Convention center, Downtown on draft list for Curry

[thelakelander]

Yes, it's about Curry's administration considering the possibilities of moving or expanding the convention center. When the thread was on topic, I posted my perspective on it. I'm of the belief that it is a worthwhile idea to build a mixed-use exhibition hall attached to the Hyatt's meeting facilities, on the old courthouse site. It helps alleviate several problems currently negatively impacting the Northbank core. It also should not cost an insane $200 to $500 million.

[thelakelander]

Then make it $210 million and kill multiple birds at a single time!

[seascoutds]

Build it and they will come.

[finehoe]

for a 10 million dollar investment in convention development, you could probably do more to create a convention economy than a 200 million dollar building of any sort.

I think we need to hire consultants to do a study. 

[The_Choose_1]

for a 10 million dollar investment in convention development, you could probably do more to create a convention economy than a 200 million dollar building of any sort.

I think we need to hire consultants to do a study. 

The city could ask stephendare, thelakelander, or even you finehoe? And save a lot of money in the long run.

[thelakelander]

No more studying needed. We have at least 10 years of studies on the shelf and hundreds of positive and negative examples across the country to look at. It's not even a build it and they'll come scenario.  We already have it in a horrible location.  Just get it over with by moving it for crying out loud.

[finehoe]

The city could ask stephendare, thelakelander, or even you finehoe?

I will gladly charge them a few hundred grand to say the same thing all the previous studies have said. 

[For_F-L-O-R-I-D-A]

I love the idea. Maybe draw a developer to turn the annex into a mixed use hotel/residences?

Honestly, I am all about wise decisions with money, and God knows I believe the Trio is a huge key to future success in Jax. However, we need something to happen in the northbank just mentally to get the momentum going. This could help make that happen with the Trio and bring in new visitors to our beautiful waterfront. More people means more business for Bay St., the Landing, and other establishments!

[mtraininjax]

Honestly, I am all about wise decisions with money, and God knows I believe the Trio is a huge key to future success in Jax. However, we need something to happen in the northbank just mentally to get the momentum going. This could help make that happen with the Trio and bring in new visitors to our beautiful waterfront. More people means more business for Bay St., the Landing, and other establishments!

I'll bet we see more happen on the Convention landscape along the river than we do on the Trio. The Trio has the Barnett Bank Building Foreclosure hanging over it like the weight of Shad Khan's boat over it. No one wants to touch that area when investors are worried about defaults. The trio may as well be the latest and greatest Berkman II Plaza saga.

[For_F-L-O-R-I-D-A]

Honestly, I am all about wise decisions with money, and God knows I believe the Trio is a huge key to future success in Jax. However, we need something to happen in the northbank just mentally to get the momentum going. This could help make that happen with the Trio and bring in new visitors to our beautiful waterfront. More people means more business for Bay St., the Landing, and other establishments!

I'll bet we see more happen on the Convention landscape along the river than we do on the Trio. The Trio has the Barnett Bank Building Foreclosure hanging over it like the weight of Shad Khan's boat over it. No one wants to touch that area when investors are worried about defaults. The trio may as well be the latest and greatest Berkman II Plaza saga.

I was under the impression Khan foreclosed on just the Barnett Bank building?

[Captain Zissou]

Honestly, I am all about wise decisions with money, and God knows I believe the Trio is a huge key to future success in Jax. However, we need something to happen in the northbank just mentally to get the momentum going. This could help make that happen with the Trio and bring in new visitors to our beautiful waterfront. More people means more business for Bay St., the Landing, and other establishments!

I'll bet we see more happen on the Convention landscape along the river than we do on the Trio. The Trio has the Barnett Bank Building Foreclosure hanging over it like the weight of Shad Khan's boat over it. No one wants to touch that area when investors are worried about defaults. The trio may as well be the latest and greatest Berkman II Plaza saga.

I was under the impression Khan foreclosed on just the Barnett Bank building?

You're correct, F.L.O.  Atkins owns the trio outright. 

[Bill Hoff]

We don't need a new convention center.

We're awesome as is: #47 baby.

http://m.jacksonville.com/#article=6826C83CECACED560A8FE9CC81C3A5313964

: )

[thelakelander]

So we're the 12th largest city by population, 40th largest metropolitan area by population and 47th in terms of attracting business meetings and conventions.  One could argue this is a reason to invest in our substandard facilities.

[simms3]

Yes.  And it's frustrating how misused statistics are by this city.

PLUS, there are larger cities with horrible winter climates who are not on the waterfront, let alone in FL, who can be however many times larger but should not necessarily be a larger convention destination.

Not that Jax should match Orlando/San Diego, but quite frankly, Jax should be putting itself in the same sort of bucket as a San Diego or Orlando rather than an Omaha, Kansas City, Indianapolis, etc, *when it comes to convention business AND tourism*.

In other words, Jax is a dismal, horrible, no-excuse underperformer, as per the norm, and yet somehow growth from 0 to 1 and 47th best are spun as positives, patting the city on the back, etc etc.  So frustrating.

[Tacachale]

With our climate we shouldn't be punching below our weight (and did the news say that this was the first time we'd even cracked the top 50 in years?). Convention Center will be a big future project.