Carter envisions entertainment park at Shipyards Downtown

[blizz01]

It works in London!

[tufsu1]

London's Eye is one ferris wheel, which operates as the city's observation tower.....they surely don't have a wave pool.

[JeffreyS]

Our weather would be better for a wave pool.

[thelakelander]

Didn't it get hit by hurricane?  My guess is it wasn't feasible to rebuild.   With all the parks struggling in the country, it seems like that would not be the best use for a 44 acre waterfront site.  Also the other two places mentioned are already vibrant communities.  That vibrancy allows for some uses to find more success than places that don't have the basics in place.

[jason_contentdg]

I'd like to see one state of the art attraction, rather than trying to make it a year round carnival, like a fresh water and salt water world class aquarium, maybe with a nice imax attached like New Orleans.  Then use the remainder of the site for mixed use development with density in both residential and commercial.

[Tripoli1711]

I am out of my league with many of the posters on these sorts of topics.  It seems to me, though, that the highest and best use of this land wouldn't be an "attraction" of any kind.  For example, I want a great aquarium downtown.  I think that's a perfect idea.  I don't think it needs to actually be on the riverfront though.  If a world-class aquarium were right next to the Florida Theatre instead of on the waterfront, it wouldn't be any less alluring. 

There is only so much riverfront land.  It seems that the potential value for development of that land would ultimately be much higher with a "non-attraction" there.  I could be wrong.

[jason_contentdg]

^ Well for an attraction of size, you need existing clear land.  Well normally, although I could see the city allowing some more buildings to be demolished, unfortunately.  We have plenty of spaces around downtown to infill with non-major destination type developments.There's no reason again, why you can't use the site for an attraction, and mixed-use, especially if you go vertical.  Just my opinion, though.

[Tripoli1711]

Vertical is what I would envision.. and some sort of an attraction could work well with it, but I don't think this particular attraction is what I would have in mind.

[jason_contentdg]

Vertical is what I would envision.. and some sort of an attraction could work well with it, but I don't think this particular attraction is what I would have in mind.

Carter's idea?  I would agree, hard to build over a carnival type attraction.

[Tripoli1711]

Yes.  Exactly.  I guess I wasn't particular enough.  An "attraction" blended in with a mixed-use development would be great for that site.  But an "attraction" of this sort would almost certainly have to stand alone.  Hence my objection because I don't think that much riverfront land downtown should be taken up by roller coasters which would be just as attractive elsewhere.

[jason_contentdg]

Yes.  Exactly.  I guess I wasn't particular enough.  An "attraction" blended in with a mixed-use development would be great for that site.  But an "attraction" of this sort would almost certainly have to stand alone.  Hence my objection because I don't think that much riverfront land downtown should be taken up by roller coasters which would be just as attractive elsewhere.

Agreed.

[Renard]

I agree with Jason, an aquarium and entertainment district would be good use of space.

I look to the development in Newport, Kentucky (newport on the levee), across the river from downtown Cincinnati as a great use of space that helped to continually revive downtown Cincinnati.  I haven't been there in many years, but I remember it being a nicely done shopping/entertainment district.  You can also look to the the developments of the stadiums, underground railroad museum, contemporary arts center and so on, mixed with living, on the Cincinnati side of the river as great examples of developments to draw people to downtown. 

During my time in Cincinnati (96-02) I saw a definite shift from the downtown as an area with a few things - to the downtown as a place to be and live.

[vicupstate]

I don't like the idea.  A Hard Rock amusement park opened in Myrtle Beach and closed almost immediately.  Myrtle Beach gets more tourists in a day than Jax gets all year. 

I see this as the one trick pony idea that has been tried before and always fails.  Build a place the LOCALS want to be and live, and the tourists will follow later.   

[fieldafm]

Didn't it get hit by hurricane?  My guess is it wasn't feasible to rebuild.   With all the parks struggling in the country, it seems like that would not be the best use for a 44 acre waterfront site.  Also the other two places mentioned are already vibrant communities.  That vibrancy allows for some uses to find more success than places that don't have the basics in place.

I'll have to ask my dad, he'd know in a hearbeat... hurricane though rings a bell now that you say that.

You guys and gals should read the article and the accompanying Q&A in a different section.. the man has a vision, and knows the challenges/opportunities downtown faces

Carter, developer of the St. Johns Town Center, said he envisions a wave pool, carousel, ferris wheel, roller coaster, restaurants, arts and seafood markets and other family-friendly attractions on the 40 riverfront acres along East Bay Street.

This is where I keep harking back to some kind of Jacksonville adaptation of the Santa Monica pier... not just some amusement park on the site, but rather an amusement park connected to some kind of seafood market, restaurant, etc.
He mentions the Town Center as being a project that was almost 7 years soup to nuts.  If you read the comments below, clearly he realizes that residential numbers must be increased first before this particular project bears fruit.

Jacksonville’s average age is 33 years old and that’s perfect for urban revival. We have to focus on getting that age group Downtown. Retail follows demographics. What you’ve got right now is a daytime population of 60,000 people, but there’s not enough to keep them there, so they are going home (after work). Interestingly enough, that’s about the same office population that’s around St. Johns Town Center.

Every successful downtown that has come back has come back because of young people. I don’t think the 18- to 25- year-olds today are interested in gated communities. They’re interested in a different kind of lifestyle.

One of the things I said to the mayor is he needs to be going after technical schools, cosmetology schools, computer skills training and arts and graphics. All of those people are urban-minded and they’re in the right age bracket. I would love to see a focus on taking advantage of the recession and lower office rents and the availability of space to bring two or three schools Downtown. We’re working with one in Atlanta that has 300 students. If there were three of those here, you’d have 900 young professionals who are spending all day Downtown and are more likely to stick around after work because they’re looking for entertainment.

Aka... working with FBC for a Baptist College, the defunct Florida Coastal downtown campus, etc...

I think there has been too much focus on Brooklyn, Southbank and Northbank. We need to focus on the city’s center. Southbank is successful. Brooklyn on the riverfront is successful. I think what we need to focus on is the urban core. That’s Laura Street, Bay Street and the river.

For the life of me, I don’t understand why the Riverside Arts Market is not sitting right Downtown on the riverfront. That’s one of the successful new things that’s going on. Why is it located two miles from Downtown?

[thelakelander]

I read it.  However, I'd funnel elements of this type of vision into the redevelopment of the Landing and use the Shipyards as the site of another economic generator.