Why should Jacksonville change?

[Timkin]

I would not say I never go to downtown,,,but for me personally, there is just not much to go to downtown for.. Fireworks twice a year.. maybe once a year to go to City Hall for something.. I have seen all the cool buildings fall and get hauled away.  So tell me,, what is it that I am missing?  Department Stores would bring me back to D/T ..and correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think there are any.  A Movie Theater would bring me... sorry.. there are none.  I do not go nightclubbing any longer ,so that is out.   I would not feel safe in most parts of downtown, at night, certainly not anywhere on State,or Union, and If I did ,what is there to see in the way of points of interest?

IF I did not love my home city, I would not live here.  For the record, I don't care for Town Center or the outlying Malls... I came from the time period where we did go downtown.. When there was a Sears, Iveys, Woolworths, etc.  The numbskulls that ran this City RUINED it.  

So when you figure out a way to bring some of what has been gone for decades , back to downtown, I can guarantee, Im all over it.  But the Landing is not exactly Sears, and it seems to me, that it mostly caters to the lunchtime crowd ,and those who prefer to drink of the evenings/weekends.. Sorry.. That is also not my cup of tea.  

 Long story short,,,bring back what was so stupidly destroyed.  Residential is not a bad idea, but I do not think we will ever be able to replace and make profitable all the Hotels we destroyed.. there is too many of them in outlying areas now, so in that regard we blew it.

 I do not have the answers as to how to fix , what we paid our leader's big fat salaries over the decades, to destroy.. All I can state is what is missing as I see it.  Agree or not.. its fine either way.

[duvaldude08]

We all know Jacksonville needs to change, but who is going to step up and be the catalyst for change? 95% of the citizens of Jacksonville hate the city and dont have a mind set for change. They have a mindset of relocation. When we get adminstration and mayor in office who cares about the city, and some citizens who will take pride in the city and what we have now, things will never change. PERIOD.

I think the problem is that 95% of the city does not hate it. Like the poster who started this link the majority of jacksonville residents are suburban loving soccer moms who think the town center and st. johns county are great. They don't care about what happens to downtown because they never go there.

Unfortunately, the informed posters on this site represent a smaller % of the population that we would all like to admit. But hopefully we can save the city inspite of it's residents- it just takes more work.

I was speaking more so of the precentage of residents that has a negative view of the city (95% was just a number i through out for conversation sake) Most citizens of Jacksonville you run into (or atleast the ones I run into) talk about how much they hate it, how its missing or lack this or that, and that they want to move. We dogg our city out just like everyone else does, and thats not cool. The first step to change is a positive mindset. That is why I love the metro-jacksonville website.

[Timkin]

+1

[iluvolives]

I was speaking more so of the precentage of residents that has a negative view of the city (95% was just a number i through out for conversation sake) Most citizens of Jacksonville you run into (or atleast the ones I run into) talk about how much they hate it, how its missing or lack this or that, and that they want to move. We dogg our city out just like everyone else does, and thats not cool. The first step to change is a positive mindset. That is why I love the metro-jacksonville website.
[/quote]

My point is that the people who tend to have negative mindsets (or any thoughts at all towards downtown jax) are the type of people who care and would like to see change and development in the city, they understand its potential and hate that it isn't there.

But I still think the true majority of Jacksonville like the gated communities they live in on the southside or out towards st. johns county and even if downtown Jacksonville was hip and trendy and offered more than it did now they still wouldn't go down there. They are the same people who think that Riverside/Avondale is horrifically unsafe and wouldn't dare venture there even for the fabulous dining, shopping and architecture.

I'm pretty sure that's the point of the tongue and cheek post, that sadly most people in Jacksonville ARE fine with the way things are.

[DeadGirlsDontDance]

I'm going to have some fun here today! 

Why should Jacksonville change?  I like the way things are right now.  I don't care about the port dredging or the cruise ship terminal or even that useless courthouse!  Why am I even paying for such a monstrosity?  The city has a good courthouse right now and I see nothing wrong with letting people stay there.  Downtown?  Ha! I don't even go there!  That place is useless and I'm fine right here doing what I do right now.  I'm getting sick and tired of seeing my tax money go to waste on these useless stuff.  So why doesn't someone here convince me, why should Jacksonville change?  Don't use those big fancy words either!  I like things exactly the way they are and all my neighbors agree with me!

A city, like any other living thing, must change and grow to survive. If Jacksonville doesn't change, it's going to die. Simple enough?

[jcjohnpaint]

Jacksonville is a growing city so it is going to change.  What we need to decide is how it changes.  I really think MJ - outlines amazing ways the city can change to be even better.  I just moved here and love it by the way.  I live in the Southside, but visit downtown about three days a week.  There is so much potential here-

[duvaldude08]

I was speaking more so of the precentage of residents that has a negative view of the city (95% was just a number i through out for conversation sake) Most citizens of Jacksonville you run into (or atleast the ones I run into) talk about how much they hate it, how its missing or lack this or that, and that they want to move. We dogg our city out just like everyone else does, and thats not cool. The first step to change is a positive mindset. That is why I love the metro-jacksonville website.

My point is that the people who tend to have negative mindsets (or any thoughts at all towards downtown jax) are the type of people who care and would like to see change and development in the city, they understand its potential and hate that it isn't there.

But I still think the true majority of Jacksonville like the gated communities they live in on the southside or out towards st. johns county and even if downtown Jacksonville was hip and trendy and offered more than it did now they still wouldn't go down there. They are the same people who think that Riverside/Avondale is horrifically unsafe and wouldn't dare venture there even for the fabulous dining, shopping and architecture.

I'm pretty sure that's the point of the tongue and cheek post, that sadly most people in Jacksonville ARE fine with the way things are.
[/quote]

Yeah I think most people are ok with it, but Im not for sure. Im currently in college and when I finish next summer I plan on staying here in Jacksonville. If everybody keeps running, nothing will ever change.

[RockStar]

Why shouldn't it is the better question.

Based on the above statement, you're a f*cking moron and fit the intelligence level of people in Lake Butler or Starke.

Best post ever!
+10,000,000,000

[Timkin]

Um. ok . if you say so .

[stjr]

I think part of resistance to change in Jax is that most people here are actually very happy with their little corner of the City and are, thus, not motivated to get involved in change.  True, most may gripe about downtown, but don't confuse that with unhappiness about the City as a whole.  I haven't met many people who relocated here who weren't extremely happy to be here - after 1, 10, 20 or 30+ years.  That's why our population has grown so much.  They tell their relatives and, next thing, the whole family is coming to town.

Bottom line, we need to be specific that some things need to change and other things are just fine.  Let's not broad brush the issues.

Top need for change is in the areas of education, culture and recreation (i.e. things to do), and mass transit (while curtailing roads and urban sprawl).  Fix these issues and Jax could be close to paradise.  

[duvaldude08]

I think part of resistance to change in Jax is that most people here are actually very happy with their little corner of the City and are, thus, not motivated to get involved in change.  True, most may gripe about downtown, but don't confuse that with unhappiness about the City as a whole.  I haven't met many people who relocated here who weren't extremely happy to be here - after 1, 10, 20 or 30+ years.  That's why our population has grown so much.  They tell their relatives and, next thing, the whole family is coming to town.

Bottom line, we need to be specific that some things need to change and other things are just fine.  Let's not broad brush the issues.

Top need for change is in the areas of education, culture and recreation (i.e. things to do), and mass transit (while curtailing roads and urban sprawl).  Fix these issues and Jax could be close to paradise.  

Yeah you are right. But the thing is, how much longer are we going to wait to fix these things. THey sound simple, but have not happened yet. We are already 15-20 behind most major cities. We have alot of cacthing up to do.

[Captain Zissou]

I think what needs to change first is the mindset or the composition of our citizens.  Our people need to wake up.  Jacksonville has almost nothing outside of our great natural landscape that we had nothing to do with.  The complacency in this city sickens me.  If the people don't wake up and care, I say ship them out and bring in new ones that will. 
I think it's funny that stjr can even pretend to be serious in his most recent post. In 30 years, our population has fallen far behind what used to be peer cities.  I haven't met anyone who has relocated here for work that doesn't travel most weekends because they find Jax so boring.  Top needs for change...Everything. 

[Ocklawaha]

But I still think the true majority of Jacksonville like the gated communities they live in on the southside or out towards st. johns county and even if downtown Jacksonville was hip and trendy and offered more than it did now they still wouldn't go down there. They are the same people who think that Riverside/Avondale is horrifically unsafe and wouldn't dare venture there even for the fabulous dining, shopping and architecture.

I beg to disagree, there are many of us in St. Johns that do downtown EVERY DAY. On my block in the WGV 1 person works in a local school, while another 5 work downtown Jacksonville. In area's that are well moneyed it appears that they go to festivals and other downtown events too. Perhaps there is a middle ground of folks on the fringe of Duval such as Baldwin, Mayport or the Beaches that don't attend because of economics? Toss in the said excuses that there is NO REASON to go downtown anymore.

Take the Shipyards property, develop the Riverwalk and Maritime Museum there, plop down a Tinseltown, IKEA, and BASS PRO, some restaurants, a hotel, and the nearby courthouse CONVENTION CENTER, and watch downtown become a mecca again. The city could serve as the developer.

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

I will not speak for anyone other than myself! My home area is in dire need of refurbishment and the community's that are in this area, working through the Bay Meadows Community Council and believe it or not the City, are doing something about it! When things are finalized and set in stone, I will let all know just what is in the works! A rough headsup is........we are going to become a special taxing district in order to pay for the improvements we have in mind and which are needed! This is with a view down range of at least 30 years for everything that will take place. Actual work will take about a year and a half, the community is paying for it and eventually it will be turned over to the City to maintain. If the City can not maintain things in their finished configuration, then the Bay Meadows Community Council will maintain things! To this point, City Hall and the Council are waiting to see just what takes place and how things will be managed and efforts to have the same thing take place in other parts of Jacksonville maybe on the horizon. This is not something that is being done lightly and other parts of COJ may not think this is their cup of tea, but if the various regions did what they needed to do within their communities maybe......just maybe we can bring Jacksonville up to 20Th Century standards!

[cityimrov]

Ok, now to add my 2 cents on why should Jacksonville change.  

strj wrote this question in the "Meeting with John Delaney, Commuter Rail Commission." topic

Is Delaney just a "token" NE Florida member, to be outvoted regularly by Central and South Florida reps?  How will Jax be sure to get its due consideration?

Why should Central and South Florida even care about North Florida?  What is purpose this city compared to the rest of the state (other than to balance the red/blue to make Florida purple)?  Why should North get priority funding compared to South and Central Florida?  

If the city keeps being stagnant and not growing and living in the past, the state will favor more economically producing areas like South & Central Florida and Jacksonville will loose everything - including it's precious St Johns River!  Central Florida is growing and needs money, resources, and water.  The St Johns River is a convenient place to get water for Central Florida.  Why should the state protect this river for the useless NE Florida when the more important portions of Florida, like Central desperately needs it more?  

In short, if Jacksonville doesn't change, it dies - politically, economically, & environmentally.  It will loose everything.