DDA

[fieldafm]

A message to Alvin Brown:

I sincerely hope you strongly consider the following people in the process of forming a new DDA:

Jim Bailey, Audrey Moran, Tim Miller, John Fischer, Pete Rummell, Brad Thoburn(working with transit needs to be a MAJOR component of this agency), Ron Barton and Ennis Davis.

Replacing JEDC's role in downtown development with a seperate DDA will only be effective in relation to the people you appoint to serve downtown's interest and the following people have the proven experience and leadership to accomplish your goals.

Thank you

And for God's sake, give Bill Killingsworth a raise.

[Doctor_K]

add Bob Mann to that list.

[ChriswUfGator]

A message to Alvin Brown:

I sincerely hope you strongly consider the following people in the process of forming a new DDA:

Jim Bailey, Audrey Moran, Tim Miller, John Fischer, Pete Rummell, Brad Thoburn(working with transit needs to be a MAJOR component of this agency), Ron Barton and Ennis Davis.

Replacing JEDC's role in downtown development with a seperate DDA will only be effective in relation to the people you appoint to serve downtown's interest and the following people have the proven experience and leadership to accomplish your goals.

Thank you

And for God's sake, give Bill Killingsworth a raise.

+1,000,000,000

Speaking personally, I'd nominate Stephen Dare as well. For two decades he was about the only true resident of downtown who wasn't sleeping on a bench. And he's opened and closed several businesses there. He knows the place better than anybody.

[Tacachale]

He'd do well to talk to Mullaney too, especially in regards to his plan for attracting health care jobs and a med school.

[Wacca Pilatka]

He'd do well to talk to Mullaney too, especially in regards to his plan for attracting health care jobs and a med school.

Yes, as upsetting as his late-campaign machinations were, he had some quality ideas.

[sheclown]

A message to Alvin Brown:

I sincerely hope you strongly consider the following people in the process of forming a new DDA:

Jim Bailey, Audrey Moran, Tim Miller, John Fischer, Pete Rummell, Brad Thoburn(working with transit needs to be a MAJOR component of this agency), Ron Barton and Ennis Davis.

Replacing JEDC's role in downtown development with a seperate DDA will only be effective in relation to the people you appoint to serve downtown's interest and the following people have the proven experience and leadership to accomplish your goals.

Thank you

And for God's sake, give Bill Killingsworth a raise.

+1,000,000,000

Speaking personally, I'd nominate Stephen Dare as well. For two decades he was about the only true resident of downtown who wasn't sleeping on a bench. And he's opened and closed several businesses there. He knows the place better than anybody.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Isn't that the crux of all political races?  Every candidate usually has valid points and most raise awareness to certain issues, but the real leaders are the ones with the initiative and drive to follow through.  I would like to see AB take on the city and use some of the people that he ran against as advisors during his tenure.  As said above, let Moran lead the push to help alleviate the homeless/vagrant problems with some added support from Schulzbacher.  Let Mullaney find a spot to lead his push for the medical campus.  They're both good causes and if both were given the opportunity to succeed, then AB's cause of making DT a better place, bringing jobs to the city, etc..   It's a win, win, win. 

A general is only as good as his captains in the field allow him to be.

[kells904]

Speaking personally, I'd nominate Stephen Dare as well. For two decades he was about the only true resident of downtown who wasn't sleeping on a bench. And he's opened and closed several businesses there. He knows the place better than anybody.

[Garden guy]

A message to Alvin Brown:

I sincerely hope you strongly consider the following people in the process of forming a new DDA:

Jim Bailey, Audrey Moran, Tim Miller, John Fischer, Pete Rummell, Brad Thoburn(working with transit needs to be a MAJOR component of this agency), Ron Barton and Ennis Davis.

Replacing JEDC's role in downtown development with a seperate DDA will only be effective in relation to the people you appoint to serve downtown's interest and the following people have the proven experience and leadership to accomplish your goals.

Thank you

And for God's sake, give Bill Killingsworth a raise.

+1,000,000,000

Speaking personally, I'd nominate Stephen Dare as well. For two decades he was about the only true resident of downtown who wasn't sleeping on a bench. And he's opened and closed several businesses there. He knows the place better than anybody.

IT's true and he should be mayor one day i think...

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^
But who would write his speeches for him? 

[thelakelander]

Getting back to the topic of a DDA, as I mentioned a few pages back, it won't solve everything, but having a city agency completely dedicated to improving downtown (staff with the right individuals of course) will help foster an urban environment that will be attractive to both local businesses and national chains.  However, I'm going to say once again, there are a number of policies and steps that have to be revisited and overcome to move things forward.  Speaking of Fort Worth, many of the places Second Pancake mentioned around the Sundance Square area don't have to deal with overcoming some of the policy issues that impact downtown Jacksonville.  Also, speaking of mass transit, its pretty cool how DT Fort Worth's intermodal center connects the neighborhood with the rest of metro, via bus and commuter rail.  With that said, DT Fort Worth would be a great peer city to take look at as an example of how to do things right.

[BigGuy219]

Getting back to the topic of a DDA, as I mentioned a few pages back, it won't solve everything, but having a city agency completely dedicated to improving downtown (staff with the right individuals of course) will help foster an urban environment that will be attractive to both local businesses and national chains.  However, I'm going to say once again, there are a number of policies and steps that have to be revisited and overcome to move things forward.  Speaking of Fort Worth, many of the places Second Pancake mentioned around the Sundance Square area don't have to deal with overcoming some of the policy issues that impact downtown Jacksonville.  Also, speaking of mass transit, its pretty cool how DT Fort Worth's intermodal center connects the neighborhood with the rest of metro, via bus and commuter rail.  With that said, DT Fort Worth would be a great peer city to take look at as an example of how to do things right.

But we've had the JEDC and Downtown Vision and a lot of involved citizens. And what has happened? A few events, Laura Street improvements, and a court house? What is going to be different this time Lake? And of course this new group is going to want to start from scratch, do their own studies, and we're right back to square one.

By the sound of all this we're a decade (or more) away from any substantive change downtown.

[thelakelander]

JEDC - Is not a city agency dedicated to DT alone.
Downtown Vision - Serves a different purpose.
Lots of involved citizens - This is what has kept DT afloat so far.  We ought to alleviate policies to allow this segment of the population more opportunity.

As you know, my focus is not on a DDA.  However, I can see how one could be of benefit.  Nevertheless, this will ultimately depend on the people selected to it.  It could be great for DT. Or it could be a complete failure.

Timeline wise, you're probably right if substantive change in your eyes means a DT filled with TGI Fridays, Applebees and Targets.  Probably longer, if you don't invest in that streetcar line to connect DT with Springfield, Riverside and other neighborhoods.  However, change for existing and local businesses can happen pretty quick by simply modifying policies that prohibit their growth.

[thelakelander]

They exist in suburban Jacksonville in an autocentric design pattern.  Pedestrian oriented transportation infrastructure creates development in a walkable design pattern (which is something we lack).  A streetcar isn't about national retail.  Its about promoting sustainable walkable oriented economic infill opportunities in downtown and the urban core neighborhoods.  However, infill TOD can certainly include national chains.  For example, there are a number of chains that have popped up along Charlotte's new rail line (ex. Lowes Home Improvement, Office Depot, Carrabba's, Chipolte, etc.).

At this point, the mobility plan already includes funding for streetcar lines into Riverside and Springfield.  Its expected to be adopted sometime this Summer.  As we progress forward with those plans, don't be surprised to see dead or delayed mixed-use projects like the old Brooklyn Park proposal and 200 Riverside come back online.  It happened in Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Houston and Tampa.  I find very little reason to believe it won't happen in Jacksonville when the commitment is truly made.  FYI, I'm basing my statement on actual real life examples.

Even if that plan is adopted we're still talking a long time before ground is broken on a street car project. Even longer for it to be operational. And frankly, there are a lot of people in this city who are even unaware of the mobility plan that are going to want to chime in and have a say before anything goes forward.

And even if it does go forward you're talking about years and years down the road before anything new springs up.

We live in the world of when we get fat, we choose liposuction instead of P90X.  Only to find out, we're out of thousands of dollars and bloated again a few months later because we never changed our bad Angus Burger eating and exercise habits. Even if a developer proposed a Publix or Walmart in downtown today, you're still at least two years from being able to walk through the front door, assuming the project gets through the permitting, zoning, DDRB and council approval without delay (highly unlikely).  Things take time.

It took 50 years to get to where we're at today.  Quite frankly, it's not going to turn around and be filled with the national chains you want overnight.  So yes, with or without a streetcar, you're probably a good decade away from downtown Jacksonville being dominated with Targets, Home Depots, Best Buys, Whole Foods and Macy's (and that's if you're lucky).

Regarding a streetcar, it can be as fast or as long as the community is willing to take.  For Jax, my guess is five to ten years.  However, things could change with Brown winning the recent election.  That remains to be seen at this point.  Nevertheless, development normally starts when the commitment is made to move forward with construction.  So by the time the thing becomes operational, some TOD will be in place or under construction before that point.

That's a lot of time to just sit around and wait. My cost of living downtown is $1400/mo (that includes rent and bills). That's almost $17,000 a year I'm locking in to live downtown. $50,000 in three years.

Meanwhile I live above vacant retail that I really don't think the company is actively trying to lease.

It's very frustrating.

It is very frustrating.  Especially, considering we did nothing during the largest urban development boom in this country the past decade.  We simply missed our opportunity because of a lack of making DT a true priority over the burbs.  Unfortunately, you're screwed, if you expect the DT retail environment to transform into SJTC overnight.  My suggestion would be to relocate to Riverside or San Marco when your lease is up.  That's about the best short term solution you'll have for living in a vibrant urban environment that includes a mix of local shops and national chains in this city.

Don't you have any ideas/plans for something that doesn't take years and a complicated transit system to get going?

Yes, I've been telling you it in just about every post I've made on this thread.

Modifying policies and working with existing businesses to make the urban environment a better place.  Here are links to an article we ran on this last week and another from November:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-may-twenty-affordable-fixes-for-downtown

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-nov-creating-downtown-vibrancy-by-exposing-secret-retail

These ideas may not be "sexy" TU front page news worthy and you may not hear your favorite sales clerk talk about them at the cash register but they work and are easy and quick to implement.  They won't land you you're Trader Joe's but they will create the vibrant urban environment that would.

[urbanlibertarian]

thelakelander wrote:

Even if a developer proposed a Publix or Walmart in downtown today, you're still at least two years from being able to walk through the front door, assuming the project gets through the permitting, zoning, DDRB and council approval without delay (highly unlikely).  Things take time.

Why are these "things" necessary?  Let's get rid of them so developers and property/business owners can move more quickly and cheaply.