How to bring people downtown

[Bostech]

Well,long time ago I suggested idea of gondola over St.Johns river which might or not be cool idea.
Thats not point of this post but idea that Jacksonville needs some kind of attraction that is unique and unusal that would bring people from all over US and even world to city.

St.Luis got arches,NY City statue of liberty,Orlando Disneyland,Las Vegas casinos,Detroit umm crime,Chicago Sears tower,London Big Ben,Rome Colosseum and so on.
Jakcksonville can do same thing with little imagination,it doesn have to be grande like big cities but big enough to be on world scale.
Create UNIQUE and ORIGINAL attraction but also to be something that brings people again and again.
Idea like that can do more for DT Jax then anything else.
There is no bar,tower or convention center that can do more for city then unique attraction.

I suggested gondolas or skyway type of car going over river in an arch,to give cool view and ride over city.
Might not be best and brightest but its a start.
Good ideas can be implemented cheap and fast.
You don't need hundreds of millions of dollars,but lots of imagination and creativity.

[Bostech]

Simple,sometimes cheesy ideas can bring life to city...and tourists.
In southern bosnian city Mostar they came up with idea for erect statue of Bruce Lee.
So they got together and both Mostar and Hong Kong did it.
Cheap,simple idea got city in news and brought tourists.
They can always claim "first" that got statue of Bruce Lee.

No need for millions of dollars.

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2005-11-24-bosnia-to-beat-hong-kong-with-bruce-lee-statue

[Bostech]

We could get convention center designed into a Star Track Enterprise.

Sure,it would cost money but man that would bring people ALL over world.It would pay itself in no time.
Crazy,but doable.

[gatorback]

OK. I've capitulated. I did not want an old war ship downtown--but, if we could get  the space shuttle with a battleship, and maybe a B52 or something, and a 3D/IMAX screen, that would get people downtown.

[Bostech]

You got to think big.There are cities with ships and 3D screens.
Attraction has to be unique and original.

Imagine if we could build convention center on Shipyard site in shape of Enterprise.Bottom part would be convention center,while top part could serve as restaurants,bars,command center etc (it would partially sit on top of another building,like it crashed or just parked so that way you can balance top part) while side wing on picture could be above water and serve as another restaurant/bar.
You would have TONS of people coming all over world,US and more important suburban Jax.
You would have tons of conventions,everyone would love to have one there.
Major money maker,people visiting dt Jax and urban lifestyle.

[kellypope]

I live a simple life. I would only go downtown for intellectual/cultural stimulation that I can't get elsewhere. Otherwise, I live and work as I do in the heart of Mandarin. If I have a job or a gallery opening to go to (Null Space last night was very nice), I won't hesitate. I prefer to ride the bus in, but the buses don't run as late as I'd like.

Talks by social activists, workshops in sustainable living inside a city, vibrant happenings put on by artists of any discipline--that's what I'd really come downtown for. Not some gimmick. Not some purely consumerist venture that I don't get something out of.

[kells904]

I live a simple life. I would only go downtown for intellectual/cultural stimulation that I can't get elsewhere. Otherwise, I live and work as I do in the heart of Mandarin. If I have a job or a gallery opening to go to (Null Space last night was very nice), I won't hesitate. I prefer to ride the bus in, but the buses don't run as late as I'd like.

Talks by social activists, workshops in sustainable living inside a city, vibrant happenings put on by artists of any discipline--that's what I'd really come downtown for. Not some gimmick. Not some purely consumerist venture that I don't get something out of.

True.  I don't necessarily disagree with the concept of something kinda gimmicky to get people to come downtown, but that can't be the only thing they come for.  I mean, hop on a gondola or get your picture taken in front of a convention center shaped like the Starship Enterprise...then what?  Drive back home? 

First things first...increase dowtown pedestrian traffic with a balance of residential and cultural/retail.  People need good reason to come downtown other than going to the courthouse.  Then...somewhere down the line, comes the giant Macaroni Andrew Jackson statue.

[Sportmotor]

I live a simple life. I would only go downtown for intellectual/cultural stimulation that I can't get elsewhere. Otherwise, I live and work as I do in the heart of Mandarin. If I have a job or a gallery opening to go to (Null Space last night was very nice), I won't hesitate. I prefer to ride the bus in, but the buses don't run as late as I'd like.

Talks by social activists, workshops in sustainable living inside a city, vibrant happenings put on by artists of any discipline--that's what I'd really come downtown for. Not some gimmick. Not some purely consumerist venture that I don't get something out of.

Yes but, to get the majorty of suberers into downtown you need a gimick. You need to give people a reason to drag the kids downtown, then you need multiple things to have them stay downtown. A battle ship, or space shuttle will get them, then you need good food and other things to do to keep them.

[mtraininjax]

How about another "Landing" in front of the Courthouse parking lot to compliment the other, and really, all people want are places to go and hang out. We don't need the world's largest ball of mud to attract us.

[gatorback]

Hire a consultant to find out what would work. Surely the city has done such a thing.  How about a future Big Bank Museum.

[thelakelander]

We need to fix the original Landing before going after another. However, with a new convention center, there is no reason it can't include restaurants and retail at street level, facing Bay Street and the waterfront. That would be a boost to the Landing, Hyatt and Bay Street.

[reednavy]

We already have people downtown, they're just living outdoors.

[Dog Walker]

I still think Bos' idea of an sky tram is a great one.  They can't be super expensive, would be quick to execute and would certainly be an attraction as well as a way for pedestrians to get from one side of the river to the other with a wonderful view.

[NotNow]

Does sound fun, doesn't it?

[Fallen Buckeye]

I still think Bos' idea of an sky tram is a great one.  They can't be super expensive, would be quick to execute and would certainly be an attraction as well as a way for pedestrians to get from one side of the river to the other with a wonderful view.

I usually only take the Skyway to cross the river, so wouldn't a sky tram just further run the skyway into the ground? Some people might want that, but I see it as a negative.

I think that the best idea I've heard for an attraction is the southern rock hall of fame because it actually reflects the history of our area and helps brand us as a hub for great music. If it were placed close to the new emerging Bay St. entertainment district you could help create some synergy and livelihood to that area. Give it an interesting design the way they have with the rock 'n roll hof in Cleveland and the country music hof in Nashville. Then you have a great attraction that actually makes sense for our city.

Put some spaceship in the middle of downtown and people will just think that we're "out there." Not the kind of brand I want for our city. Most of these landmarks you talk about like Big Ben, the Coliseum, Statue of Liberty, even the Gateway Arch are not just some random tourist trap dropped in the middle of the city just 'cause. They have history or meaning or some sort of event like a Worlds Fair attached to them. We have to think about what makes us unique as a city and present that to the world.