What Should Be Done With Downtown Jacksonville?

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Downtown Jacksonville needs to stop looking for magic bullets and magic carpets of hundred million dollars aquariums and ferris wheels and use a lot less money and invest in making the streets more physically attractive, loans to small businesses to invest downtown and encourage middle class condos.

[IrvAdams]

^^+100%

[Keith-N-Jax]

Middle class condos? LOL

[Keith-N-Jax]

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.

Very true,  and who said that Jax had to spend the money, let the developers do it, If these ideas are one trick ponies, they sure are working well in many cities all over the world, not just the US, but but its smoke screens and mirrors here though.

[thelakelander]

^I agree 100% on letting developers spend their own money.  However, we haven't reached that point in DT yet. Most guys have their hands out waiting for the taxpayer to take on some of their financial risk.

[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!!!

great.  how much towards the construction of these skyscrapers are you personally guaranteeing, heights unknown?  20%?

more? 

Just depost a check for the amount of the construction for the thing you would like to see, and then I think its easier to take your suggestion with more seriousness.

In all due respect Stephen, and I apologize for the very late response, I am guaranteeing 0$ in which I am sure you are now thinking, "then keep your mouth shut." However, let me remind you that there are people in elected positions, and in positions of power in our government that are PAID to get downtown moving. If they don't do their job, then they either need to be fired and get someone in there who will get the job done, or get downtown moving with guaranteed checks of their own (and not from taxpayers...that is getting old because the taxpayers money is not being used correctly or efficiently). Case closed (snap).

[jaxbanker]

Having lived here for the past thirty years and having visited numerous other cities around the United States I make the following observations.

Tourism is essential to developing more restaurants, hotels, clubs and art galleys.......all you have to do is look at St. Augustine. St. Augustine has a myriad of attractions, none of them huge or overly dominate and they are somewhat concentrated in one general area.

I-95 brings thousands of tourist through Jacksonville every week. We have to give them reasons to stop downtown. Things that will attract tourist will also attract locals and day trippers. The city needs to show some commitment to some projects, once the some commitments are made private developers will follow. One project by it's self ( i.e. redeveloping the landing) will not stimulate enough immediate activity and will not be a significant enough tourist draw. Therefore, the city should commit to several large projects over an extended time period....say ten years, but not longer or people will not believe the projects will ever be started.

1)  Old court house property should be cleared for development of a state-of-the-art convention center. This location will lead to more activity at the Landing, on East Bay Street and on the north bank Riverwalk.
2) A portion of the Prime Osbourne is already planned to be part of an Amtrak Station. Turn the remainder into a Transportation Museum. Jacksonville is a significant multimodal transportation hub. Rail and transportation via ocean and river have been very active here for over a hundred years. This museum should focus on the history and future of rail in Florida and Jacksonville (need to acquire some locomotives for display), history and future of cruise lines and ocean going shipping in Jacksonville, air transport and the interstate highway system. Get corporate sponsors, we have numerous transportation companies headquartered here or with significant operations here; CSX, Florida East Coast RR, Landstar, Carnival Cruises, Crowley, Sea Star Line, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, JaxPort and Jacksonville Airport Authority.
3)Fix the amphitheater at Metro Park so its as nice as the amphitheater in St. Augustine and figure out how to creatively minimize the noise problem effecting the St. Nicolas area. St. Augustine is bringing thousands of locals and tourists every month to it's amphitheater. Improving this facility and the frequency and quality performers will bring a lot more people to downtown hotels and restaurants.
4) Do something with the Jacksonville Fire Museum. Needs more large and unique fire trucks, maybe a firefighting boat, maybe a gift shop, maybe a firefighter training tower or an old forest fire lookout tower; Florida has 160 still standing and most are idle.  Add exhibits on different types of fire fighting, fire fighting technology and significant fires in Jacksonville's history. Ask Firehouse Subs to be a sponsor of some sort. This is an existing attraction that needs to be much further developed and marketed......it's downtown, next to the river and Metro Park.
5) Move the School Board off the river and relocate those jobs to the downtown core. Sell the land for retail and residential condo tower development. Make sure the south bank Riverwalk extends down to it.
6) Develop a world class botanical gardens on the vacant JEA owned property next to the existing School Board building. It should include one or more unique glass conservatories visible from I-95, and make sure the south bank Riverwalk extends to it. Numerous cities smaller then Jacksonville have world class botanical gardens. Co-op with the University of Florida to develop and operate. Conduct research on rare and medicinal plants. Highlight carnivorous plants, bonsai, Florida native flora, a hedge maze, Koi ponds, Japanese zen gardens etc etc. Some how include the Treaty Oak Park as a component of the botanical gardens, even-though they won't be physically connected. The Treaty Oak is a very impressive specimen that should be better showcased and protected.
7) Develop a world class aquarium on a portion of the Shipyards property near the Jacksonville Fire Museum.
There's space for a giant Ferris wheel at Metro Park, but it won't be successful without having numerous attractions around it.
9) Persuade the Alhambra Dinner Theater to relocate to someplace on the southbank.
10) Get state and Federal funds to expand the Skyway so it goes farther.
11) Commit to extend the northbank Riverwalk to Memorial Park, which would help integrate the Five Points area and the Cummer Museum complex into the mix of attractions, retail and restaurants sites accessible from the north bank of the Riverwalk.
12) Get the State of Florida to allow a floating casino, styled as an old Paddle Wheeler and accessible from the Riverwalk, to sit on the river in front of the tiered building and parking lot located between the Main St Bridge and the Hyatt Hotel.
13 Get the Berkman Plaza tower #2 finished or torn-down.
14) Discus the possibility of locating the US Navy aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy(JFK) on the riverfront between Metro Park and the Hart Bridge. The JFK is the last super carrier that will be available for conversion into a museum/ public use facility because it was not built as a nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Checkout these sites if you want to see the potential that exists for developing an attraction that will definitely pull a lot of tourist of I-95;
www.intrepidmuseum.org  or  www.midway.org  or  www.patriotspoint.org  The JFK is still available, the one group in Rhode Island (www.ussjfkri.org) is far from raising the money necessary to convince the Navy it can maintain the ship. Jacksonville should request some funds from the State of Florida and use crowd funding to raise the $25 to $30 million that will be needed to bring the ship here and develop a respectable museum facility. $25 to $30 million is not really a big number when you consider that the City of Jacksonville just provided $63 million to further improve Everbank Stadium, and it's highly questionable whether that will really bring many additional visitors to Jacksonville. Jacksonville has a long history as a Navy town, the JFK's last home-port was Mayport NAS and Jacksonville is still vying for a nuclear powered carrier to be stationed at Mayport NAS in the near future.
14) Yes, the Landing needs to be redeveloped.
15) Put lighted fountains in the five retention ponds that will boarder I-95 when the road construction is completed just south of the Fuller Warren Bridge, see www.i95overlandbridge.com/images/2012-12-phase-6-large.jpg

[iMarvin]

^Great list. I'm sure most could be done within 5 to 10 years (some even shorter) if the leadership and money were in the right places.

[IrvAdams]

Hey jaxbanker, you should work for the city, you have some great ideas. I like the Transportation Museum thought; there's a neat one in Savannah and it's in an old train station like ours.

[urbanlibertarian]

Even if Mayor Brown gets a public-private partnership for a convention center, aquarium, etc., where does the city get the money for it's share considering the police/fire pension obligations we have and the huge number of parks we aren't maintaining.

[IrvAdams]

Jax is one of the lowest-taxed municipalities in the country. I think this city is just going to have to face the fact that as spread out as it is there is no other choice in order to maintain any decent quality of life for all its citizens than to raise taxes. Pay to play.

[urbanlibertarian]

Most people here are just fine with the quality of life and see no reason to raise taxes.

[Noone]

The first thing I hope everyone realizes is the Mayors Office in May 2013 put out a "Request For Information" (RFI) for Downtown, North and South bank development.

The RFI was done under the radar of the citizenry, without City Council knowledge AND even most of DIA knew nothing about it.

RFI though on line in the Procurement Dept. few people even know they exist let alone know where to look to find one BUT if your one of the good ole boy club you receive a personal invitation from Procurement to respond.

Not surprisingly there was only one response.

Something downtown doesnt need and is a royal stupid idea is a space needle. Not even to start with! Just hoping for growth to someday surround it. It is stupid because once anyone visits they have no reason to return. There is no draw to make them return again and again, etc.

PLUS the city nor PFPF has any right to risk tax payers money on such an "iffy" at best investment

I have approached CC and  DIA multiple times with pictures of development sprouted around Ferris Wheels. The success of such a thing is proven time and time again around the country and even in England during the Jags game over there.

A 75 foot Ferris Wheel lit up to the hilt on the shipyard property can and will be seen from every bridge that crosses the river including the Dames Point. A Ferris Wheel will indeed STOP the usual pass through traffic on 95 to a stop for a ride, or two or three. Then again when they pass through on a return trip.

A Ferris Wheel will draw locals and those from surrounding counties to ride unlimited times. Especially visitors downtown for conventions, football games, baseball games, concerts at both the arena and met park. People will walk from the landing to ride this Ferris Wheel. Parking can even be free on the property AND on the sounthbank JEA property with a low cost ferry ride across the river.

Opportunity is unlimited.

Back to the RFI---The city needs to submit another RFI but this time needs to include the DIA and CC needs to have knowledge of it as well. The RFI needs to be sent to every amusement park across the country and across the pond in England and see not if, but how many investors will respond where Im sure they will.

The city need not GIVE or RISK any more tax payer money then what already comes with development of shipyard property that includes but is not limited to Enterprise Zone, QTI, DT Dev. etc

Heres is another extremely great benefit The Ferris Wheel and amusement park will be able to employ those within the city without college degrees that the OED is constantly catering to. Those from the military that can run a nuclear ship but no college can be employed. Those from the Northside with the citys highest unemployment rate can indeed be employable. Anyone with a desire to work can work in the NEW Jacksonville Jungle Amusement Park.

There is soooo much more I have designed for the development of the amusement park  but that is enough for now.

2007-451 needs to be amended to include all the city controlled docks. RAM dock is only opened when RAM is open. Not good.
The 3/7/14 Downtown Experience Subcommittee meeting of the DIA reinforced a huge Entertainment option that will be happening Downtown on our St. Johns River our American Heritage River in our new highly restricted (Food Truck, Kayak) DIA zone July 4-5th.

[Noone]

^I agree 100% on letting developers spend their own money.  However, we haven't reached that point in DT yet. Most guys have their hands out waiting for the taxpayer to take on some of their financial risk.

+1

[jaxbanker]

IrvAdams, I applied for the recently posted jobs at the DIA, but never heard anything back. Other cities smaller than ours have accomplished great things in their downtown's, Jacksonville's leaders should investigate what methods other cities have used to accomplish revitalization and tourism.