NoCo and SoBa?

[marcuscnelson]

Currently at the DIA's meeting to present the updated "master plan".

They've kept and lightly updated the LaVilla logo, changed the Brooklyn logo, mildly revised the Southbank logo (and dropped SoBa), and NoCo has been rebranded as...

drumroll

City Center.

Also the Cathedral District is now Cathedral Hill.

They also have polling claiming that people like these names. (90% acceptance for City Center)

[jaxlongtimer]

^ LOL.  In Philadelphia, they call it "Center City."

It certainly beats NoCo.  Now, if only Downtown can become a real "city" to deserve the moniker.

[Steve]

Currently at the DIA's meeting to present the updated "master plan".

They've kept and lightly updated the LaVilla logo, changed the Brooklyn logo, mildly revised the Southbank logo (and dropped SoBa), and NoCo has been rebranded as...

drumroll

City Center.

Also the Cathedral District is now Cathedral Hill.

They also have polling claiming that people like these names. (90% acceptance for City Center)

The logos are the worst part of all of this. I mean City Center? Whatever on that. Cathedral Hill is a reach based on topography.

Plus I ask again: How - on earth - did the names and logos of the parts of downtown rise to the top of Downtown's needs?

[thelakelander]

I was polled. I did ask why this was a priority as branding isn't an issue, a lack of vibrancy is. I didn't care either way for city center but did not like noco. Overall, none of it moves us where we really need to go.

[Ken_FSU]

After the middling response to the first attempt at neighborhood rebranding (carried out by a partner who wasn't particularly familiar with Jax), the DIA brought in Jacksonville's top ad agency (who's been seated in the CBD for almost 20 years; I hear they're pretty rad) to conduct focus groups, develop a second round of concepts, and (legitimately) survey local residents on the names and logos.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2022/01/10/downtown-jax-branding-2.html

Can never please everyone, but I *personally* think it's a huge improvement over what was originally presented.

[acme54321]

City Center is rather bland but it's a lot better than NoCo.  At least it tells you know what it is right away.

[thelakelander]

After the middling response to the first attempt at neighborhood rebranding (carried out by a partner who wasn't particularly familiar with Jax), the DIA brought in Jacksonville's top ad agency (who's been seated in the CBD for almost 20 years; I hear they're pretty rad) to conduct focus groups, develop a second round of concepts, and (legitimately) survey local residents on the names and logos.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2022/01/10/downtown-jax-branding-2.html

Can never please everyone, but I *personally* think it's a huge improvement over what was originally presented.

Maybe you can help me out with this one. I'm still lost on what we're expecting to achieve with this effort in general. Maybe I'm not getting it, but I've never viewed "branding" in the term of renaming neighborhoods as a major need when it comes to achieving vibrancy.

[Steve]

Here's my thing - Did Dalton (who I have no issue with BTW) take any historic reference on the images?

Example: Let's say that in a print ad there was a music venue in LaVilla that always wrote LaVilla in a certain font. That would be a cool historic tie that I could get behind as it's a callout to the neighborhood's history.

[thelakelander]

^Not to say that this was not done but I didn't see that in what I was shown. Honestly, I was just happy that there was no attempt to call the neighborhood some other name by a group of people who weren't around to truly know the neighborhood's history, story or culture.

LaVilla already has a brand that is unique and a historical story that can't be replicated. We just need to rebuild, restore and revitalize around that legacy and the rest will take care of itself. Taking care of itself, basically means no matter what happens with this particular branding effort, a brand of its own and by the people really invested in the community will naturally evolve into ways that we can't really imagine today.

[tufsu1]

They also have polling claiming that people like these names. (90% acceptance for City Center)

Like Lake, I was also polled. I thought City Center and many of the others were acceptable. Much of the polling was on text design/color. I noted that too much time was being spent on name/font/color.

[tufsu1]

^ LOL.  In Philadelphia, they call it "Center City."

It certainly beats NoCo.  Now, if only Downtown can become a real "city" to deserve the moniker.

well to be exact, all of Philly downtown is Center City. There are of course neighborhoods/districts like Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, Market East, etc.

[Ken_FSU]

After the middling response to the first attempt at neighborhood rebranding (carried out by a partner who wasn't particularly familiar with Jax), the DIA brought in Jacksonville's top ad agency (who's been seated in the CBD for almost 20 years; I hear they're pretty rad) to conduct focus groups, develop a second round of concepts, and (legitimately) survey local residents on the names and logos.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2022/01/10/downtown-jax-branding-2.html

Can never please everyone, but I *personally* think it's a huge improvement over what was originally presented.

Maybe you can help me out with this one. I'm still lost on what we're expecting to achieve with this effort in general. Maybe I'm not getting it, but I've never viewed "branding" in the term of renaming neighborhoods as a major need when it comes to achieving vibrancy.

If only fixing downtown's problems were as simple as changing the signs on the light poles.

While I like the branding work and respect the effort that went into it, it won't fix the one-way streets, endless surface parking lots and grass fields, antiquated outdoor dining/drinking regulations, derelict buildings, office towers that don't interact with the sidewalks, etc.

You can roll out new uniforms for the 3-14 Jags, but it ain't gonna fix the fundamental problems with the team...

[marcuscnelson]

Not sure whether it was pointed out that the DIA appears to have officially made the district changes, along with the included descriptors:

Downtown is made up of eight districts that flank the St. Johns River's Northeastern curve on both sides: Brooklyn, LaVilla, City Center, NorthCore, Cathedral Hill, Sports & Entertainment, Working Waterfront and Southbank. Each district offers a unique, captivating history. The map above illustrates the boundaries of each Downtown district.

BROOKLYN
Modern and colorful, Brooklyn connects LaVilla and City Center to the historic Riverside neighborhood and Five Points shopping and entertainment district. Home to major corporate headquarters such as Haskell, Black Knight Financial and FIS, Brooklyn offers an ideal location for businesses and residents alike. The district has a mix of uses, including riverfront office, multi-family housing developments, condominiums, restaurants, retail and light industrial. The community enjoys plentiful river access, and with various major projects currently underway and strong economics, the Brooklyn district is well-positioned for continued growth and success.

LAVILLA
East of City Center, LaVilla is home to a rich cultural heritage. As Jacksonville's oldest suburb, LaVilla was known as the Harlem of the South and the epicenter of Black culture and commerce in Northeast Florida. The neighborhood also was home to an wide array of immigrant communities attracted by the economic potential of LaVilla's role as Jacksonville's railroad hub. LaVilla's vibrant music and entertainment scene attracted many nationally renowned artists who came to play at the local clubs on and off Ashley Street. In 1929, the Ritz Theatre opened, becoming both an important stop on the Chitlin' Circuit and LaVilla's primary performance venue. Following a decline in population and quality of life in the 20th Century, the River City Renaissance (RCR) Plan aimed to revitalize the area in the 1990s, making room for future development through the acquisition and clearing of many acres. Recently, redevelopment has returned in the form of new workforce housing and transportation projects. The 2019 LaVilla Neighborhood Development Strategy calls for a LaVilla Heritage Trail that will engage and educate the public on LaVilla's rich history and a Water Street road diet to connect the historic district to the riverfront.

CITY CENTER (Central Core Overlay District)
City Center encompasses many of Downtown's office towers, government services, regional non-profits and various art and cultural centers, making it the most concentrated area of focus for economic development on the Northbank. City Center's small walkable blocks are filled with historic architecture, cultural amenities and public art. The City of Jacksonville was founded on the riverbank of City Center, and iconic cultural centers like the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Florida Theatre are located in City Center. Today, work is underway to re-establish key riverfront properties and enhance Jacksonville's iconic skyline. The availability of several unique and historic properties provide significant opportunities for adaptive reuse.

NORTHCORE (formerly Church Overlay District)
Situated along the northern boundary of Downtown between City Center and the historic Springfield neighborhood, the NorthCore is on the threshold of a major transition. The area is experiencing a resurgence thanks to numerous adaptive reuse projects aimed at preserving the rich, historic building stock and at bringing residential, retail and a hotel to the district.

CATHEDRAL HILL
Anchored by five historic churches, Cathedral Hill connects City Center to the Sports & Entertainment District and is home to Billy Goat Hill, the highest point in Downtown Jacksonville. Beginning in 2016, the area has been championed by Cathedral District Jax-Inc. (CD-J), a nonprofit organized to foster growth as Jacksonville's Downtown neighborhood. CD-J created a master plan for the area to support development and revitalization efforts, including the continued support of the senior residents who call the district home via affordable, quality housing and amenities.

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sporting the biggest concentration of entertainment venues in the area, the Sports & Entertainment District is home to five sports teams, major concerts and much more. The district was once home to a thriving maritime industry, its riverfront lined with shipyards. Today, major mixed-use developments are under construction to bring residents, employees and visitors to the area.

WORKING WATERFRONT
The Working Waterfront sits on the eastern edge of Downtown beyond the Sports & Entertainment District. Home to the North Florida Shipyards, the district primarily supports industrial waterfront uses with a special district zoning overlay to accommodate the needs of shipping, lumber, concrete and oil businesses operating there.

SOUTHBANK
Home to tall riverfront office and residential towers, the Southbank sits between the St. Johns River and the San Marco neighborhood to the south. It features a wealth of hotels and premier medical campuses including Baptist Medical Center, Wolfson Children's Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Nemours Specialty Care center. The community enjoys plentiful riverfront access via the Southbank riverwalk, a boat ramp, kayak launch and River Taxi stops.

I didn't realize they'd formally given the NorthCore it's own district instead of merging it into City Center.

[Charles Hunter]

The departed Van Gogh and current King Tut exhibits are in the "NoCo Center"

Map peeve - whoever designed the DIA Overlay District map should have swapped the colors for Brooklyn and City Center. As presented, it is hard to tell where City Center ends and Sports and Entertainment begins, the colors are so close in shade.

[JaGoaT]

The departed Van Gogh and current King Tut exhibits are in the "NoCo Center"

Map peeve - whoever designed the DIA Overlay District map should have swapped the colors for Brooklyn and City Center. As presented, it is hard to tell where City Center ends and Sports and Entertainment begins, the colors are so close in shade.

MAYBE THE COLORS BEING SIMILAR WAS INTENTIONAL BECAUSE THEY WANT THOSE TWO ZONES TO SOMEWHAT MERGE INTO ONE. IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THATS ALL ALONG THE RIVERFRONT.