A Marketing Plan for Downtown Revitalization

[JeffreyS]

It all depends on how well they run the marketing campaign. Marketing works, it motivates people even if they do not know it.  Downtown has an image problem as well as more tangible problems.  The image problem needs tending to as well as the actual environment.

[comncense]

I'm over simplifying this but a way I see Downtown revitalizing itself in terms of increasing residents is to offer below average rent/hosing costs. It has to be below what it costs to live in Riverside where they have a grocery store, restaurants, bars, etc...

Downtown needs to realize it's not only competing with the suburbs, but Riverside, San Marco and Springfield which are in the immediate surrounding area and offer cheaper housing with better amenities.

Yeah I think at this point most places downtown cost above $1,000 a month to rent for a decent sized place. Metropolitan Lofts, The Carling, 11 E, The Strand... You can live just about anywhere in Jax for what places there run really.

[Captain Zissou]

While I don't think we need to pander to the suburbinites, I think it is important to stress the reasons WHY downtown is so important to our city and our region.  I liked Ed Burr's quote in the article.  The problem with most people in our city is that they don't get that even though they don't go out downtown and they only show up there for jury duty, downtown is important to them.  If we are going to invest in downtown, it's going to take some money.  People usually like to know what their money is going towards. 

If they can't understand why downtown is important after it is clearly presented to them, then I suggest they move to Starke.  Ironically, Starke's downtown is AWESOME and very well done for its size.

[tufsu1]

Ironically, Starke's downtown is AWESOME and very well done for its size.

um...no

now cities like Alachua, High Springs, Green Cove Springs, and Fernandina Beach maybe

[Tacachale]

While I don't think we need to pander to the suburbinites, I think it is important to stress the reasons WHY downtown is so important to our city and our region.  I liked Ed Burr's quote in the article.  The problem with most people in our city is that they don't get that even though they don't go out downtown and they only show up there for jury duty, downtown is important to them.  If we are going to invest in downtown, it's going to take some money.  People usually like to know what their money is going towards. 

If they can't understand why downtown is important after it is clearly presented to them, then I suggest they move to Starke.  Ironically, Starke's downtown is AWESOME and very well done for its size.

Exactly. Though I think the issue's even bigger than that - there are far too many people that simply aren't thinking about downtown, at all. It's just not part of the conversation. Successfully promoting downtown and all its amenities and opportunities would help change that. Yes, there are a lot of people who are going to be antagonistic no matter what, but others won't be. When people are talking about where to start a business, find a home, spend an entertainment dollar, etc, downtown needs to be part of that conversation, and right now it's really not for too much of the population.

[thelakelander]

I guess my problem with the "teach suburbanites why downtown is important" is this isn't Jacksonville specific issue.  The majority of suburbanites don't go to downtown Miami, Orlando and a host of other cities either.  However, they've still been successful in building up their cores as self sustainable neighborhoods. 

What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to not allow poor pedestrian scale development from being approved in DT (ex. JTA Greyhound terminal design).  What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to foster a pedestrian scale environment were buildings interact with the streets sidewalks surrounding them (ex. Everbank Center, BOA, Wells Fargo Center, Landing, etc.).  What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to provide decent and respectable mass transit options in the center of our urban core.  These are the types of things that separate us from the haves and have nots.  No amount of money thrown to marketing a dud of an urban environment is going to overcome these ills. 

At the end of the day, the best form of marketing is an atmosphere that features the amenities and vibrancy desired.  Imo, you can't there tricking people with slick campaigns as the major focus.  One trip in, one discovers its not what is being promoted and that person never comes back.  Eventually, you've got to roll up your sleeves and get to work actually moving forward with and implementing things that create the atmosphere you want to sell. 

[Captain Zissou]

At the end of the day, the best form of marketing is an atmosphere that features the amenities and vibrancy desired.  Imo, you can't there tricking people with slick campaigns as the major focus.  One trip in, one discovers its not what is being promoted and that person never comes back.  Eventually, you've got to roll up your sleeves and get to work actually moving forward with and implementing things that create the atmosphere you want to sell.

I agree with this.  What I meant in my post is that the city would be making capital investments in downtown and working to building a downtown worth marketing, and for that they would need to spend money.  Since the misers in Mandarin will undoubtedly complain, there should be materials in place to explain why the city's investment in the core is crucial to the viability of Mandarin and the NE FL region.  However, this is assuming the capital investments are well utilized and done correctly.

[thelakelander]

^True.  I was just clarifying my initial post.

[Captain Zissou]

Ironically, Starke's downtown is AWESOME and very well done for its size.

um...no

now cities like Alachua, High Springs, Green Cove Springs, and Fernandina Beach maybe

Tufsu, have you been to the historic downtown Starke??  I'm not referring to the part along 301 (though I'm not sure why you don't love that area, it's got all your favorites.  They've got a Sonny's, a Hardee's, a Burger King, a CVS.....  I know they don't have a hooter's, but let's not be too greedy).  There is an area about 3 blocks from the Sonny's that has brick streets lined with historic homes, a row of pedestrian scaled shops, a boutique historic movie theater, and a number of cool businesses.  I would say it is larger than Alachua's downtown.  I agree that High Springs has a very cool downtown for a town its size.

[cline]

What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to not allow poor pedestrian scale development from being approved in DT (ex. JTA Greyhound terminal design).  What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to foster a pedestrian scale environment were buildings interact with the streets sidewalks surrounding them (ex. Everbank Center, BOA, Wells Fargo Center, Landing, etc.).  What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to provide decent and respectable mass transit options in the center of our urban core.  These are the types of things that separate us from the haves and have nots.  No amount of money thrown to marketing a dud of an urban environment is going to overcome these ills. 

We need some new blood in terms of leadership.  It seems like we continue to have the same people recycled into new positions.  I think ineffective leadership (JTA, for example) is a major culprit into why downtown has stagnated and regressed.   

[cline]

Ironically, Starke's downtown is AWESOME and very well done for its size.

um...no

now cities like Alachua, High Springs, Green Cove Springs, and Fernandina Beach maybe

Tufsu, have you been to the historic downtown Starke??  I'm not referring to the part along 301 (though I'm not sure why you don't love that area, it's got all your favorites.  They've got a Sonny's, a Hardee's, a Burger King, a CVS.....  I know they don't have a hooter's, but let's not be too greedy).  There is an area about 3 blocks from the Sonny's that has brick streets lined with historic homes, a row of pedestrian scaled shops, a boutique historic movie theater, and a number of cool businesses.  I would say it is larger than Alachua's downtown.  I agree that High Springs has a very cool downtown for a town its size.

Wonder how the Starke bypass idea that's been kicked around would effect its downtown.  Probably not well.

[Captain Zissou]

^ It would probably help their historic downtown.  301 already bypasses their downtown.  A bypass of the entire city would cause many of the fast food places that depend on the through traffic to shut down.  That could allow for some mom and pop's to open in the historic area and benefit from decreased competition from the chains.

[Tacachale]

I guess my problem with the "teach suburbanites why downtown is important" is this isn't Jacksonville specific issue.  The majority of suburbanites don't go to downtown Miami, Orlando and a host of other cities either.  However, they've still been successful in building up their cores as self sustainable neighborhoods. 

What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to not allow poor pedestrian scale development from being approved in DT (ex. JTA Greyhound terminal design).  What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to foster a pedestrian scale environment were buildings interact with the streets sidewalks surrounding them (ex. Everbank Center, BOA, Wells Fargo Center, Landing, etc.).  What is Jacksonville specific is our inability to provide decent and respectable mass transit options in the center of our urban core.  These are the types of things that separate us from the haves and have nots.  No amount of money thrown to marketing a dud of an urban environment is going to overcome these ills. 

At the end of the day, the best form of marketing is an atmosphere that features the amenities and vibrancy desired.  Imo, you can't there tricking people with slick campaigns as the major focus.  One trip in, one discovers its not what is being promoted and that person never comes back.  Eventually, you've got to roll up your sleeves and get to work actually moving forward with and implementing things that create the atmosphere you want to sell.

I think you're thinking about it the wrong way. Yes, we need to do all those things you're talking about. But successful promotion will make that task easier overall, and should be part of the process from the get go. I don't have figures, but I'll virtually guarantee you that Miami and Orlando have done proportionally much more promotion for their downtowns than we've done in Jacksonville for a long time.

It's really not about "converting the suburbanites" or about tricking anyone with a slick campaign, it's about, well, promotion. Having more people aware and invested will make the other tasks easier. As one example, I'll go out on a limb and say something like the new Greyhound design would not have flown if more people were simply aware of what was going on.

[thelakelander]

In that light, I can see your point.  It's just unfortunate we have to invest significant dollars/time on promotion to get leaders to apply sound, proven, and easy to implement urban principles which breed organic vibrancy.

[cline]

^ It would probably help their historic downtown.  301 already bypasses their downtown.  A bypass of the entire city would cause many of the fast food places that depend on the through traffic to shut down.  That could allow for some mom and pop's to open in the historic area and benefit from decreased competition from the chains.

I would doubt it.  Mom and Pops also depend on traffic to thrive just as fast food restaurants do.  I don't think less people around would help.  Look at how the opening of I-95 killed a lot of commercial along US1.

I don't think US301 bypasses its current downtown either.  It is only a couple of blocks away.  Not really a bypass.