Friendship Fountain October 2023 Photo Tour

[simms3]

This is a great expose!  Thanks Ken!  My blood is BOILING.

During the JWJ park public input gathering thing at the library a few months back, I ran into some folks and asked the same questions.  Got the same answers (about the speakers).  It was a poor answer to me because like your pictures clearly show, it's A LOT more than speakers they are waiting for.  There is literally no longer a park there, and it's essentially vacant land.

The fact that the media doesn't hound the city over this.  Heads should literally roll.  They are here telling us they are going to spend all this money on more waterfront parks (I work next to the Landing and I don't see all that much activity there, either), and yet they can't finish anything they start.

I've never seen such bad city leadership, stewardship or management.  And worst of all, the citizens are partially to blame because we have one of the most clueless, disengaged citizenries out there.  Nobody cares at all about some of the really important things, but then people DO care way too much about private real estate development and we have a huge NIMBY problem.  If we got anywhere close to the level energy people have for showing up to public notice meetings about someone else's house or small project here and there with people showing up to dish their appetites for accountability with regards to public spaces such as this, we would have a completely different city.

[Charles Hunter]

Somebody send this info to the "investigative reporters" at the local TV stations. Isn't this page connected to WJCT News somehow? Nate Monroe at the TU?

[jaxlongtimer]

Somebody send this info to the "investigative reporters" at the local TV stations. Isn't this page connected to WJCT News somehow? Nate Monroe at the TU?

Everyone should "call Ken."  Now that he is on the City Council, he can investigate himself as to why he isn't getting things fixed like this!  Having done this for years for First Coast News, it would be poetic.

[thelakelander]

^People recently took this stand at the ballot box. Lets give the Deegan administration a chance to deviate from previous administration priorities.

While the last administration was bad and is at fault for a lot of problems, Jacksonville's issues are much, much deeper than one administration, imo.

Many of the City Council members were in place during this (and other Curry debacles), are they up in arms about this (and other issues)?

What's bigger than the faces you see representing a machine in local politics? How do you overcome that? One of the best ways the general public can respond is to go to the ballot box. That has been done and now there's been a recent change in the administration and several council seats. What has been important and will continue to be important over the next few months is modifying representation at strategic staff levels and with the various boards and commissions. It took us years to get to this point and its going to take us just as long to get out of it. No doubt, the last decade of politics and strategy with downtown will go down in history as a complete trainwreck. Nevertheless, as of now, I'm more excited for Jacksonville's future than I've been in a long time.

[Bativac]

No other city in the United States would treat one of (if not it's most) iconic landmarks like this. I mean Jacksonville has torn down The Landing, has let Metro Park go to waste, and is now letting Friendship Fountain sit idle for years. Can anyone name one city that has done anything remotely similar?

Jacksonville: It's Easier Here!

[Charles Hunter]

Is there a way to send just the Ken's first two posts to someone (say, Councilmember Amaro or C/m Joe Carlucci - whose district has the Fountain)? I don't think they need to see the rest of the thread.

[heights unknown]

Disgusting, unbelievable.......

[Tacachale]

As most know, I'm now working in the mayor's office, and while it isn't my main focus, I'm doing some things on downtown and urban core issues, and they'll always be deeply important to me. Right now it's a lot of getting boards and positions filled and working on processes. There's a lot to do, but fortunately, as we've said here for years, none of this is rocket science and there are plenty of successful examples in other cities across the country to follow. Hopefully we'll have some news soon that I think our members and readers will be happy to see.

[heights unknown]

As most know, I'm now working in the mayor's office, and while it isn't my main focus, I'm doing some things on downtown and urban core issues, and they'll always be deeply important to me. Right now it's a lot of getting boards and positions filled and working on processes. There's a lot to do, but fortunately, as we've said here for years, none of this is rocket science and there are plenty of successful examples in other cities across the country to follow. Hopefully we'll have some news soon that I think our members and readers will be happy to see.

Congrats; I hope you assist in lighting a fire under our City leaders to get our city and downtown up and going before we're all a member of the upper atmosphere LOL.

[Ken_FSU]

Is it possible that the space is in flux until plans for MOSH or the Related Group project are finalized?

I'd hope not! Would be as short-sighted as holding back 50% of the work on the CBD's signature riverfront park in perpetuity based on a hypothetical 40-story tower without a development agreement that would need $25 million in public subsidy.

This is a great expose!  Thanks Ken!

Just call me Truman Capote, only if Truman Capote stood on top of benches with an iPhone photographing blight.

Why is poor KenFSU, who works a full time job having to do the job of the media and play investigative reporter here?

In the media's defense, they're poorly paid, overworked, and newsrooms have been slashed left and right. Lot of boondoggles in the city to cover.

As most know, I'm now working in the mayor's office, and while it isn't my main focus, I'm doing some things on downtown and urban core issues, and they'll always be deeply important to me. Right now it's a lot of getting boards and positions filled and working on processes. There's a lot to do, but fortunately, as we've said here for years, none of this is rocket science and there are plenty of successful examples in other cities across the country to follow. Hopefully we'll have some news soon that I think our members and readers will be happy to see.

I'm frustrated that a decade has gone by with no real signs of progress, but encouraged that a guy like you Bill will have a hand in turning things around!

[thelakelander]

^I know I shouldn't but I can't help but think about where downtown would be right now, if we would have just stayed the course with Brown and Sleiman's Landing revitalization plans. That one was a no brainer to take advantage of, given where the market stood at that time, along with the amount of incentives requested.

[Ken_FSU]

^I know I shouldn't but I can't help but think about where downtown would be right now, if we would have just stayed the course with Brown and Sleiman's Landing revitalization plans. That one was a no brainer to take advantage of, given where the market stood at that time, along with the amount of incentives requested.

The saddest part is the reason the Landing wasn't redeveloped, but rather destroyed, despite Toney Sleiman having a plan on the table in 2015 that required less than $12 million in public subsidy. It wasn't because the Landing was blighted. It wasn't because we had grand plans for some alternate use for the sight. It wasn't because we couldn't afford the subsidy as a city.

It really was as simple as Lenny Curry holding a stupid political grudge against Toney Sleiman for breaking rank and endorsing Alvin Brown in the 2015 Mayoral Election.

As soon as this happened, Sleiman became public enemy number one for the Curry administration.

Led to perhaps the most unintentionally and retroactively funny quote of the last decade from Curry's Chief of Staff, Brian Hughes:

"Throwing money, nearly $12 million, at special interests while kids are being gunned down in the street [...] is simply outrageous, it's disgusting."

The irony, of course, is that the Curry and Hughes - after exhausting every bullyish, strong-arm tactic in the book (pulling permits, threatening to cancel the Landing's keystone events, exploiting a deadly shooting, etc.) eventually had to pay over $20 million when all was said and done to oust Toney from the property.

It's also another great example of Jacksonville not heeding the old "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" adage. If you look at when Curry and Hughes REALLY started turning the screws to Toney Sleiman and trying to get him to leave, it was right after their secretive trip with Shad Khan and Mark Lamping to visit St. Louis, Kansas City, and Baltimore. There's no universe where the Landing wasn't demolished to clear the way for a Cordish/Lot J development at the stadium to "replace" it. Again, that one turned out just as well as demolishing River City Brewing for an unsigned Related development, the Courthouse and Annex for multiple failed RFPs, Kids Campus for a brownfield, the Greyhound Station for a fictional 60-story Miami-style tower backslash illegal parking lot, etc. 

[thelakelander]

The unfortunate part is that same story and political strategy has impacted several other downtown projects as well. The point of creating the DIA was for it to be independent from the political play of city hall. That failed and the downtown you see today, including Friendship Fountain, is a result of that. So IMO, the best thing at this point was the results of the recent election. It's an opportunity to make a clean break from the obstacles that are political related, that also play out as picking winners and losers with various projects. Unfortunately, while there have been winners, the public has been the biggest loser of all. Now we have an opportunity to right that ship.

[jaxlongtimer]

The unfortunate part is that same story and political strategy has impacted several other downtown projects as well. The point of creating the DIA was for it to be independent from the political play of city hall. That failed and the downtown you see today, including Friendship Fountain, is a result of that. So IMO, the best thing at this point was the results of the recent election. It's an opportunity to make a clean break from the obstacles that are political related, that also play out as picking winners and losers with various projects. Unfortunately, while there have been winners, the public has been the biggest loser of all. Now we have an opportunity to right that ship.

This.  It is why Curry DIA appointee, Boyer, needs to move on.  Too much baggage there.  Deegan needs to show a real turning over of a new leaf with a new leader at DIA.  She seems good at diplomatically getting things done so surely she can find a dignified way to work Boyer out.  That Boyer capitulated to the Curry machine is a major disappointment.  As Ennis notes, we will be living with the consequence of that for decades to come.

[marcuscnelson]

Thanks for venturing out to see this, Ken. I recall a few months ago there being some mention of funding shortfalls for some of the DIA park projects, I would imagine this is the outcome. Definitely worrying that despite a lot of hubbub we haven't really worked out delivering these parks when we have to build so many. Unfortunately for the "largest urban park system" active urban parks aren't the same as nature preserves, and it's unclear we've recognized that. Hopefully that will change as Deegan works to right the ship.

As most know, I'm now working in the mayor's office, and while it isn't my main focus, I'm doing some things on downtown and urban core issues, and they'll always be deeply important to me. Right now it's a lot of getting boards and positions filled and working on processes. There's a lot to do, but fortunately, as we've said here for years, none of this is rocket science and there are plenty of successful examples in other cities across the country to follow. Hopefully we'll have some news soon that I think our members and readers will be happy to see.

Fingers crossed Bill, we're all rooting for you.