JEDC Downtown Development Brief- December 2008

[thelakelander]

Upcoming Events
• The 56-foot Christmas tree at The Jacksonville Landing comes alive at the top of every hour and performs a 10-minute show through Wednesday, December 24.  The light show schedule is: Sunday - Thursday at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. 10 p.m., 11 p.m. and 12 a.m.

• The JEDC Sports & Entertainment Office presents the University of Florida vs. University of Central Florida basketball game on December 20 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.  Click here to purchase your tickets.

• Speaking of basketball, Jacksonville University (JU) is having a “City of Jacksonville Night” for the JU vs. Mercer basketball game on January 9 at 7 p.m. at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. 

• The City of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Urban League, NAACP â€" Jacksonville Branch and Southern Christian Leadership Conference will host the 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on January 9 from 7:30 a.m to 9:30 a.m. at the Prime Osborne Convention Center.  For more information, contact the Chamber at (904) 366-6600.

Laura Street Improvements Program Update
• The funding for the proposed Laura Street Improvements Program which includes streetscaping, landscaping and traffic improvements along Laura Street will be presented to City Council on January 5 and 6.  If funding is approved, the project will begin in the fall of 2009.

FPZA’s 2008 Awards
• The 2008 Florida Planning and Zoning Association’s (FPZA) “Redevelopment Award- Public” was presented to the JEDC for the Main Street Streetscape & Library Park project on December 5.  The award recognizes a project that highlights renovations and redevelopment of a previously developed area.  The Main Street Streetscape & Library Park project was designed in 2006 to beautify the main corridor of Downtown Jacksonville.

Friendship Fountain Redevelopment Plans
• The JEDC recently issued an RFP for the redevelopment of the Friendship Fountain area.  The responses are currently being reviewed by staff and a consultant will be selected to move forward with the design process.

Jacksonville Urban League Receives Major Contributions
• The Jacksonville Urban League, a non-profit, nonpartisan, community-based organization located in the LaVilla area of Downtown, was recently presented with three major contributions:  Microsoft Corporation donated $153,000 in the form of cash and software to provide computer training to Jacksonville’s underserved individuals, Fifth Third Bank presented a $20,000 check for programs and services and The Wachovia Foundation donated $15,000 to support the Foreclosure Prevention Program.  Click here to read more. 

Dialysis Clinic Opens in LaVilla area
• The Dialysis Clinic, Inc. opened the doors at their newest facility after purchasing land from the city in 2001.  The new clinic, located at 757 Union Street West, is a great asset to the area. 

Courthouse Update
• The Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) approved the final design of the new $350 million courthouse at its December meeting.  The design team includes: KBJ Architects, Inc., Flagg Design Studio, LLC, McVeigh & Mangum Engineering, Inc and Turner Construction Company.   

Wachovia Tower Sold
• The 22-story Wachovia Tower located at 225 Water Street in Downtown Jacksonville sold for $51.4 million in November to an undisclosed buyer.   The seller, Harbor Group International, bought the Wachovia Tower in January 2004 for $38.3 million.

JEDC CHAIRMAN BOB RHODES RECOGNIZED FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

The JEDC honored Bob Rhodes, the organization’s current chair, at the December 16th JEDC Commission meeting with a resolution commending him and recognizing the contributions he has made during his tenure on the board. Rhodes served on the board from August 2005 and as the chair from March 2007 to December 2008. Currently a partner at Foley and Lardner, LLP, Rhodes is resigning from the board to accept an invitation to serve as Practitioner in Residence at the Georgia State College of Law in Atlanta, Ga.

During Rhodes’ tenure on the board as chairman, the JEDC approved more than 22 projects resulting in the creation of more than 2,000 jobs with more than $535 million in new private capital investment and expanded opportunities for small business. Rhodes was especially instrumental in the implementation of the Downtown Master Plan through the completion of projects meeting the vision of the Plan, including the Main Street Park and streetscape project. In 2007, Rhodes received the Thomas Klechak Downtown Development Award for his significant impact on continued development in downtown Jacksonville. During his nearly ten years of service to the city, Rhodes also served on the former Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which was later combined with the JEDC. 

It was also under Rhodes’ leadership that the JEDC helped to attract the first major aviation manufacturing project to Cecil Commerce Center (Alenia North America) and helped facilitate the development of a Request for Proposals for a Master Developer for Cecil that will result in long-term community benefits.

“Bob Rhodes has been an outstanding leader on the JEDC and in this city,” said Mayor John Peyton.  “He has generously shared his intellect and expertise with the community through his important work in economic development and as chair of my Growth Management Task Force, and the foundation he has helped to build in both areas will benefit the people of Jacksonville for many years to come.”

Commissioner Zimmerman Boulos was named chairman by Mayor Peyton until a successor can be appointed. 

[heights unknown]

And in the meantime and meanwhile.......nothing is happening.

Heights Unknown

[brooklyn-ite]

Wow ! Only took the Dialysis Clinic 8 years to get something built in LaVilla!  No wonder nothing else gets built there.  Businesses can't afford to take 8 years to deal with this city to put up a building.  What a nightmare to build in LaVilla.  SIGN ME UP

[DetroitInJAX]

You mean to tell me that the city was presented with an award for the Main Street Bum Collector/Dog Poop park?

[Keith-N-Jax]

You mean to tell me that the city was presented with an award for the Main Street Bum Collector/Dog Poop park?

Thats unfortunate because it will only encourage them to continue to build these empty wonderlands for the homeless. Gotta love our downtown leadership they get it done.

[Charles Hunter]

Maybe one our planners that belongs to FPZA could clarify, but it sounds like the Main Street Streetscape (presumably the medians going north of downtown) and the Pocket Pooch Poop Park were bundled as a single project, and the whole thing got an award.

[thelakelander]

The award recognizes a project that highlights renovations and redevelopment of a previously developed area.  The Main Street Streetscape & Library Park project was designed in 2006 to beautify the main corridor of Downtown Jacksonville.

Based on this information, the goal was achieved.  Main Street looks better and no one would argue that the pocket park is a visual improvement over the previous parking lot.  The pocket park really fails when it comes down to usability and urban integration.

[hanjin1]

You mean to tell me that the city was presented with an award for the Main Street Bum Collector/Dog Poop park?

Are you saying that you aren't impressed with the homeless and garbage strewn across the lawn. Not to forget the dog turds that lay there as well. It was a perfect place to put a park, on a street everyone zooms by with no buildings on either side of it. I guess with this award they can make more parks on the adjacent empty lots

[heights unknown]

While Orlando, Tampa and Miami are busy with "real" projects and putting more talls and supertalls on the drawing board, the most interesting thing for Jax to talk about is dog poop. Gotta love Peyton and Company.

Heights Unknown

[Ocklawaha]

While Orlando, Tampa and Miami are busy with "real" projects and putting more talls and supertalls on the drawing board, the most interesting thing for Jax to talk about is dog poop. Gotta love Peyton and Company.

Man did you hit the nail on the head.

We seem to be losing ground, buildings, tech, talls and super talls at an alarming rate.

At some point we MUST examine WHY we fail, where places blessed with a lot less natural wonders, or work force are pulling away.

We NEVER seem to allow anything to stick, not a plan, not a project, not a venue or festival.

RIVER DAY? Where did it go?
JAZZ FEST? Turned from an all out neighborhood fest, with local foods and themes, and international artists, to a "Postal Service" style regulated, limited entry, approved vendor - non festival.
RIVER WALK? A sidewalk on the river... and then... and then... and then... NOTHING.
MARITIME MUSEUM? Great start, wow's the Landing crowd, grows, plans... Gets moved to a phone booth on the Southbank, and stonewalled.
NEIGHBORHOOD FESTIVAL? Remember? Ethnic EVERYTHING at Friendship Park? Foods from all around the country and the world, people just being people in their clubs and clusters... Where? When?

Is STUPID a contagious condition? If so, stay the hell away from Jacksonville's City Hall.

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

While Orlando, Tampa and Miami are busy with "real" projects and putting more talls and supertalls on the drawing board, the most interesting thing for Jax to talk about is dog poop. Gotta love Peyton and Company.

Heights Unknown

do you even live here?

[avonjax]

You mean to tell me that the city was presented with an award for the Main Street Bum Collector/Dog Poop park?

Who gave the award, the dogwalkers or the bums who hang out there?

[thelakelander]

To Jax's defense, I've spent time in downtown Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Daytona and Miami over the last month.  Outside of Miami, none of these places have a significant amount of development going up.  Outside of a few projects wrapping up from the boom period (ie. like Kings Avenue Station, Berkman II, etc.) vertical construction has ceased.

[heights unknown]

Boy, from reading a number of your posts it appears that you sure are defensive tufsu1; for your information, I was born in Jax and lived in Jax for over 20+ years before departing in 1995; I spent almost my entire naval career based in Jax at Cecil Field and NAS Jax respectfully.  I lived in Riverside, Westside, and Five Points as an adult, and in LaVilla as a kid.  Since that time, I have visited Jax quite often just to see how she is and how she's grown, and thanks to modern technology in which we don't have to actually be at a certain place in person have kept tabs on projects, plans, developments, etc. relative to the growth and prosperity of Jax and I still love Jax and this is my city. By the way, I have a very good personal reason for living where I now am and not in Jax and it's none of your business, however, if I could move right now I would probably be living in Jax; but I can't. This forum, outside of me physically taking trips from West Central Florida to my BELOVED Jax, is one way that I keep in touch and keep informed.  Jax is MY CITY and I LOVE JAX.  I don't have to live there to be in touch nor keep in touch or LOVE JAX.  So what's up TUFSU1?!  Anymore defensive type of questions?  Who are you?  What are you?  Who do you hope to be?

Thanks tufsu1 for your question.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

True Lake what you have said, but in most of those cities it appears that they quickly seized the initiative and reaped more benefits from that period than did Jax; I still say, in my opinion, that Jax lagged along and was too slow in pushing many of those projects and developments through to approval.

Heights Unknown