Convention Center has $70 million in funding?

[thelakelander]

CONVENTION CENTER
Money set aside for facility


In response to James Rinaman Jr.'s Jan. 29 column titled "Mayor's plan is best model for new county courthouse," I would be remiss in not correcting one particular statement regarding the mention of the convention center.

Rinaman stated, "While money is available for a new courthouse, there is none for a new convention center." This is untrue.

Currently, a percentage of the hotel bed tax, paid by visitors to Duval County staying in area hotels, goes toward the debt being paid on the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

The final Convention Center Task Force recommendations, presented to Mayor John Peyton last month, urged that since those bed tax dollars are the only dedicated funding source for the convention center, they must be protected upon retirement of the current bond on the Prime Osborn to support convention business expansion.

The bond is set to retire in 2011. In 2012, projected bed tax dollars would account for $5.2 million in convention center funds. If that were leveraged in a bond issue today, it would yield $50 million to $70 million to be used toward the expansion of the current convention center or toward building a new center at a not-yet determined site.

Visitors in Jacksonville for meetings and conventions spend money in hotels, restaurants, retail, transportation and area attractions. This spending creates more jobs and wages for local workers.

Also, business travelers tend to return to destinations with their families for vacations to spend more money in the community.

In addition to jobs, tourism is vital to growing the local economy and quality of life for residents through increased options for restaurants, retail, attractions and air service linking Jacksonville to the world.

While we are unsure of the location of the new courthouse, one thing is certain: There is money set aside for a new or expanded convention center.

JOHN G. REYES,

president and CEO,

Visit Jacksonville,

Jacksonville

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021108/opi_245151305.shtml

[fsujax]

Can anyone believe we are reading and hearing things like...."where ever the Courthouse is built??" I can't believe that the City Council would even entertain the idea of listening to any other proposals of where to build the courthouse. The idea that the current convention center being turned into a courthouse is just ludacrious to me. Hope I am not the only one who feels this way.

[Lunican]

What's even more amazing is that we have $100 million for transit, at least $190 million for a courthouse, and now apparently a funding mechanism for a convention center and still nothing has been done.

[Steve]

What's even more amazing is that we have $100 million for transit, at least $190 million for a courthouse, and now apparently a funding mechanism for a convention center and still nothing has been done.

Seriously - imagine if we didn't have any of that!  And, we have $211 for the courthouse (the other $21 came from the BJP Contingency fund, and was added when the site was moved from the Riverfront to LaVilla.

Peyton keeps saying that we moved the facility off the river with no money to support the decision - that's not true!

[JeffreyS]

Question:  How much money will it take for Peyton to get one public project completed?

Answer:  No amount of money will get Mayor Peyton to complete a public project. (I hope it turns out one of his friends can do one of these jobs then we have an outside chance.)

[City Slicker]

There is no dedicated source of funding for a convention center.  Mr. Reyes is correct that there is a dedicated source of funding that CAN be dedicated, but it has not been.  Given the unknown state of the budget, I don't know if I could support it.  There are clearly more pertinent needs in the community other than a new convention center. 

[jeh1980]

Question:  How much money will it take for Peyton to get one public project completed?

Answer:  No amount of money will get Mayor Peyton to complete a public project. (I hope it turns out one of his friends can do one of these jobs then we have an outside chance.)

I don't know about all of that .

[Ocklawaha]

All joking aside, I think it would be most cool to build it on the waterfront... and I MEAN the waterfront. Jog the riverwalk through the building or up to the roof of the first floor, then the first floor would hang over the water like a giant theater. Use this space for the main restaurant, or dining space. Below, build the small speakers rooms with giant windows that with the aid of huge floodlights, allow the visitors to be in a conference beneath the river... Yes the water is black, but with lighting visibility could be 4 or 5 feet, and not unlike the old Marineland the fish, and critters could sail past just like a theater. Even if it were small, who else could boast conventions beneath the river? Just a little "NICE" that would paint us as unique and famous in the circuit.

Step two, build in a modest aquarium into the center, and licence and build the complete new MARINELAND AT JACKSONVILLE at the Zoo!

Concept might fly...

Ocklawaha

[thelakelander]

Now you're really talking about spending big bucks.  Do you have some innovative ideas on how we could fund such a center without raising taxes?

[Lunican]

I don't think a window under the river would be a good idea. You are more likely to see shopping carts and dead bodies than coral and tropical fish.

[avonjax]

What's even more amazing is that we have $100 million for transit, at least $190 million for a courthouse, and now apparently a funding mechanism for a convention center and still nothing has been done.

Luncian it would take leadership for anything to get done and Jacksonville is sorely lacking that.
It's almost hard to believe.

[avonjax]

All joking aside, I think it would be most cool to build it on the waterfront... and I MEAN the waterfront. Jog the riverwalk through the building or up to the roof of the first floor, then the first floor would hang over the water like a giant theater. Use this space for the main restaurant, or dining space. Below, build the small speakers rooms with giant windows that with the aid of huge floodlights, allow the visitors to be in a conference beneath the river... Yes the water is black, but with lighting visibility could be 4 or 5 feet, and not unlike the old Marineland the fish, and critters could sail past just like a theater. Even if it were small, who else could boast conventions beneath the river? Just a little "NICE" that would paint us as unique and famous in the circuit.

Step two, build in a modest aquarium into the center, and licence and build the complete new MARINELAND AT JACKSONVILLE at the Zoo!

Concept might fly...

Ocklawaha

I love all your ideas, but I think the Marineland at the Zoo is the best.