Poor economy has slowed plans for downtown Jacksonville

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^Drive two hours South to Orlando and the difference in the street level interaction downtown is a night and day difference.

This really isnt rocket science, just turn the inside out.

I've seen it and enjoy it on a regular basis, but are we trying to do anything about it?

[thelakelander]

Here are two examples of things open nearly every day that you can't see from the quiet sidewalk adjacent to them.

FBC's cafeteria on Laura Street.  This takes up an entire block.  Too bad you don't know its there.







Here's a convenience store in the AT&T Tower, near the Forsyth Street entrance.  You can't tell its there unless you walk inside the tower because there's no signage, tinted windows and the blinds are closed.





You can find countless examples of this in the heart of the Northbank on just about every empty block.  If we can get these places to embrace the street/sidwalk adjacent to them, the environment at pedestrian level would look completely different over night.

If I were DVI and the JEDC, I'd probably attack this issue before stressing over getting new businesses to come in.  I'm about to take the skyway over with the camera and capture more examples on my way to the bank.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^  I've eaten at the cafeteria several times and will say that it's some of the best fried chicken that I've ever had.  And only $5.

[finehoe]

Let's be realistic here.  Downtown Jacksonville all but missed one of the biggest construction booms in history and now we expect something to happen during one of the greatest construction busts?  I hope no one is holding their breath.

[thelakelander]

Just started my walk. Just in case anyone from JTA is reading, the skyway's turnstiles are not working at the Kings Avenue Station.

[CS Foltz]

But those "$kyway" figures are accurate lake! JTA says so ............right?

[Kay]

"If I were DVI and the JEDC, I'd probably attack this issue before stressing over getting new businesses to come in.  I'm about to take the skyway over with the camera and capture more examples on my way to the bank. "

Lake:  Why don't  you and yours attend a DVI and a JEDC meeting and present this fabulous idea?

[thelakelander]

Kay, I mentioned it to DVI at a meeting they had with MJ before they came out with their "Turning the Corner: Rethinking and Remaking Downtown" document a few months ago.  It didn't appear that they grasped the concept at the time, as they seemed to be more focused on dedicated funding and hard to achieve big ticket items.  I know "working with what you already have" isn't as sexy as landing a university or Publix downtown, but its a workable short term solution to increasing foot traffic and activity downtown.

In making an effort to get the concept more understandable, I'll be running a photo oriented article on our front page tomorrow.  This will give us something to fall back on, when it comes down to getting the masses to understand the concept.  I was able to capture some great inside and outside images of several properties a couple of hours ago.  I think several people will be quite surprised at the amount of "secret" businesses currently in operation that are adjacent to empty sidewalks.

[duvaldude08]

Let's be realistic here.  Downtown Jacksonville all but missed one of the biggest construction booms in history and now we expect something to happen during one of the greatest construction busts?  I hope no one is holding their breath.

I believe that we are being realistic. If it was s project on the scale of the The Shipyards or The St John, yes that would not happen for a VERYYYYYYYY long time. (if ever) However, the project is small scale and fesiable. They are just restoring historic building sthat are already in place. Look at 200 Riverside, it was a two year delay and they have finally broke ground. In this enivronment if the project is realstic and fesiable, it can happen. Just may take a little longer.

[vicupstate]

$70mm is pretty big, but if they can break it into several phases, then it might start sooner rather than later.

[duvaldude08]

$70mm is pretty big, but if they can break it into several phases, then it might start sooner rather than later.

Oh yeah Im sure they will. There's no way that can happen all at once.