Jacksonville fights to keep fleeing young professionals

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I don't disagree with what most are saying, but just to stir the pot a little, reread the first paragraph:

Paige Calvert had an “I’m out of here” attitude toward Northeast Florida after graduation from Clay High.
After she earned a business degree at the University of Florida, she headed to New York City.

But last January, Calvert returned to Jacksonville. Now 28, she is the community curator at Cowork Jax, a new venture that lets professionals and entrepreneurs share snazzy space in a downtown building.

And ask yourself why Paige REALLY came back.

While we may not have all the glitz and splash and 24-7 events as a New York, Atlanta, Boston or LA, there's also not 15k other people competing for the same job/apartment/dinner reservation, etc...  So while there are plenty of other opportunities elsewhere, there is also more intense competition. 

[thelakelander]

I don't think anyone expects Jax to have a similar environment to what a cities several times its size does.   The same would go for all of our true peers (Charlotte, Memphis, Austin, Richmond, Louisville, Nashville, etc.) However, is it too much to expect a higher quality of life for all areas of our community?  Is it too much to ask for well maintained parks with amenities in the urban core or multiple vibrant neighborhoods that offer an environment that doesn't require 20 minute commute for basic services?

[BillKillingsworth]

If you assume CEOS for Cities data is accurate and the ratio of general revenue to total income remains the same, raising college attainment to the national average could mean a $115+ million annual increase to the City's general fund.

Duval County per Capita Income             $25,854
Duval County population                           864,263
Total County Income                    $22,344,655,602
   
COJ GSD Revenue                                $990,000,000
GSD Revenue/ Total Income                          0.0443

Value of a 1% increase in
college attainment                                $659,432,669
A 4% increase to make us average $2,637,730,676

Additional annual GSD Revenue         $116,851,469

*Data from American Fact Finder, CEOs for Cities, and COJ

The economic benefits of this single strategy (raising college attainment) illustrates the scale of impact improving our downtown and education can make.

[cline]

It's frustrating the article doesn't address what the city can actually do to improve things

It says the JAXUSA Partnership and the Northeast Florida Regional Council study will "unveil specific recommendations Thursday". 

It'll be interesting to see what they have to say.

Great...more recommendations that will go unheeded and never be implemented.  We can just go ahead and lump these in with all the other studies like the ones JCCI does.  We need more action and less lip service. 

[fieldafm]

And ask yourself why Paige REALLY came back

In defense of Paige... she did some REALLY cool work up in New York.  I'm glad she's now over at CoWork.  She's doing a lot of behind the scenes stuff to get the conversation of making Jax attractive for the Creative Class moving forward.  She's already a real gem in this city IMO. 

To whoever metioned some new IT company in Jax... Jax actually does have a good market for IT-related jobs.  However the city isn't attractive to the kinds of people this article speaks to.  Those are the kind of people that are going to bring creativity and innovation to this city. 

I have a lot of friends that are extremely talented people who genuinely care about the city... but unfortunately it is a stifling environment. 

I honestly believe the NUMBER ONE issue facing this city is engaging and embracing young professionals.  It's been my main focus in life since the last election. 

[duvaldude08]

I think it also depends on your personality also. I fit into the "young professional" category and Im college educated ( and still going as we speak). Jacksonville is fine with me because Im not hard to please. As long as I have something to do when I get in the mood, Im fine. Im not really one to live the "fast" life, so I could care less about options. I go to Jags game, hit a few house parties, hit a few clubs, dine out every now and then, travel with my group I sing with and Im good. I actually live a very comfortable life given that I dont make a whole lot. 

I am determined to stay in Jacksonville. I am a young educated professional and we all cant just pack up leave. WE will never get anywhere that way. I just purchased a home here so Im not going anywhere. I really just want to change the image of Jacksonville. Being that Im africian Amercian, there is also a perception that all blacks in Jacksonville are "Ghetto" "uneducated'  and "thugs". There also the perception that educated people dont live in Jacksonville and we are all rednecks. I want to change that.

I'm an African-American young professional with school age kids.  Being that I have a few extra responsibilities, I don't spend a considerable amount of time at bars and clubs, but I still do value well maintained urban parks, reliable mass transit, culture, good public schools, walkability and getting the most bang for my buck.  Before moving to Jax, I had a house in Central Florida and hated it.  I'm in my mid-30's now and I have no desire to ever own a single family home again.  Ideally, I'd love a rowhouse/townhouse and searched hard for one in and around downtown when I moved to town.  Needless to say, I found a limited supply (the Parks was about the only option around) and higher asking prices for urban living in environments that didn't offer the basic urban amenities I was seeking.  Thus, I ended up on the Southside by default because the amount of housing stock and supporting services gave me the most bang for my buck.  With that said, I do use my locally earned disposable income on a regular basis, visiting peer communities that allow me the opportunity to enjoy those basic urban amenities that we lack locally.  I'm totally invested in the community and would love to see things improve here but I'm also not willing to blow my younger years missing out on things I value.

+100

[Anti redneck]

I've tried to stay offline in the past because of my position with the City and now to keep my nose clean; but, this is something I feel strongly about.  Capital is more mobile than it has every been. It's not just mobile regionally or nationally, but globally. Today's young professional is more likely to make a location choice based on lifestyle issues than ever before. It doesn't take much research to figure out they are locating in cities that offer a dynamic urban lifestyle with a variety of mobility choices.

CEOs for Cities published a report they call the Talent Dividend. Their research indicates that for every %1 increase in college attainment there is a $763 increase in per capita income. Some simple math indicates that just striving for average would net 2.5 billion dollars for Duval County annually.  That's a powerful argument for Jacksonville adding a vibrant urban product to it's real estate portfolio.

However, there's more.  This is a group that clearly values education. I leave it to you to discuss whether we provide a market that values education ...

Bill

Bill, perhaps you can be our inside voice?

[Anti redneck]

If our city leadership would have taken note about what was happening in Charlotte years ago, we could be right with them.  As it stands now we are about 20 years behind them.  That is really unfortunate.  We need to learn from cities that are similar to us but progressing forward- not ignore them.

Flying through the Charlotte airport a few weeks ago, I noticed some posters by the Chamber of Commerce or similar organization promoting Charlotte to the world. The posters had three photographs--one of the skyline, one of nature (I believe), and one of Charlotte LYNX (their light rail system). That's right--when the city had to choose three images to promote their city, they devoted one of the images to rail transit. Yes, if only Jacksonville could learn.

Not to be negative, but if Jacksonville hasn't learned yet, it's not going to now.

[copperfiend]

I was in Charlotte last month and was given tickets to a Bobcats game.

my apologies

LOL. I thought of that after I typed it. Not great basketball but hard to pass up free tickets to an NBA game. Terrific arena but probably only 6k or so people at the game.

[copperfiend]

If our city leadership would have taken note about what was happening in Charlotte years ago, we could be right with them.  As it stands now we are about 20 years behind them.  That is really unfortunate.  We need to learn from cities that are similar to us but progressing forward- not ignore them.

Flying through the Charlotte airport a few weeks ago, I noticed some posters by the Chamber of Commerce or similar organization promoting Charlotte to the world. The posters had three photographs--one of the skyline, one of nature (I believe), and one of Charlotte LYNX (their light rail system). That's right--when the city had to choose three images to promote their city, they devoted one of the images to rail transit. Yes, if only Jacksonville could learn.

Not to be negative, but if Jacksonville hasn't learned yet, it's not going to now.

That remains the issue, doesn't it? Think small and you get small.

[thelakelander]

I was in Charlotte last month and was given tickets to a Bobcats game.

my apologies

LOL. I thought of that after I typed it. Not great basketball but hard to pass up free tickets to an NBA game. Terrific arena but probably only 6k or so people at the game.

They should have paid you to take their tickets.  Jordan has run that team into the ground.

[JeffreyS]

I don't think anyone expects Jax to have a similar environment to what a cities several times its size does.   The same would go for all of our true peers (Charlotte, Memphis, Austin, Richmond, Louisville, Nashville, etc.) However, is it too much to expect a higher quality of life for all areas of our community?  Is it too much to ask for well maintained parks with amenities in the urban core or multiple vibrant neighborhoods that offer an environment that doesn't require 20 minute commute for basic services?

You know what Jacksonville would love that we could take straight from a mega city.  All of the little areas outside of Chicago where transit touches.  Around the stations there emerges small (Relative to the core of Chicago) walkable and drivable communities with many different flavors. Pockets of density that have urban type amenities without going into the city. Almost everywhere they stop a little five point or San Marco square seems to be the center of vibrant communities. In the outlying communities most people have and use their cars but the transit still benefits them. The development pattern pays for the transit many times over.

[cityimrov]

The biggest problem with Jacksonville is what this article says.  I've been reading so many articles and it's been exactly like this.  Even our previous mayors have said the same thing. 

"Jacksonville is fine.  We just need to keep doing what we're doing.  Our main problem is image.  We just need to do more marketing to them.  Once we do that, everything will be fine."

All we need to do is market our downtown and people will stop seeing Jacksonville as a flyover city instead of a destination.    All we need to do is to tell these college kids that Jacksonville is fine with a few ads and maybe a few businesses to lecture them and they will stop going away.

If people here can't see the problem with this, I don't think Jacksonville will ever be a destination for smart young people because according to them, there is nothing wrong with Jacksonville FL.  If nothing is wrong, nothing needs to be fixed. 

[JeffreyS]

We are doing some good things lately the Craft Beer movement here in town in particular. Downtown developing a night life is helping. We are starting to college graduates who grew up with the Jags as their favorite team.  Restaurant scene both local and chain have improved in the last five years. We wasted too much time during the construction boom not getting things done downtown but the recovery has some downtown focus. Our biggest GOB club the Civic Council is even pro urban vibrancy. 

We had the politicians here vote in the Mobility Fee though their knees failed them recently. (We have to continue to pressure them to sunset the Moratorium).

Last but certainly not least we have seen this Website able to create enough community pressure and bring such exposure to some bad policy's and have the city reverse course when needed.

It is not all doom and gloom but we do need to change the game on the "Brain Drain".

[fsquid]

I was in Charlotte last month and was given tickets to a Bobcats game.

my apologies

LOL. I thought of that after I typed it. Not great basketball but hard to pass up free tickets to an NBA game. Terrific arena but probably only 6k or so people at the game.

When I lived there, they routinely did buy one get one free for games after New Year's