What Should Be Done With Downtown Jacksonville?

[Coolyfett]

I agree but that's not a capital project that can be included in the CRA plan.  Assuming we got our financial house in order first, what would you advocate for first as far as capital projects (infrastructure, parks, transit, etc.) go? Also, don't forget to make your suggestions known on the DIA's website:

http://imaginedtjax.mindmixer.com/


What's happening in DT Miami right now.

what a painful jpeg.....I dont think people understand whats going on in that photo.

id say stop running jta buses into the northbank & southbank areas, kill the rosa park bus loading area & the set one up at 8th & Main. Keep trying to court major events, people like to hate on Jacksonville for getting the Superbowl, but it was a learning experience & Jacksonville changed a lil because of it. Jacksonville needs to establish a habit of going after events, even if they get denied, just keep knocking on the door. The more major events the more people learn to be better. Id love to see the Skyway add some additional stations & run on weekends. More of what lake calls TODs near Skyway stations.

[mtraininjax]

Firing a few at the top in the Municipal Code Compliance division would help a lot too

LOL! Just as the director of procurement how much "fun" it was to try and fire a person in one of his old departments, he told me they tried 4+ times to get rid of him, but the union protected him. Firing city personnel is not as easy as you might think, they are like protected wildlife.

I have been to the Navy Pier, never went for the ferris wheel. So there needs to be more, entertainment, shops, I went to those on the pier, people don't ride the ferris wheels at the fair, just to ride the ferris wheel, they ride the other rides, which make them sick so that they can appreciate the ferris wheel and all it has to offer. 

[urbanlibertarian]

BTW it is imperative this community get together to insist JTA STOP trying to force the next extension of the skyway to the Riverside area like they currently are.

Thus community needs to ban together to tell JTA if we are expected to invest even another dime to the skyway it NEEDS to go to the entertainment/sports complex that serves hundreds of thousands of people annually.

NOT Riverside for a maybe a couple of hundred. When there is more growth, maybe.

JTA, Nat Ford is bent on getting federal and state Grants for the skyway to riverside with the attitude of getting money for a mandatory local match... "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it".

THAT is unacceptable!

Extending the skyway a short distance to where hundreds of people currently work and hundreds more will soon live makes much more sense than extending it a long distance to where relatively few live or work and thousands come for a short time for events that occur less than daily.

[Sunbeam]

The idea behind the Ferris wheel is to jump start development of an entire amusement park. All of should be paid for by private investment and no more incentive money then what the area already qualifies for as an Enterprise Zone, Brownfield, etc...
Shad Khan has expressed desire to invest $1 million in the ship yard, "The front door to the stadium"

Picture along with a ferris wheel in the NEW Jacksonville Jungle Amusement Park this is what visitors will see...A water park called the "Shark Zone" akin to Wild Adventures in Valdosta with 100 foot water slides (all lit up) and a lazy river that extends out over our own river, wave rider,  among other things.

Roller coasters, Arcade, etc Big and small. Kiddie park called "Sunshine Park"

Everything within sight of a big screen TV to show concerts, Games, hearing cheers of the crowds both live and on screen.

Parking on the Southbank but it has attractions too after city gains control of the school board building with ferry running back and forth to shipyard like helicopter rides, Aquarium and there are ferry rides, dinner cruises up and down the river all the way up to the zoo where guests have entry to the zoo without extra cost if paid entry for the ferry ride.

Like Valdosta WE offer buy one day get the next day free which will help fill hotels.

THIS will indeed stop traffic from going south to Orlando (and possibly St.Augustine but that is a different venue) and north to Valdosta. AND  prevent Jacksonville from  being just a pass through town.

This is possible if "the powers that be" actually put this community first instead of the good ole boy club whom they routinely cater too

[tufsu1]

BTW it is imperative this community get together to insist JTA STOP trying to force the next extension of the skyway to the Riverside area like they currently are.

Thus community needs to ban together to tell JTA if we are expected to invest even another dime to the skyway it NEEDS to go to the entertainment/sports complex that serves hundreds of thousands of people annually.

NOT Riverside for a maybe a couple of hundred. When there is more growth, maybe.

JTA, Nat Ford is bent on getting federal and state Grants for the skyway to riverside with the attitude of getting money for a mandatory local match... "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it".

THAT is unacceptable!

I 100% disagree with you. The planned Riverside extension is primarily some track switches and one new station.  It can be built for less than $10 million and serve hundreds of new apartments. 

An extension to the sports complex would likely cost closer to $100 million and while there are thousands of people going to events there, the Skyway isn't designed to handle peak loads of that size. 

Having gone to games in Atlanta, Philly, Baltimore, Boston, and DC and then hopping local rail after, I can tell you that the crowds are enormous.  A Jaguars game would literally cripple the Skyway system.

[tufsu1]

The idea behind the Ferris wheel is to jump start development of an entire amusement park.

sorry, but downtown Jacksonville should not become an amusement park!

You quote Valdosta...have you been there?  Just how well is Wild Adventures doing and how much development has been spurred in the area because of it?

[Sunbeam]

"sorry, but downtown Jacksonville should not become an amusement park!"

Yes it should! Its called the entertainment/sports complex not high rise condominium complex!

The property needs to remain public and again an amusement park will make Jacksonville a destination and NOT a pass through town

[thelakelander]

The property is less than 40 acres of dry land. You'll need a lot more for an amusement park, if you want it to compete with what's offered in the rest of the state. A successful theme park won't be supported by Jax residents alone and a small one with a ferris wheel as the main attraction won't be enough to keep those driving (a chunk fly directly now) from going to Disney, Universal, Legoland, Busch Gardens instead.  Places like Navy Pier aren't a success because of what they have.  They are a byproduct of environments that already have millions of tourists.

[Sunbeam]

Northbank, shipyard property is way bigger than 40 acres, Yes?

Dont forget the southbank too

Traffic will spend their money here at a fraction of the cost of Disney, Duval and surrounding counties even up to Ga. will make it do well

Navy Pier and surrounding area was dead for years until it became an amusement park

[CityLife]

The JEA parcel is only 42 acres too.

[CityLife]

Navy Pier and surrounding area was dead for years until it became an amusement park

Navy Pier is completely isolated, so not sure how you can talk about the surrounding area becoming vibrant. I believe no development can happen east of Lakeshore Drive, and the only building east of it is grandfathered in.

[Sunbeam]

AND for cruise visitors, away team visitors,  offers can be made with discounts for the amusement park

[heights unknown]

If they are not going to do the right things with it, or even, if they are not going to do anything with it, just bulldoze it and leave it empty, or bulldoze it and build every building new, with all blocks filled in with buildings and skyscrapers with NO parking garages, parking lots, or empty parking lots! Use it or lose it!!!

[vicupstate]

The Laura Trio/Barnett and Bostwick buildings are what the city needs to focus on.  Doing so will save several historic buildings, being vibrancy to a total dead-zone, create more customers for The Landing and Laura Street, and actually show that a 'hard' project can actually be accomplished in this city.   

Forget about creating a great place to visit, and create a great place to LIVE.  That will bring the visitors anyway.

[heights unknown]

@ Charles P; I agree, the God fearing, Bible banging, Jesus loving Christians (AND I AM ONE OF THOSE), do not need to be shoving bibles, or God down anyone's throats unless someone asks them; I only talk to people about God who know that I love God and am curious to know more about HIM (God). What most Born again Christians fail to realize is that you can still go out and catch a movie, or even hit a bar, but don't do it to excess, and, if God is #1 in your life, conduct YOURSELF accordingly but don't expect everyone else to jump on YOUR Christian bandwagon. Be careful though "Charles P.," one day you may have to call out His (God's) name. @ Lakelander...Miami is so insane it's rediculous...just look at all of those crazy cranes. We (Jax) can only hope, pray, and wish that we reach that point or even in some way look like Miami one day. I think Miami has the second densest Skyline in the whole United States (maybe Northern Hemisphere?). My hats off to Miami; but weather, location, and tourism can do awesome wonders for you; even Tampa is beginning to flex its muscle because of promotion, tourism, weather, etc. Though Jax is colder, there are numerous things we could promote (and we've all talked about these things) to bring more people to Jax to not only inflate the population, but to put a shot in the arm for downtown; I am a firm believer in "BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME;" but you'd better have the right types of buildings and attractions in place to lure the people in which will justify more promotion and luring of companies, entities, etc. to downtown Jax.