What might have been...

[Riverrat]

I often think of many projects and wonder "what if that had been Jacksonville instead?" ...here are a series of thoughts meant to provoke a discussion. Some were definite possibilities and others are far fetched...but it leaves an answer to the question many ask...why hasn't Jacksonville progressed as much as other cities of similar size? 

What if UF or FSU had located in Jacksonville?
What if Wild Adventures build in Jacksonville?
What if Busch Gardens had built in Jacksonville?
What if Mayo Clinic was located downtown?
What if The World Golf Village been located in Jacksonville?
Would Marineland had an easier time if it had been built in Jacksonville?
What if we had held on to our history as the founding city of the motion picture industry?
What if we had embraced being the founding city of southern rock?
What if a parking garage had been built with the Landing at opening?
What if the center city was closer to the beach?
What if the center of the city was closer to St. Augustine?
What if Kennedy Space Center had been built here?
What if the airport had been built closer to downtown?
What if JU or UNF had been built closer to or in downtown?
What if city buildings (jail, court house, DCPS, JEA) had not been built on the water?
What if the skyway went in to the neighborhoods of San Marco, Riverside, Avondale, and Springfield?
What if the cruise port would have been built in Mayport from the beginning?

Feel free to add your own "What if" questions. Some might say "stop focusing on the what ifs and focus on how to improve the city" ...and to that, I say we work towards obtaining some of the things above. The good news though...Jacksonville did something right by electing Alvin Brown!

[duvaldude08]

What if we didnt run to the film industry to hollywood    

[Duke]

What if all of the proposed buildings and condo towers downtown were actually built??

[copperfiend]

What if all new structures built/renovated in downtown and the southbank in the last 25+ years were connected via the Skyway? This includes the Landing, Everbank Field, the Baseball Grounds/Arena, both courthouses, the downtown library, city hall, T-U Center, The Strand, The Adam's Mark/Hyatt...

[ac]

What if JAX had used it's early-to-mid-century clout to move the capital from Tallahassee?
What if the City had never consolidated with Duval County?
What if the City had never sold out to the bus companies and held onto its streetcar system?

[iMarvin]

What if all of the proposed buildings and condo towers downtown were actually built??

I think about this all the time... 

[iMarvin]

What if we built roads right the first time?

[duvaldude08]

What if all of the proposed buildings and condo towers downtown were actually built??

I think about this all the time... 

They would be empty!

[Garden guy]

What if our river were clean enough to swim downtown without worry of sores and cancers on our skin..a place that not just the wealthy with boats can interact with our river...what about a river themed park with water slides and ski school?

[iMarvin]

What if all of the proposed buildings and condo towers downtown were actually built??

I think about this all the time... 

They would be empty!

Honestly, assuming that all of them would've been done by 2008, I would expect about a 70-80% occupancy rate in all of them. Downtown would also be a lot more vibrant than it is now!

[iMarvin]

Kinda already on here but what if Jacksonville Beach was Downtown Jacksonville?

[JeffreyS]

What if the City had never sold out to the bus companies and held onto its streetcar system?

Love it.

What if we had kept the name Fort Caroline instead of changing to a ville?
What if recently we had said yes when FSU medical school, Florida Coastal School of Law and The Art Institute had asked for a little help to locate downtown?

[duvaldude08]

What if the City had never sold out to the bus companies and held onto its streetcar system?

Love it.

What if we had kept the name Fort Caroline instead of changing to a ville?
What if recently we had said yes when FSU medical school, Florida Coastal School of Law and The Art Institute had asked for a little help to locate downtown?

Yesss yesss Yess. florida costal would be by the court house and the art institute would be located near the MOCA. I actually think that is still something that can be worked on. I think thats an idea that should be proposed to Brown.

[iMarvin]

What if the City had never sold out to the bus companies and held onto its streetcar system?

Love it.

What if we had kept the name Fort Caroline instead of changing to a ville?
What if recently we had said yes when FSU medical school, Florida Coastal School of Law and The Art Institute had asked for a little help to locate downtown?

I thought Jacksonville used to be called Cowford, Wacca Pilatka, and Ossachite? Never heard Fort Caroline.

[JeffreyS]

Other than cowford it has been all of those names.  Cowford was a place to cross the river shown on a map but not the name of the area.  It is like saying the Landing there are ship landings in many place that is not the name of a place.