2014-190 Southbank Riverwalk in front of the Duval County School Board

[Noone]

Thank you for voting.
3 days out from the next full meeting of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission and a presentation on the $15,000,000 Southbank Riverwalk Improvement project. Councilman Redman is it still on? Scott feel free to jump in here at any time. There is supposed to be one more Public  opportunity before the CRA/DIA in the USA is sent to the Jacksonville city council for approval. Anyone know the date for this last Public meeting?

[Noone]

Appreciate all who are voting.
This will be in Waterways in 3 days.

[Noone]

Thank you for voting. This will be in Waterways in less than 4 hours. More loss of active recreational access to our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new super restricted (Food Truck, Kayak) DIA zone.
The total crushing of the Public Trust.

[Noone]

We don't need no Education. Pink Floyd

Mobro guys, Southbank Riverwalk song
No Shoes
No Shirt
No Money
No Problem
Visit Jacksonville!  Public, Private, Partnership. So much for the two permitted artificial reefs south of the Fuller Warren.

The 3/12/14 Full meeting of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission had me sitting in the back row of council chambers listening to First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross 89.9 on the radio and her first guest Dr. Quinton White with JU who was just appointed to a task force to look at the dredging in the St. Johns River and then at the very same time a presentation is being given on Water Quality Trends in the St. Johns River Basin by John Hendrickson, Environmental Scientist St. Johns River Water Management District. Also missing this presentation was our Riverkeeper. Both arrived later.

Scheduling Issue?

Class was in full session for agenda item III.                 Tera Meeks, Chief of Waterfront
                                                                                 Management Programming
Presentation regarding the Southbank River Walk          Bill Joyce, Chief of Engineering &
Construction and Programming                                     Construction Management


We are so LOST.
Nobody knows what's going on.
Zero communication.
Total Backroom deals.
As one Jacksonville Waterway Commission member called it the Courthouse Pier in describing the cost overruns.
It was one of the hardest Waterway meetings to attend and witness.
This will now be scheduled for another presentation Tues. at RCD at 2pm
Congratulations to Andy Eckert the representative with DCPS that was there and to the entire Jacksonville Waterways Commission for taking a position to see that this will be a completed project that will allow everyone to engage, participate, celebrate, protect, and access our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new highly restricted (Food Truck, Kayak) DIA zone.       

Thank you to all who voted.                           

[acme54321]

Can you please summarize the results of the meeting in a coherent fashion?

As someone interested in the construction of the Riverwalk and its full completion I woul really appreciate the info.  However, what's posted is very difficult to understand.  It appears to me that everyone there wants to see the full project completed?  Yes, no?  What are the steps forward to making that happen?  If any?

[mtraininjax]

Mayor Brown where are you on this?

It is a well known fact that if a camera is pointed in his face, he is a ghost!

The issue as I hear it is MONEY, Peyton's administration set aside money to get the problem paid for and fixed, and Brown has been sitting on fixing this for X reason, like all the problems in the City, he only attempts to fix those with the most legal traction. So the fund has been there, but the cost of the project has grown every year of NON-Action. So now there is "apparently" not enough money to repair the entire project, so the city is looking to tear down parts and not rebuild them.

Nice, and where is our Mayor on this, well again, no cameras pointed in his direction, so he is yet again, silent!

[Charles Hunter]

It depends on the situation with the cameras - if they have reporters with questions, yes, a ghost - but if it is ribbon cutting or some celebrities are involved or a vague announcement about "the next level" - he is there if the cameras are.

[carpnter]

The  FTU has an article on the Riverwalk this morning.
http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-03-14/story/new-riverwalk-will-end-300-feet-short-old-one

[edjax]

^^this is a good thing. My guess is now the mayor will find some money.  So he tries to look like the hero again. 

[mtraininjax]

^^this is a good thing. My guess is now the mayor will find some money.  So he tries to look like the hero again.

Mayor Brown could not find his ass with both hands. He won't do anything, as is usual in his mayoral term.

[edjax]

Even you don't really believe that?  BOTH hands??

[dougskiles]

What is worse than not extending the southbank riverwalk past the Wyndham is that the portion along the Crown Plaza will be reconstructed exactly the way it is today (wood that will rot in a few years).  Crown Plaza is the only landowner along the riverwalk that won't sign construction agreements for the new concrete construction.  The original agreement only permitted maintenance and replacement of what exists now.

Very lame.

[Charles Hunter]

Apparently the City is unaware of "eminent domain" as a means to acquire the construction easements they need?

[carpnter]

I this case I think if the Crown Plaza wants wood, they should make them responsible for maintaining that section. Just like a homeowner is responsible for a sidewalk across their front yard.  I bet they change their tune real quick.

[Noone]

What is worse than not extending the southbank riverwalk past the Wyndham is that the portion along the Crown Plaza will be reconstructed exactly the way it is today (wood that will rot in a few years).  Crown Plaza is the only landowner along the riverwalk that won't sign construction agreements for the new concrete construction.  The original agreement only permitted maintenance and replacement of what exists now.

Very lame.

+1