Money for downtown diverted in order to pave more roads

[marksjax]

Ha, no way would anyone would vote for a booze seller in Jax.
(Although maybe they would vote for Jay Albertelli since he is prettier and younger than me.)
Plus the power structure would not take kindly to my somewhat abrupt nature.

This problem is systemic and not just the Mayor and/or City Council are to blame.

These boards are formed and then they hit the 'bureaucratic wall of BS' that slows their enthusiasm, and their goals get lost in the shuffle.

If this is how it will be then I suggest we put our efforts into something more useful.

If Jim Bailey is checking out I can assure you this is just the tip of the iceberg as to how bad things actually are.

Sad time to be a proponent of Downtown.

One example of how out of touch we are in getting things right is the fact that right now there are 900 or so Vietnam Veteran's having a convention at the Hyatt and no one in the city even acknowledges their visit. We should have done something, at least a thank you for coming and thank you for your service type of thing. Or the Mayor declares this Vietnam Veteran's Week or something. Things like that would be done automatically in another city. Here, nada.
It is a corollary for the lack of support to any small business owner in Downtown sees from our leadership. Kind of, "Oh you opened a business in DT? Good for you, good luck, see ya"

Oh well, life goes on.
Next subject...

[tufsu1]

as to the $9 million being taken from DIA....as the article above alludes, the Mayor's office had been angling from the beginning to control that...and have it in the Office of Economic Development

[marksjax]

This is a perfect time for the DIA Board to show their mettle & flex some muscle.
Time to draw a 'line in the sand' and resign en mass. This would be a way to pressure the City Council to show their true intentions as to whether or not they are taking Downtown seriously.
Put up or shut up as it were.
Why not shake up the whole dynamic? Might be a way to turn this around.

[JayBird]

This is a perfect time for the DIA Board to show their mettle & flex some muscle.
Time to draw a 'line in the sand' and resign en mass. This would be a way to pressure the City Council to show their true intentions as to whether or not they are taking Downtown seriously.
Put up or shut up as it were.
Why not shake up the whole dynamic? Might be a way to turn this around.

+100

[fieldafm]

This is a perfect time for the DIA Board to show their mettle & flex some muscle.
Time to draw a 'line in the sand' and resign en mass. This would be a way to pressure the City Council to show their true intentions as to whether or not they are taking Downtown seriously.
Put up or shut up as it were.
Why not shake up the whole dynamic? Might be a way to turn this around.

A similar action took place decades ago when the downtown merchant association disbanded in protest, that was one of several actions that led to the Jacksonvile Landing.

[icarus]

This is a perfect time for the DIA Board to show their mettle & flex some muscle.
Time to draw a 'line in the sand' and resign en mass. This would be a way to pressure the City Council to show their true intentions as to whether or not they are taking Downtown seriously.
Put up or shut up as it were.
Why not shake up the whole dynamic? Might be a way to turn this around.

+1000

[Noone]

This is a perfect time for the DIA Board to show their mettle & flex some muscle.
Time to draw a 'line in the sand' and resign en mass. This would be a way to pressure the City Council to show their true intentions as to whether or not they are taking Downtown seriously.
Put up or shut up as it were.
Why not shake up the whole dynamic? Might be a way to turn this around.

Mark, With all due respect the complete opposite happened at the 7/24/13 DIA Board meeting. I'm sitting right here looking at the agenda and it's not listed. At the very end of the almost 3 hour plus meeting Paul Crawford pulled out a document prepared by OED which is an Authorization to Negotiate and Engage on Various Downtown Projects and the DIA Board with the exception of Jim Bailey vote yes. Are you kidding me. Some members are seeing this for the first time.

You know who I feel sorry for are the USS Adams guys. If they had just stuck around they could have been put on the list. And how about the list.

Prior to this OED power play what were the reports in the media status about
Haydon Burns Library
Shipyards
Bostwick Building

2013-377 -Removal of Property Code Violations. Who were the big winners of this taxpayer windfall?

And a $25,000 dollar request jumps to $50,000 per business.   How do you sign up for this stuff.

After months of  attending DIA meetings and just prior to the RFI, RFP of Shipyards and sitting next to Scott Wilson I ask right after the River City Challenge pictures if someone pulled up to the floating dock that is right now on the Shipyards property can it be used for personal or commercial use and the answer back from Tony Allegretti and Paul Crawford was NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,

Ram dock only open when RAM is open. That is positive.
Palms Fish Camp- A million bucks and you never even open the door. That is positive.

Does anyone remember John Culbreath?
Aundra Wallace ( I feel sorry for the man already) He'll be leading the ribbon cutting ceremonies on projects that he had nothing to do with.

The city council pulling the money is the right thing to do.

Doesn't DIA now have control over all the Parking revenue?
If yes.  Isn't that seed money that is supposed to fund the DIA along with other revenue generators?

[Ocklawaha]

If the city paves anymore of those crappy intersections also known as Laura/Forsyth, Laura/Adams, then downtown does not need the money. I'd rather have smooth asphalt to cover up the messes the city has made on St. Johns and Riverside.

Those crappy intersections are doing EXACTLY what they were designed to do... SLOW EVERYONE THE HELL DOWN! Our city streets are wide by many city's standards and the main ones, Main, Bay, Forsyth etc... Have become racetracks making it a chore to cross the street. Sometimes the pavement and the lights are timed to STOP or SLOW the traffic flow, something that needs to be done around FSCJ.

This would be my preferred method of installing BUS RAPID TRANSIT. Brick or stone pavers in the bus lane with runways at the width of the bus tires. Bus rides smooth and cars don't, car's CAN use the bus lanes if they need to, but for the most part will avoid them, allowing free/faster movement of the buses. Think Atlantic, San Jose, Philips, Lem Turner etc.


iMAGE: Imagine his is a full width city street with 4 lanes and a center turn lane, the two bus lanes are paved with brick or stone except for these pictured bus runways you see in this photo. Instant passive traffic control. Wide open bus lanes with fast moving buses.

NOTE TO JTA, TERMINATE THAT NORTH BRT LINE AT THE AIRPORT.  TIME TO PULL OUR HEADS OUT.

[HisBuffPVB]

Gutting the DIA, first from the Mayor's office NOT allowing the Board to operate as an independent agency as it was designed, and second, from the Council removing its funds, takes a major tool for redevelopment off the table. So we have a new Director starting Monday, with nothing to direct.
Over the past 40 plus years of consolidation, there have been some FUBAR incidents, but nothing as consistent on so many levels as has happened over the past few years. Of course, what is missing now is leadership at the top. Don't for an independent agency if you are not going to allow it to function. With the coming loss of the gas tax for roads, the inability to resolve the pension issues, the hardened position on not raising revenue which will lead to the loss of libraries and other services, we are in for some tough times.

[marksjax]

Noone,
Thank you for the insight and for actually attending and reporting what has happened at these meetings.
Hats off to you for that effort!
So, if I understand correctly The City Council might be leery of funding the DIA because of the control exhibited by the OED so far? Is that what you are feeling?
I am not sure of the specific chain of command with regards to DIA, OED and the Mayor's Office.
If DIA is indeed separate or supposed to be autonomous of OED then I can see their concern.
On the other hand, since DIA has not had an Executive Director yet it may be there is nothing for them to really do and they are not in a position to yet question OED's authority in such matters.
Plus five (is it?) board members were appointed by the Mayor so some may be willing to 'go along to get along'.
OED is the new JEDC if I am not mistaken. If DIA is subservient to OED then other than creating a new agency and changing the names nothing has really changed from the previous arrangement.
Which begs the question why even go to the trouble of creating DIA in the first place?

[Cheshire Cat]

We can at least stop speculating about whether or not the DIA would go ahead with the hire of Wallace.  Today is his first day on the job.  Here are his basic statements about what he plans to do.  He remarks about the Laura Street Trio being a good thing (who knew). lol  He then spoke about meeting with "stakeholders", presumably those with money or property downtown.  I will be interested to see if his version of stakeholders includes all folks interested in a vibrant downtown.  He then spoke about taking three month's to create an executive plan for downtown.  Not sure what the term "executive" plan means.  Is he talking about what he thinks the executive efforts for DIA need to be or about a plan to revitalize?  Again, this we will have to wait and see. 

Monday was the first day on the job for the Jacksonville Downtown Investment Authority's new CEO Aundra Wallace.

WJCT

Credit Kevin Meerschaert

Jacksonville Downtown Investment Authority Board Chair Oliver Barakat and CEO Aundra Wallace meet with reporters Monday, Wallace's first day on the job.

He sat down for nearly an hour with local reporters to discuss his vision for redevelopment.

Wallace says his first priority is to sit down and talk to current stakeholders. He also expects to take about three months to come up with an executive plan for the agency.

Wallace was previously executive director of the Detroit Land Bank Trust, which oversaw numerous redevelopment projects in that city. He says he's looking forward to focusing on the downtown area.

Wallace is hopeful the recently announced plans to redevelop the so-called Laura Street Trio for hotel and retail space will come to fruition. He says the redevelopment could be the springboard for other projects

http://news.wjct.org/post/new-dia-ceo-talks-redevelopment-laura-street-trio#.UhJ2QiyosPA.facebook

[JayBird]

I want to like, support, have faith in the "new" guy, I really do. I think new blood and new thoughts can only result in a positive outcome. However, when the first action is to do another study and make another plan, when there are umpteen sitting on the bookshelf puts a sour taste in my mouth. Hopefully he'll have some kool aid in a few months to wash that out.

[Cheshire Cat]

I want to like, support, have faith in the "new" guy, I really do. I think new blood and new thoughts can only result in a positive outcome. However, when the first action is to do another study and make another plan, when there are umpteen sitting on the bookshelf puts a sour taste in my mouth. Hopefully he'll have some kool aid in a few months to wash that out.

Sounds all to familiar.  Along with the philanthropic community shoring up city investments.  Right now with the 9 million pulled for downtown, the only thing that money has been allotted for is the salary of Mr. Wallace, that's it, a one man show with a board.  I guess all he can do is make another plan.  I want to remain hopeful and give this all a chance but right now I am just not "feeling" it.  I will be happy to be wrong in this case.

[thelakelander]

^I believe they are legally required to do a CRA plan.  We haven't had one done for downtown in 30 years.

[JayBird]

  I will be happy to be wrong in this case.

+100

Same here