Ron Littlepage: Sleiman has stronger case on Landing parking issue

[thelakelander]

There's no telling how many trees have died to provide the newsprint needed to carry the stories about the city's obligation to provide parking for The Jacksonville Landing being solved.

Here's one example published in 2001:

"Finally fulfilling a 16-year-old agreement with the owner of The Jacksonville Landing, the City Council last night approved $3 million toward the construction of a new downtown parking deck designed to make the riverfront shopping and dining mall more accessible to the public."

Didn't happen, and now nine years later, the fight is about to get even nastier.

On one side is Mayor John Peyton and his administration.

Ron Barton, the executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, released his most recent ideas for solving the Landing's parking woes earlier this week.

One was to let Landing patrons park for free in the city-owned Water Street garage.

It's only a five-minute walk from the garage to the Landing, and I had made that same suggestion several years ago.

That must have been on a winter day. When I walked the path Tuesday evening, when it was just 80 degrees, it was a bit warm. In summer's 95 degree heat, it's not going to happen.

And let's just say the sidewalks there aren't exactly pedestrian friendly. Scratch that idea.

Barton's second idea is to provide free parking in the courthouse lot on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Same problem. It's about a five-minute walk to the Landing. Besides that option always has been available, and Landing customers don't use it.

Barton's third proposal is for the city to give $2.2 million to the owners of the SunTrust building across the street from the Landing to build a parking garage, which would have 200 spaces set aside for the Landing on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Enter the other side of this fight, Toney Sleiman, now the Landing's owner.

Sleiman maintains that the only way he can attract the nationally known restaurants needed to revitalize the Landing is to have guaranteed parking, especially for the lunch-time crowd.

Barton's ideas are a flop at that, Sleiman says. He's also miffed at the idea of the city spending $2.2 million to help SunTrust build a garage.

That money, in his view, is part of the $3.5 million the city promised for Landing parking through previous agreements that fell through.

He wants to use that money to buy a surface lot near the Omni that he says will solve his parking problems.

The Peyton administration disagrees.

I asked Sleiman if there was room for compromise. I know Peyton doesn't want to budge.

No, Sleiman said. He wants a complete divorce from the city. And we all know that the only ones who benefit from a bitter divorce are the lawyers.

Sleiman is going straight to the City Council, and council President Richard Clark said Wednesday he will introduce legislation supporting Sleiman's plan.

Sleiman has the better argument. The city has dropped the ball on its obligation for more than two decades. If Sleiman believes this will work, give him the go-ahead and let's finally be done with it.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400904/ron-littlepage/2010-04-22/sleiman-has-stronger-case-landing-parking-issue

[fieldafm]

From conversations I had over the weekend, I believe that sentiment is swingly wildly in the Landing's favor.  It is time we write our councilmen/women and mayor to weigh in on our support for this issue!

[subro]

Historic building restoration funds might be used to buy parking lot for The Jacksonville Landing

Source URL: http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-04-28/story/historic-building-restoration-funds-might-be-used-buy-parking-lot


By David Bauerlein

A bill filed Tuesday with Jacksonville City Council would take $3.5 million from a trust fund for restoring historic downtown building and use the money to help The Jacksonville Landing buy a parking lot.

City Council President Richard Clark filed the bill.

Toney Sleiman, owner of The Landing, has said the downtown mall needs more dedicated parking so he can recruit nationally-known restaurants. Clark's bill supports Sleiman's position.

Mayor John Peyton has opposed Sleiman's proposal because it would not add more parking to the downtown.

At Peyton's request, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton proposed setting aside parking in the city-owned Water Street Garage for patrons and employees of The Landing.

Barton also said the city could spend $2.2 million to ensure 200 spaces are available for The Landing's needs on weeknights and weekends at a parking garage that would be privately built across the street from the mall.

Parking for The Landing has been a long-running issue for the city. Barton said the city's current obligation is to provide parking for The Landing if the mall were to build a new parking garage.

The historic preservation trust fund has been used by the city to help turn abandoned buildings into residences. The city does not currently have any proposals before the council for using the trust fund money, but the old Barnett Bank building and the Laura Street Trio would be candidates for the funding if an investor stepped up in the future with a plan for the buildings.

[Steve]

Let the debate begin - is this where the money should come from?  Personally, I think you can find a better source for the money than to rob it from this fund.

[thelakelander]

I'm in favor of solving the Landing's parking problem but I'm not a fan of raiding money set aside for historic preservation to do so.  Imo, the money proposed for Metropolitan Park's upgrades should be shifted.

[copperfiend]

I took part in the March of Dimes walk last Saturday that ended behind the T-U Center. I parked in the Courthouse lot and walked to the event. It was sad to see so few people at the Landing on my walk back. We stopped into the toy store and there was a decent crowd but most of the other places were pretty dead.

[ChriswUfGator]

I'm in favor of solving the Landing's parking problem but I'm not a fan of raiding money set aside for historic preservation to do so.  Imo, the money proposed for Metropolitan Park's upgrades should be shifted.

+1

[kells904]

is it shortsighted of me not to care that it's being taken away from this historic building restoration fund thingy?  perhaps, but at this point it doesn't matter to me.  this needs to get going now, and we need to wait out this administration until they finally kick rocks.  i bet a smarter group downtown could figure out how to replenish that diverted money. 

[urbanlibertarian]

What if 100% of the rent payments Sleiman would have to begin making were put into the Historic building fund?

[AbelH]

Updated story:

Matt Carlucci, who made reuse of historic buildings a centerpiece of his tenure as council president, said taking money from the trust fund is the kind of act that erodes people’s trust in government.

“For a council president to do it is, I think, absolutely outrageous,” Carlucci said when told of the proposal.
Carlucci, who no longer serves on council, said he wants to speak with Clark about the bill.

The remainder of the story can be read here: http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-04-28/story/historic-building-restoration-funds-might-be-used-buy-parking-lot

[sheclown]

I'm in favor of solving the Landing's parking problem but I'm not a fan of raiding money set aside for historic preservation to do so.  Imo, the money proposed for Metropolitan Park's upgrades should be shifted.

+1

+2

[Steve]

I would be okay with this:  Use the money from the Historic fund, but with this caveat:  Rent payments from Sleiman would be used to pay back the historic preservation money.  If a project comes along, and the funds in there are not enough for a project, but are within 3.5 million (the amount Sleiman is requesting from the city), issue bonds to take advantage of the development, then use the Sleiman rent money to pay back the bonds.

Advantages:  Sleiman gets his parking lot, the money is paid back, and if opportunity knocks, we can answer the door.  Yes, it would cost more with bonds, but think of it this way - we haven't seen Landing rent money in a decade, so what's another three years, frankly?  Obviously Peyton isn't in a hurry to start collecting.

[stjr]

Why isn't any of this money available for Fire Station #5?  If they can raid it for the Landing, why don't they raid it for what it was intended for originally?!  

Barton also said the city could spend $2.2 million to ensure 200 spaces are available for The Landing's needs on weeknights and weekends at a parking garage that would be privately built across the street from the mall.

If the City had $2.2 million for parking without raiding this fund (?) per Ron Barton, they would need only $1.3 million more from this fund or other sources to hit $3.5 million for the Landing.  That would leave plenty for the Fire Station too.  Everyone wins.  A political utopia!

[CS Foltz]

stjr............I agree! If $2.2 Million is available what is the problem? Station #5 could be saved yet I see no one stepping up to the line! It looks to me like the same old song and dance, smoke and mirror this administration has become famous for no matter what Misty says! Johnny does not have to make a legacy or build an ediface, its is already in place!

[Steve]

(arguing both sides here)

^Keep in mind that part of the thing with the fire station is you need a real proposal from the private sector, then the city could help out.  I'm in favor of a public-private partnership on this, but I think the city just doing the whole thing on their own is a bit of an issue, because of the long term maintenance thing.

Now, I agree that the city could be doing more to foster a public-private relationship, such as coming up with how much they will kick in, then issuing an RFP for the thing that must include moving it, or working a deal with Fidelity.