksonville did a job hosting, but they were concerned that it didnt sell out and people were complaining about having to walk across to the baseball park to get alcohol. A bar/lounge would atleast solve that issue.
Not selling beer in the Vet during the NCAA tourney was an NCAA requirement. It had nothing to do with JU Athletic Dept(who actually hosted the event), SMG, et al. Same deal when the ACC Baseball Tourney was at the Baseball Grounds, no alcohol sales are allowed per NCAA rules.
You can buy alcohol at JU basketball games though.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on June 09, 2010, 09:40:32 AM
Quote from: copperfiend on June 09, 2010, 09:34:21 AM
My issue is the funds were originally meant for the arena. We can use the 500k for a lounge that will generate revenue at the arena. Instead Peyton is talking about putting it towards the courthouse? The courthouse will no doubt go down in the history of this city as the biggest cluster-you know what.
I agree. Was the arena under budget then? If so, then of course they should get their own surplus money to build a bar.
This is kind of an interesting contrast between a Delaney era project and a Peyton era project. One is a great asset to the city and cost efficient, one is a blight on downtown and a money drainer.
While I must admit that I was not in Jacksonville for the start of the BJP and I that I do not necessarily agree with all of Mayor Peyton's decisions, I cannot fault Mayor Peyton completely for the courthouse. Addititionally, I don't think it's fair to compare "projects" between the two administations because it's fairly obvious to all that Delaney chose all the "sexy" projects (i.e. arena, stadium, library) and left the "boring" project for Peyton(personally I don't find it boring because I will make sure of the building and believe that a courthouse is very important to the comminiuty And, I don't doubt that people here disagree with the importance of the courhouse project, just the process of of getting it built).
Delaney got the library built before the courthouse because he didn't have librarians making demands of what needs to be in the library.
Quote from: copperfiend on June 09, 2010, 12:53:11 PM
Delaney got the library built before the courthouse because he didn't have librarians making demands of what needs to be in the library.
not true at all
Geez.........tufsu I never thought I would say this but, I have to agree with you on this one! By the way the voters approved $190 under the BJP for the courthouse, not the edifice we are currently building for who knows what the cost past $350 Million! This may have some bearing on why the City will be in the hole next Budget cycle for $58 Million! Unions may not be the whole issue or problem...........unconstrained City spending may have a bearing................but that's just me!
There is no way the lounge would not have cost $500,000. the plan is roughly around 2,000 square feet with only three walls, which are existing. The project consisted of a bar, open seating area with only four flat screen tv's and new finishes. That means the three sided box cost $250/sf. Whoever priced this for the city is out of their mind! My understanding of this project is the money was to come from the Better Jacksonville plan. Peyton only wants to veto it for show, to try to make it look like he is looking out for the cities money, which is BS. This project has a short payback timeframe, and then it is all profit from there.
What about the $300,000+ the mayor just approved for personal trainers for city employees? This doesn't sound like a smart investment to me. Where did this money come from. And I don't believe it will have health care payback in the long run.
Peyton is full of S**T! Can we impeach Napoleon now?
Quote from: JaxNative68 on June 09, 2010, 06:19:10 PM
What about the $300,000+ the mayor just approved for personal trainers for city employees? This doesn't sound like a smart investment to me. Where did this money come from. And I don't believe it will have health care payback in the long run.
actually, many companies are finding that wellness programs drastically reduce their healthcare costs...and employees are sick less often and more productive.