Five Reasons to Address The Landing Parking Situation

[Starbuck]

There are plenty of empty parking garages within three or four blocks from the landing..never more than 1/3 to 1/2 full.
You just have to know where they are and pay a couple of bucks. Could use some good "parking here" signs though.

[Keith-N-Jax]

I thought the city had or is addressing that situation.

[tufsu1]

I thought the city had or is addressing that situation.

some big signs have been installed on 3 garages in the core

[thelakelander]

The Landing: Find a solution

Lots of people are rooting for the Jacksonville Landing to become a stronger downtown attraction.

But the good intentions tend to stall regarding how to make it happen.

It has been that way much of the time since the Landing opened in 1987 with a breakthrough always seemingly beyond reach - especially when it comes to partnerships between the city and Landing owners.

This is no time to call it quits on trying, however. The players should keep the discussions going and stay focused on the bigger goal of success.

The latest sticking point is a familiar one: parking.

Jacksonville Landing owner Toney Sleiman says a lack of it is keeping the riverfront landmark from attracting nationally known restaurants and more nightlife.

City officials say they, too, are frustrated by unrealized potential, but have to make sure that taxpayers are protected in any Landing arrangement that involves city help.

Negotiations involving the Landing have been complex with plenty of moving pieces. The city owns the land, Sleiman owns the structure.

So many hurdles

It looked like the Landing had leaped a big hurdle in 2007 after the city, Sleiman and another downtown developer, Cameron Kuhn of Orlando, reached an arrangement.

Kuhn agreed to build a parking deck that would serve the Landing as part of a nearby proposed condominium project.

The city worked out a deal to free itself from a long-standing parking obligation for the Landing, agreeing to pay $3.5 million toward the garage once it was under way.

But the garage never got going. The economy fell flat, and Kuhn's plans and properties fell into foreclosure.

New developments

However, owners of the nearby Suntrust building have approached the city about building a parking garage and using some of the $3.5 million the city had pitched earlier to help cover the costs.

That garage, however, would not provide all the parking Sleiman wants, and he instead wanted the city to help him buy a surface lot across the street to secure the exclusive parking for Landing patrons that he says he needs.

City officials have balked, saying that lot is already used for other parking, and the city would not be gaining any spaces in exchange for big money.

Officials say they want verbal assurances from at least one of the Sleiman's potential new tenants that more parking would indeed inspire them to come to the Landing. It hasn't happened yet, they say.

Meanwhile, Sleiman insists that he has a number of nationally known restaurant chains that would locate at the Landing if they know that there will be convenient parking.

But maybe there's room for something constructive to happen among Suntrust, Sleiman and the city, provided they work on it.

There must be a way to protects the city's interests and advance those of the Landing for the benefit of downtown.

Let's break the parking deadlock.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2010-04-15/story/landing-find-solution

[north miami]

It's Jacksonville International Boat Show time downtown.As many of us in the marine industry converge on Downtown from points all over the place,we run boats through downtownin,wondering out load why the 'potential' is not 'developed'.

The downtown riverfront will be a focal point this weekend in spite of dashed potential-positive testimony to the real life power and reality of Downtown,with activities at the City Marina/Boat Show Festival,Landing and Riverside Arts Market.

Onward!

[tufsu1]

this is a very fair editorial...while I don't believe downtown needs more parking, the City makes a good point that the proposed lot is already used (pretty heavily) by others....I also find it interesting that Sleiman always uses the national retailer argument, but when asked to provide verbal agreements, even in private meetings, he won't do it.

That said, the City has reneged on an agreement for 23 years....and now they need to just get something done!

[thelakelander]

DT needs another parking garage like it needs more pocket parks on Main Street or homeless in Hemming Plaza.  That lot may be used heavily but there are a number of nearby garages that aren't.  We should strive for better utilization of our existing lots and on-street spaces before increasing the overall number of parking spaces in DT.

That said, the City has reneged on an agreement for 23 years....and now they need to just get something done!

At the end of the day, this is what it boils down really too.  Everything else is a side issue.  Its time to live up to the agreement and move on.  

[Mondo]

The problem is the city wants new parking to be developed. They don't want to give 3.5 mil to buy parking that is already there. We need a new 5 story garage, for the times union center and the landing. I personally don't want to see chain stores at the landing. We have enough of our communities money being dived out by vacuums like town center. I think the landing should be all about Jacksonville and it's local businesses and our culture here. I'm excited to see we are getting a Jacksonville city museum there. I think that is a great step in the right direction.

[thelakelander]

The city may want new parking (even though there are more parking spaces than people in DT right now) but that has nothing to do with the purpose of their 23-year old obligation to the Landing.  Thus the two should not be linked.  However, I'm sure that Sleiman would not object to the city paying 100% for a new parking garage that would include the promised dedicated space for the Landing and whatever extra spaces the city thinks it needs.

As for local verses chain, the Landing is privately owned.  We all have our biases about the type of businesses that should or should not be operating there but that's not really for us to decide.  Our real focus should be on keeping our word. 

Btw, speaking of museums, I noticed the Riverwalk in New Orleans (their version of the Landing) has a museum as an anchor.

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum: http://www.southernfood.org/

[finehoe]

We all have our biases about the type of businesses that should or should not be operating there but that's not really for us to decide. 

Sure it is.  We decide by choosing to spend our money there or not.

[thelakelander]

^Then that's probably why the guy is shooting for a national entertainment/restaurant anchor or two.  We've already decided that filling the place with local retail shops isn't all peaches and cream.

[finehoe]

^^Well, it's not like all the national chains that have went in have been a success, either.

[Mondo]

Sorry to correct but the landing is owned by the city. (not a privately owned entity)... Technically everyone in Jacksonville who pays taxes owns the landing.) it's being managed by a private company.

Thanks for link to New Orleans Museum! I am hoping the JMACC as it's being called on facebook will be a boost to bring locals and create a bigger sense of community here.

[thelakelander]

^That's incorrect.  The Landing is owned by Sleiman.  The land underneath is owned by the city.

Jacksonville Landing owner Toney Sleiman is convinced that many of the challenges facing the venue could be eliminated with improved parking, and its an obstacle he’s determined to overcome.

When Sleiman’s company, Sleiman Enterprises Inc., bought the Rouse Co.-developed property for $5.1 million in 2003, he had plans to transform it. HIs $250 million plan included expanding the existing retail and entertainment space to 1 million square feet, adding a parking garage, a boutique hotel, an office building and condominiums on the west side of the Main Street bridge and another commercial building and a parking garage on the east side of the bridge that is now the site of The Landing’s 260-space parking lot.

Retailers were not a large part of Sleiman’s vision for the property, which is now 26 percent vacant. It’s been a challenge finding new life for those spaces as they’ve emptied out. Most are refilled with restaurants, but sometimes even those deals don’t work out.

There was reason for excitement when hamburger restaurant Fuddruckers planned to move into a 7,000-square-foot space on the bottom floor of the Landing. But after three years of negotiating and planning, the would-be franchisee backed out of the deal, leaving behind a gutted shell.

Sleiman now sees the Landing as more of a restaurant and entertainment destination than a shopping center, and is targeting tenants such as bars and family-style restuarants. Chicago Pizza and The Village Bread Co. are the Landing’s newest tenants, both of which opened in late October in time for one of the Landing’s biggest events of the year: Florida-Georgia weekend.

Sleiman’s original plans for the Landing hinged on the city selling the land beneath the building to Sleiman Enterprises and providing an incentive package that included low-interest loans, tax breaks and parking. That deal eventually fell through.

Read more: Sleiman: A man with a plan for The Jacksonville Landing - Jacksonville Business Journal:
http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2009/11/16/focus4.html

[Mondo]

So let me ask... If you own a business and you have a lease... Who owns the building? If you needed to file a lein who would the lein affect?

The management company is a tenant.

I know this is tricky but... It's public property.