Des Moines

[springfieldlover]

Here is an article about how Des Moines, Iowa is fixing their downtown.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/realestate/commercial/17desmoines.html?ex=1282021200&en=171fdb7ce11ba7b3&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=RE-D-I-NYT-MOD-M2D-M137-ROS-0210-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click

[fsujax]

Doesn't reading the first part make you sick? Blue Cross and Blue Shield built a large office building in Downtown! we cant even convince BCBS of FL to build in DT Jax, instead they build a huge sprawling campus off JTB. Guess land is cheaper in Downtown Des Moines, IA than it is in the suburbs there.

[copperfiend]

If I am reading this correctly it is a five story building that occupies three city blocks. Couldn't they build up a little bit more?

[fsujax]

The picture makes it look taller than 5 stories....also they state there are 75,000 employees in downtown Des Moines.

[Captain Zissou]

Some of their downtown figures seem a little high considering the city size.

[copperfiend]

I wish we had a university in the core.

[fsujax]

It is also the state capitol.

[springfieldlover]

What does Jacksonville need to do to lure some type of higher learning institution downtown? I have heard people say the Art Institute would be great downtown. What about having the University of Florida open a branch campus downtown?

Any thoughts?

[Tripoli1711]

As long as your proposed school isn't a branch of a new state medical school or Florida Coastal School of Law, I am sure the city would love to have it downtown...

[cline]

What about having the University of Florida open a branch campus downtown?

Technically, the UF Medical School does have a branch at Shands.  I realize it is not downtown though.

As has been discussed on this site previously, the rumor was that FCSL was looking at downtown but wasn't getting a whole lot of cooperation from the City so they relocated to Baymenadows in the old Citi building.