Global Spectrum's Facilities Management Proposal

[Tacachale]

^What makes you think Global will be better? Giving a contract to the mayor's buddies does not strike me as "better". In particular when it just antagonizes the Jags yet again.

[thelakelander]

I think we all can agree that SMG's past performance here has been shaky at best.  That doesn't necessarily mean that Global would be better but it is an indicator of what you can expect out of SMG.

Nevertheless, if I were involved in deciding between the two, I'd closely evaluate both company's past performance in other markets as well as their ability to fit into whatever plan/direction I want those facilities to go in, in terms of overall downtown development, programming and connectivity. 

With that said, I also wouldn't "cave" into the Jags....or handle things the way they've been publicly done.  My ultimate goal would be to get the best deal for the taxpayer.

[Tacachale]

Oh, I agree, but I'd also rather not "cave" in to the pressure to hand deliver this thing to the Mayor's buddies either. And striking an entirely unnecessary adversarial relationship with the Jags is *not* in the interest of the taxpayer.

[thelakelander]

I agree with your last statement as well.

[tufsu1]

my concern is Global Spectrum doesn't have the stadium management resume

[urbaknight]

^What makes you think Global will be better? Giving a contract to the mayor's buddies does not strike me as "better". In particular when it just antagonizes the Jags yet again.

They're from Philly! That alone convinces me that they would be better than anyone local.
I'm all for doing things local except for anything that's meant to showcase JAX.
I think we should stop local construction companies from ever building DT ever again. (just look at the new courthouse, the arena, the main library I could probably go on and on.
I also hope we get a superintendant from somewhere else. (preferably from north of the Mason Dixon Line or west of the Continental Divide)
Those who conduct urban studies, should be from real urban areas.
Planners of buildings, streets, sidewalks, bike lanes etc. Get them down here from up there. You'll pay twice, maybe three times as much but you'll also get quality and longevity.
I go back to the courthouse, look how much we paid for it. It might fall down in 50 years, and it's not ADA compliant! All cuz these bumpkins wanted to cut every corner to maximize their own profits. A company from Philly would've charged less and there'd be a better longer lasting product too. 

Going back to the issue at hand, most people in the Jags organization are from somewhere else, don't they realize that JAX policies are ass backward and anyone from the Northeast (and I mean anyone) would be much more capable than anyone here to maximize potential for anything. I guess most of them don't see what we see. Maybe many haven't been here long enough to see that things don't usually work.

Not trying to offend anyone here, but we all know it's true.

[NotNow]

I'm just guessing your from Philadelphia?

[Tacachale]

Urbaknight, are you under the impression SMG is local? They're also from Philadelphia and they're even bigger in the field than Global.

[mtraininjax]

Folks, this is a city bid, it is something that is performed with fairness to all who bid, just as they look at options with furnishings on bid, as well as services, the management of the City Owned Properties deserves similar treatment. I know Greg Pease, head of Procurement, and Greg is all about following the rules, that is how you survive and last in city government, Greg got this right and while people (Jaguars, Suns, Sharks) may not like the results, the City has a process and they followed the process to get where we are today.

I am all for a proposal that offers to pay the city more for the managing of the facilities. We have excellent facilities and our managers should do everything to maximize the revenue for us. Again, if the people (teams) think the grass is greener somewhere else, by all means, go build it yourself and run it yourself. Dallas, New York, have shown it can be done.

The last time we renovated the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (Everbank Field), it cost US the TAXPAYERS almost 300 million, with little to no investment by the Jaguars. The team got a good deal from us, and from time to time, they need to be reminded of how the city has bent over to allow them revenue and money (such as the Everbank Field naming rights).  But just as you do with a landlord/tenant agreement, you can only have one chief.  I support the mayor taking a stance that he is voting for all of Jacksonville and not just for the tenant, we will see if he caves.

[Tacachale]

^I support that stance too, I just don't buy that this is an example of taking such a stance. At any rate the mayor shouldn't have his hand in the evaluations.

[mtraininjax]

At any rate the mayor shouldn't have his hand in the evaluations.

I agree with you on this! However, the agreement between the Jaguars and the City calls for the mayor to sit down and discuss with them how he plans to vote on this. A holdover from the Peyton days, and something our fine City Attorneys created.

[carpnter]

^What makes you think Global will be better? Giving a contract to the mayor's buddies does not strike me as "better". In particular when it just antagonizes the Jags yet again.

They're from Philly! That alone convinces me that they would be better than anyone local.
I'm all for doing things local except for anything that's meant to showcase JAX.
I think we should stop local construction companies from ever building DT ever again. (just look at the new courthouse, the arena, the main library I could probably go on and on.
I also hope we get a superintendant from somewhere else. (preferably from north of the Mason Dixon Line or west of the Continental Divide)
Those who conduct urban studies, should be from real urban areas.
Planners of buildings, streets, sidewalks, bike lanes etc. Get them down here from up there. You'll pay twice, maybe three times as much but you'll also get quality and longevity.
I go back to the courthouse, look how much we paid for it. It might fall down in 50 years, and it's not ADA compliant! All cuz these bumpkins wanted to cut every corner to maximize their own profits. A company from Philly would've charged less and there'd be a better longer lasting product too. 

Going back to the issue at hand, most people in the Jags organization are from somewhere else, don't they realize that JAX policies are ass backward and anyone from the Northeast (and I mean anyone) would be much more capable than anyone here to maximize potential for anything. I guess most of them don't see what we see. Maybe many haven't been here long enough to see that things don't usually work.

Not trying to offend anyone here, but we all know it's true.

Turner, who built the the Courthouse and the Arena (joint venture with Perry McCall), is not from Jacksonville.  The Public Library was built by a joint venture of two local contractors, Elkins and Auchter(who has now gone out of business) and two out of town contractors Lodestar and Parris. 

[urbaknight]

I'm just guessing your from Philadelphia?

I'm actually from New Jersey. My father was born in Camden; And my mother was born in Bayonne. So I claim New York City and Philadelphia as my cities.

[NotNow]

You seem very proud of your heritage, good for you!  Folks around here feel the same way about their heritage as well.  Might want to keep that in mind.  But of course the South is known for good manners.

[urbaknight]

I have no problem with the good people of the South. Bless their hearts, but they just don't know what smart leadership is like because they haven't had any since re-construction was suddenly haulted by conservatives grabbing back power.

Not to say the Northeast is without problems. But Jacksonville can learn from them. There's a great opportunity for JAX to be even better than the Northeast. (did I really just say that?) Well it's true. There are things up there that we absolutely hate and take for granted, that down here, we're so desperately fighting to get.

Like our transit system, we have trains, but they smell like piss. In New Jersey we have our transit system running throughout the state, but they charge more the further you go; And I'm not talking about from one town to another, I'm talking every few miles it goes up like a dollar.