It is Time to Dissolve or Restructure DVI

[Lunican]

I mean First Baptist should lobby or contribute funds for downtown decorations.

[DetroitInJAX]

I don't see why the Shugar Shack would have been closed during Art Walk, she is usually open.  I agree with the Christmas decorations and the whole Downtown experience at Christmas. At a time when Downtown should be lit up and at least look vibrant, our City does its best to make it look as dead as possible, except for the fireworks at Thanksgiving. I did call the City and complained about not having any decorations up this year.  More people should make their voices heard on this subject, or Downtown will look the same this year at Christmas.

Wait wait wait, how is that possible?  How can the people that run the Art Walk tell a business that they MUST shutdown?

Did she just stay closed on her own accord?

[tufsu1]

Wait wait wait, how is that possible?  How can the people that run the Art Walk tell a business that they MUST shutdown?

Did she just stay closed on her own accord?

The simple answer is they can't....I guess some shop owners just don't want to open up on those evenings...as for the Sugar Shack, she had told me she planned on taking a vaction sometime early this year....so maybe she was just away...albeit odd w/ Valentines Day coming up

[Jerry Moran]

Shugar Shack was open during Art Walk. Susann called it a day around 8 PM.

The reason many businesses are not in the DVI program is because they will not, or cannot meet DVI's coinsurance requirement, which, as previously discussed, is absurd.

DVI has no power over any downtown merchant, and cannot tell them when to open / close etc. DVI could no more tell a merchant they could not be open during Art Walk than I could legally reserve parking spaces on Laura St. by the placement of  cones.  That's only allowed on Adams St. on Friday and Saturday nights.

[Steve]

That's only allowed on Adams St. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Funny...

[Steve]

I'm still lost as to why a downtown business should have to close its doors during Art Walk if they are not an official participant.  Imo, taking advantage of the foot traffic on the sidewalks is twice as much important as being on DVI's glossy postcard map.  If it were me, I'd have my shop open, displays in the window and be offering free samples of my product to get people inside my doors and exposed to my merchandise.  Map or no map.

Totally with you - in fact, if the insurance problem truly is a problem, then do this:  Announce Art Walk will be the featured venue, list the stuff in Hemming Plaza, and then produce a list of DOWNTOWN RETAILERS, not ART WALK PARTICIPANTS.  Thus, they are not "participating" in Art Walk, but they will get the same experience.

[DetroitInJAX]

Thanks for clarifying that, folks...  I couldn't believe that the government in this city was, although stupid, THAT stupid.

[gatorback]

If it's a non-profit then isn't there some "ratio" of what's spent to salaries to be a 5013Cwhat-ever?  I wonder what that ratio is for DVI.  Does anybody know?  I think < 10% of the total budget should go to salaries what do you think?  Thank the Spoof in the Sky for Google:


A public charity with more than $25,000 in revenue is required to file a 990 tax form with the IRS. Most can be viewed at guidestar.org, and a public charity is required to send its 990 to anyone upon written request.

[mtraininjax]

Thank god for free speech and the fact that some people are not in charge of our city. For all the hooping and hollering, some people cannot even manage to move their business to a new location and run  the business without having controversy follow them where ever they go. Perhaps this person is just a lightening rod for this activity.

DVI does an excellent job at promoting downtown activities and events. For those of you who doubt it, go inside their offices and pick up some of the items from there. If you are still not impressed, go see John Reyes at 550 Water Street and ask him where downtown hotels would be without DVI and their enthusiasm.

[Steve]

Thank god for free speech and the fact that some people are not in charge of our city. For all the hooping and hollering, some people cannot even manage to move their business to a new location and run  the business without having controversy follow them where ever they go. Perhaps this person is just a lightening rod for this activity.

DVI does an excellent job at promoting downtown activities and events. For those of you who doubt it, go inside their offices and pick up some of the items from there. If you are still not impressed, go see John Reyes at 550 Water Street and ask him where downtown hotels would be without DVI and their enthusiasm.

I'm not going to get into the "this person" nonsense.  You guys fight that out.  I will say however, that Boomtown closed because the building was sold to the Dalton Agency (notice their headquarters and office where Boomtown used to be).

To be honest, I'm a bit sick and tired myself of listening to the "downtown is great" crap from DVI.  Screw that - that gets someone downtown ONCE.  They see what it's really like, and leave.  Quickly.  Apparently Knothead didn't really take a crap at 3:30 in the afternoon on a Friday on Laura Street.  Jerry Moran must have made that up.

I remember one meeting in the lobby at 11 East, when residents and business owners were talking about car break ins and other crimes that have occurred downtown.  DVI acted shocked.  This is absolutely unacceptable.  DVI should know about crime the next morning, because they should be getting the blotter of crime in their area.

While I have no problems with the downtown hotels, I don't think that we should be using hotels in a non-tourist, office-oriented downtown as a mark of DVI's success.  By and large, business travelers HAVE to be there.  I look at the small business, grould level retail owners, and by and large, they are struggling, many of them with the same issues that Downtown was facing eight years ago.

I've heard the rumor that Tiara, the women's shoe store on Laura St is closing.  That's a damn shame.  She had good stuff (my fiance loved the store), but probably couldn't deal with the same problems that we have been screaming about for YEARS.  Case in point, on street parking.  How hard is it really to increase on-street parking on Monroe St, adjancent to hemming plaza.  You would think that one side of the street at least would have parking.  Nah, not in our perfect downtown.  You would think that they would look at other cities and see they have smart meters that accept credit cards.  Nah, downtown is fine.  You would think that they would see the other cities wayfaring signage.  Nah, downtown is fine without it.

Next time I'm downtown, I'd be happy to stop into DVI's offices.  I'll bang on the door and have them buzz me in.  On the other hand, the Center City Development Corporation (DVI's equivalent in San Diego), has a very open, welcoming information center in downtown that has maps, transit information, and people that are there to help out the passerby.  In addition, their offices are separate, not on the ground floor at the corner of two very busy streets taking up a retail space with an office use.

[tufsu1]

were any of you downtown tonight...the whole place was hopping for ArtWalk....I realize this is only once a month, but its a great event that DVI organizes (and I don't care that it may have been started by other folks).

the fact is, there are pros and cons to opening a business and/or living downtown....sure we can make it better, but that doesn''t mean businesses aren't still going to close...that happens everywhere and even more so in this economy!

as for Boomtown, I find it interesting that they lasted in downtown longer than their other 3 locations!

[thelakelander]

were any of you downtown tonight...the whole place was hopping for ArtWalk

I really wanted to make it tonight to take a tour on the water taxis, but I had a previous engagement.  I'm glad to hear it was well supported this evening.

[gatorback]

mtrain.  I assume you are referring to boomtown, and let me make a challenge to ya, hotshot.

When you open up a shop or restaurant in either downtown or springfield, let me know how it goes.....

just try it on for size for 18 months......dare ya.

Just curious.  Would mtrain get to use only his money in this bet, or could he finance this a la van horn?

[JeffreyS]

What is the downtown action committee is it for residents or business owners"

[Downtown Dweller]

Let me give you a consumer's perspective about downtown. During the day the office workers park on the street to save money, since the garages’ can cost a TON. This leaves me two choices, I can walk downtown, but with small children this really isn't too much of an option as they are too big for strollers and too small to walk down and back or I can drive. If I drive I have to park so far out that I might as well walk because I am dealing with the same issue. If I am lucky enough to find street parking I have to deal with the meters which will ONLY take quarters! Then I get to wade through a mass of panhandlers who are not as picky as to what type of coinage I give them. (Women with small children are prime targets, we usually give in throw some money at them to get them away from our children).Then if I am there for more than an hour I have to make the trip back to the car and go through all of the above again. If any of us need to use the bathroom, it becomes a TRUE nightmare. Thank goodness Shelby's is open in the library now as that is the cleanest most centralized bathroom downtown, but it is locked and you got to buy something. If I forget what days a certain business is open and/or closed I may have wasted half a day doing all the above only to find out the business I was most looking forward to visiting is closed, or has gone out of business. I will say at night the parking is much better, but then again there aren’t too many places to go, especially with children and the safety factor (with kids) becomes a little sketchier. It is unfortunate, as part of living in the urban core with children is to expose them to more art, different views, cultures, foods, etc.... but what I am finding in Jacksonville is the urban core itself, while complaining about the suburbanites, also contributes to the formation of such people by not encompassing children and their needs. If we want our next generation to grow up with a different perspective, I don’t maybe be more sympathetic to homelessness, or more in tuned to art, or understand different perspectives then make it a little easier (just a little) to immerse them in the urban landscape.

Polly Anna I guess….