What Should Be Done With Downtown Jacksonville?

[Captain Zissou]

No!!!!!!!!! What hope do we now have to save our downtown??!!

[Keith-N-Jax]

None as everyone else continues to move forward. 20 years from now this site will still be starting threads "What to do with Downtown". A lot of you people are in denial.

[Josh]

Think of the exotic sites you must see from the seat of that thing.

[thelakelander]

I knew it wouldn't be long before another Florida city put one up. Jax always in last place or never enter the race to begin with. The idea was never made out to be unique to begin with. It was just an idea, just like the street car you guys all rave about.

The Orlando project has been planned for nearly seven years now. It is a privately funded project being built by a Singapore-based company called The Great Wheel Corp. It's their first ferris wheel project in the US. Other projects they've built or announced are in Beijing, Singapore, Berlin and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

[Tacachale]

Think of the exotic sites you must see from the seat of that thing.

Hahaha

[thelakelander]

I Drive, alone, gets over 5.3 million overnight visitors annually. Tourist attractions draw over 50 million annually. My guess is this private entity believes they are developing their project in a market where there will be enough tourist willing to spend money to see what Universal, Disney, Sea World and every thing else in the vicinity looks like from the sky. I wouldn't pay for it, but I also wouldn't travel across the country or globe to visit a theme park either. Anyway, from my understanding, they aren't getting public incentives, so this is a market rate project.

[tufsu1]

So much for that unique ferris wheel idea...Orlando's is under construction now on I-Drive....

and Atlanta has one now at Olympic Park

[I-10east]

I knew it wouldn't be long before another Florida city put one up. Jax always in last place or never enter the race to begin with.

I'm fine with us not entering the 'large ferris wheel race'.

[tufsu1]

I knew it wouldn't be long before another Florida city put one up. Jax always in last place or never enter the race to begin with. The idea was never made out to be unique to begin with. It was just an idea, just like the street car you guys all rave about.

Orlando has been talking about this for over 5 years....they think people will pay to go up and look out...just imagine, you'll be able to see the Epcot sphere, Cinderella's Castle, and the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building 50 miles away

[IrvAdams]

Personally, the theme parks in Orlando really do not entice me, I just like to see what intrinsic attractions that a city has. Every city is different. In Orlando, I might choose to go to a good restaurant or take a tour of their downtown area (the city, not Disney). If I were in Vegas I would check out a few casinos or bars, etc., just to get the feel of the place. Or if in Savannah, walk around and look at the historic (haunted) houses in the historic district.

If Jax continues to build and improve its entertainment district on or near the river, like a revival of Bay Street to what it was around the turn of the century, I believe that would be an strong attraction for a hungry and tired tourist (or a hungry and tired local). Word of mouth will do the rest.

[JeffreyS]

How about if we build an ugly parking garage across from the landing and waive the retail requirement. Also make sure it won't support future vertical construction.

[JeffreyS]

Perhaps we could just stop doing those negative things to downtown.

[IrvAdams]

First, do no harm. Then move on from there.

[finehoe]

So much for that unique ferris wheel idea...Orlando's is under construction now on I-Drive....

Like I said, Jacksonville will probably jump on the bandwagon long after it becomes a tired cliche.

[ProjectMaximus]

So much for that unique ferris wheel idea...Orlando's is under construction now on I-Drive....

and Atlanta has one now at Olympic Park

I happened to drive by the one in Atlanta several days ago, and then drove by the construction on I-Drive yesterday. I didn't realize this was becoming a phenomenon!