Courthouse Asphalt or Green Space: The Choice Is Yours?

[Ralph W]

Perhaps a "Then and Now" photo comparison brochure could be made up from the MJ archives and handed out to each council member, each mayoral candidate and the movers and shakers determined to carry on with the status quo of destruction and parking lot proliferation.

Add a third photo to each group showing what others have done to bring their downtowns into the here and now.

Title it: "Are you embarrassed to have been a part of turning a vibrant city into a wasteland of overgrown surface parking lots and flight to the suburbs".

[thelakelander]

wow!

[Bativac]

Perhaps a "Then and Now" photo comparison brochure could be made up from the MJ archives and handed out to each council member, each mayoral candidate and the movers and shakers determined to carry on with the status quo of destruction and parking lot proliferation.

Add a third photo to each group showing what others have done to bring their downtowns into the here and now.

Title it: "Are you embarrassed to have been a part of turning a vibrant city into a wasteland of overgrown surface parking lots and flight to the suburbs".

This is a great idea. Call it THE DECLINE OF JACKSONVILLE and subtitle it "and what your team did to further it"

[stjr]

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastatingly nuked 65+ years ago and they look more vibrant today than downtown Jax. MJ should do a comparison of how two cities went from the ultimate disaster to arise again and one city went from a booming success to a downtown disaster, of sorts, during the same time.

P.S. Notice the streetcar in the Hiroshima photo below.


Wikipedia: Nagasaki's vibrant waterfront features events like visits from sailing ships:


Nagasaki after the A-bomb:


Wikipedia: From top left:Hiroshima Castle, Baseball game of Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Hiroshima Municipal Baseball Stadium, Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), Night view of Ebisu-cho, Children's Peace Monument:


Hiroshima after the A-bomb:

[John P]

Vip tour coming up
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/422234/paul-pinkham/2011-03-23/chief-judge-mayor-and-council-examine-proximity-new

Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran and Mayor John Peyton are planning to meet in the morning with City Council members for a look-see at the new Duval County Courthouse and its proximity to Monroe Street.

The group will gather at the Ed Ball Building at 10:30 then proceed to the construction site. The purpose of the meeting, according to the mayor's office, is "to examine the proximity of Monroe Street to the courthouse facility.

Whether to close Monroe Street has been a hot topic of debate. The new courthouse blocks the current route, but some on the council want to wind it around the building."

[stjr]

Maybe someone can call Audrey and have her tell her brother-in-law to see that they close this section of Monroe Street.  It could at least be a consolation prize for the election.

[thelakelander]

Please see the attached public meeting notice:

Public Meeting Notice to Examine Proximity of Courthouse and Monroe Street

Notice is hereby given that Mayor John Peyton and Chief Judge Donald Moran will meet with City Council Members at the Duval County Courthouse Facility to examine the proximity of Monroe Street to the Courthouse Facility on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. All interested persons are invited to attend and should meet promptly at 10:30 a.m. at the Ed Ball Building , 1st floor security desk. 

Note: This is an active construction site, so please dress appropriately (long pants and closed-toe, flat-soled shoes).

Please contact Ginny Walthour at (904) 630-2518 for additional information.

[letters and numbers]

so this means that everybody needs to stop wishing and complaining and SHOW UP!! I'm going to go!