Riverside Arts Market Opens

[Shwaz]

The Super Bowl and Fortune 500 companies are great ways to infuse the local area with money and talented people. But in the long run, they are fickle and will not be as dedicated to the community as the local sponsors. Look at major metro areas in the north and you'll see the carcasses of many of those major corporations that one day decided it was cheaper to relocate, killing local communities. Events like this, and community groups like RAP are invested in the local area, both economically and socially. They help build community, establishing relationships that nuture social networks, strengthening all of our support structures.

I agree RAP and RAM are great for the area... but the big companies bring employee's. They can add to our skyline and downtown residency. What would Riverside Ave. look like without Fidelity?

Companies come & go... and when they do you better hope your city has a lot more of them or you'll be relocating too - Art Market or not.

[thelakelander]

FYI, the RAM we saw this past weekend, would not have been possible without Fidelity.  I believe they are the ones that paid for the paving of the parking lot under the bridge.

[Steve]

Not only that, noting said that they had to let RAM use their parking lot.  There are plenty of companies that would say no to this, whether or not they were using it.

[DONTBELIEVETHEHYPE]

The Super Bowl and Fortune 500 companies are great ways to infuse the local area with money and talented people. But in the long run, they are fickle and will not be as dedicated to the community as the local sponsors. Look at major metro areas in the north and you'll see the carcasses of many of those major corporations that one day decided it was cheaper to relocate, killing local communities. Events like this, and community groups like RAP are invested in the local area, both economically and socially. They help build community, establishing relationships that nuture social networks, strengthening all of our support structures.

I agree RAP and RAM are great for the area... but the big companies bring employee's. They can add to our skyline and downtown residency. What would Riverside Ave. look like without Fidelity?

Companies come & go... and when they do you better hope your city has a lot more of them or you'll be relocating too - Art Market or not.

Quality of Life attracts good companies and business.  RAM will, hopefully, be one of many elements of Jacksonville's culture which supports and adds to the quality of life. 

Strong business and companies are a byproduct of a good quality of life, not what defines it.  And, both should go hand-in-hand.

[vicupstate]

This will do more long-term for the vitality of DT, than hosting the Super Bowl ever did, all without the multi-million dollar price tag. Sometimes the best ideas aren't the most expensive and flashy ones.

Yeah couldn't believe all the fortune 500 companies that flew in and sponsored the RAM event + the national stage it put the city on.... wait a minute 

Name ONE of those Fortune 500 companies that invested in Jacksonville, post-Super Bowl?   That's my point.  A one time surge of visitors at a hefty price does not compare to a weekly surge of visitors for comparitively no expense.

Not to mention many businesses actually LOST business from the Super Bowl due to the fact that the locals didn't want ot venture out.

[ProjectMaximus]

This will do more long-term for the vitality of DT, than hosting the Super Bowl ever did, all without the multi-million dollar price tag. Sometimes the best ideas aren't the most expensive and flashy ones.

Yeah couldn't believe all the fortune 500 companies that flew in and sponsored the RAM event + the national stage it put the city on.... wait a minute 

Name ONE of those Fortune 500 companies that invested in Jacksonville, post-Super Bowl?   That's my point.  A one time surge of visitors at a hefty price does not compare to a weekly surge of visitors for comparitively no expense.

You're talking about two very different things. The one time surge of visitors came from out of town to pump millions of dollars into the local economy. The weekly surge of visitors are almost entirely local.

In any case, both offer huge benefits.

[grimss]

Great pictures! As always, a terrific photo essay.  As for whether surrounding areas saw any benefit, I can't speak for the Landing, but Fox 30 did a piece on the "green" effect of the market, saying that the Five Points merchants interviewed all attested to an increase in traffic through their stores.

Loved the chalk art bike lane!

[vicupstate]

This will do more long-term for the vitality of DT, than hosting the Super Bowl ever did, all without the multi-million dollar price tag. Sometimes the best ideas aren't the most expensive and flashy ones.

Yeah couldn't believe all the fortune 500 companies that flew in and sponsored the RAM event + the national stage it put the city on.... wait a minute 

Name ONE of those Fortune 500 companies that invested in Jacksonville, post-Super Bowl?   That's my point.  A one time surge of visitors at a hefty price does not compare to a weekly surge of visitors for comparitively no expense.

You're talking about two very different things. The one time surge of visitors came from out of town to pump millions of dollars into the local economy. The weekly surge of visitors are almost entirely local.

In any case, both offer huge benefits.

While there was some benefit to the SB, the funds spent on it could have been spent on something permanent that would have had a more lasting effect.  The RAM cost virtually nothing by comparison, and potentially could have a positve effect for decades to come. 

That was my point.

[grimss]

To give the city its due, preparing the space under the bridge for RAM wasn't exactly free.  I think about $4 million dollars went into infrastructure improvements to extend the Riverwalk to the site, design and construct the bathroom facilities and stage area, port electricity to multiple bridge columns for vendor use, and add pavers, etc.  Fidelity helped with some of the cost, to my understanding, but various administrations had to buy into the idea and sustain it.  Councilman Corrigan deserves a lot of credit for staying on top of the project, and, happily, Peyton has come around to understanding its potential impact as well.  RAMROD shouldered a huge part of the burden, but the market wouldn't have happened without support from the city, DOT, JEA, etc.

Hey, thanks for the kind words about RAP! RAP's job now is to make sure that folks understand that it's RAP that's putting on RAM, and get folks to translate their enthusiasm for the market into membership and volunteer support for RAP's other community endeavors.

[Shwaz]

Name ONE of those Fortune 500 companies that invested in Jacksonville, post-Super Bowl?

How about the cruise ships and the ports?

More than a dozen cruise line and shipping executives have been invited to the Super Bowl in hopes of showing them what the city offers. In addition, port officials hope the thousands of visitors staying on cruise ships in the port will like what they see and perhaps think about moving their businesses here.

the Super Bowl gives locals the opportunity to sell thousands of visiting executives on the idea that Jacksonville is a grand place to do business.

I'm sure the local business's didn't miss the local customer...

In the past five years, Super Bowls have brought an average of $181 million in direct spending and a total economic impact of $338 million to their host cities. That type of munificence is huge for Jacksonville because, with 1.2 million residents in the metro area, it’s the smallest city ever to host a Super Bowl.

Is it possible to say the SB catapulted Bay St. night life to what it is today?

Long-neglected brick buildings along downtown’s Bay Street have been spruced up and will be converted into nightclubs and party space during the Super Bowl, the first step toward creating a downtown entertainment district after the fans go home.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6872013/from/RL.5/

The impact won't be felt immediately, but after the Super Bowl, more expanding companies should at least put Jacksonville on their consideration list, which will eventually translate into more moves. That won't come immediately, Mallot said: More companies will consider the area over the next year or two, with an increase in relocations showing up in 2007 or 2008.

The down turn in the economy may have held off some of the companies planning to move here.

Don't forget the average fan that came down here for Super Bowl

Even Porter, the South Florida economist, agrees that growth in some industries -- tourism and conventions, particularly -- might be sparked by the Super Bowl. "You can build an economy around sporting events," he said. "What you have to have for economic impact is a steady stream of activity."

[vicupstate]

To give the city its due, preparing the space under the bridge for RAM wasn't exactly free.  I think about $4 million dollars went into infrastructure improvements to extend the Riverwalk to the site, design and construct the bathroom facilities and stage area, port electricity to multiple bridge columns for vendor use, and add pavers, etc.  Fidelity helped with some of the cost, to my understanding, but various administrations had to buy into the idea and sustain it.  Councilman Corrigan deserves a lot of credit for staying on top of the project, and, happily, Peyton has come around to understanding its potential impact as well.  RAMROD shouldered a huge part of the burden, but the market wouldn't have happened without support from the city, DOT, JEA, etc.

Hey, thanks for the kind words about RAP! RAP's job now is to make sure that folks understand that it's RAP that's putting on RAM, and get folks to translate their enthusiasm for the market into membership and volunteer support for RAP's other community endeavors.

The Riverwalk extention to the bridge itself was not built for RAM.  The under bridge area was designed as it was to accomodate events including RAM, but there will be many other events that will also take advantage of it.  Restrooms were already needed to support it's primary purpose of passive leisure.   

The decision to extend the Riverwalk was a good one, but it was done on it's own merits, to create an amenity and showcase the river,  it was not built solely as a venue for RAM like events. 

I applaud  everyone involved, but I merely pointed out that the most useful ideas aren't necessarily grandiose and costly.

[vicupstate]

Name ONE of those Fortune 500 companies that invested in Jacksonville, post-Super Bowl?

How about the cruise ships and the ports?

More than a dozen cruise line and shipping executives have been invited to the Super Bowl in hopes of showing them what the city offers. In addition, port officials hope the thousands of visitors staying on cruise ships in the port will like what they see and perhaps think about moving their businesses here.

the Super Bowl gives locals the opportunity to sell thousands of visiting executives on the idea that Jacksonville is a grand place to do business.

I'm sure the local business's didn't miss the local customer...

In the past five years, Super Bowls have brought an average of $181 million in direct spending and a total economic impact of $338 million to their host cities. That type of munificence is huge for Jacksonville because, with 1.2 million residents in the metro area, it’s the smallest city ever to host a Super Bowl.

Is it possible to say the SB catapulted Bay St. night life to what it is today?

Long-neglected brick buildings along downtown’s Bay Street have been spruced up and will be converted into nightclubs and party space during the Super Bowl, the first step toward creating a downtown entertainment district after the fans go home.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6872013/from/RL.5/

The impact won't be felt immediately, but after the Super Bowl, more expanding companies should at least put Jacksonville on their consideration list, which will eventually translate into more moves. That won't come immediately, Mallot said: More companies will consider the area over the next year or two, with an increase in relocations showing up in 2007 or 2008.

The down turn in the economy may have held off some of the companies planning to move here.

Don't forget the average fan that came down here for Super Bowl

Even Porter, the South Florida economist, agrees that growth in some industries -- tourism and conventions, particularly -- might be sparked by the Super Bowl. "You can build an economy around sporting events," he said. "What you have to have for economic impact is a steady stream of activity."

Many restaurants stocked up on food only throw it away because the locals did not want to get out.  They were not happy at all. For them the event cost them money, that wouldn't make anyone happy.

If memory serves, Carnival was already at the port before the SB was held. While the SB was an opportunity to wine and dine, there is no evidence that new business resulted from it.  If there was, you can bet the city and the Cof C would have boasted of it.

The widening of the Panama Canal, increasing imports from China,etc.  and the city's location are the reasons the ports have added business.  Savannah's port is booming too and it did not host a comparable event.   

I will credit the renovation work that occurred on Bay St. to the SB, but putting a similiar amount into a revolving historic renovation fund would have accomplished the same thing, and the money would be returned to continue with more.

I just don't think Jax got it's money's worth because the momentum it created seemed to immediately disipate.

[Shwaz]

Many restaurants stocked up on food only throw it away because the locals did not want to get out.  They were not happy at all. For them the event cost them money, that wouldn't make anyone happy.

I'm not saying every single business in Jax got rich on the Superbowl... but c'mon $338 million was spent in 1 week and you're telling me that local business on a whole lost money.

The city spent a ton of money on improvements to the city. Those improvement were all on the BJP for the most part and are permanent upgrades to the city.

Like I said RAM / RAP are great for the area but RAM is visited by local residents. Out of the 40,000 visitors, the ones that spent money essentially took that away from other business's in other neighborhoods around Jax.

[DONTBELIEVETHEHYPE]

To give the city its due, preparing the space under the bridge for RAM wasn't exactly free.  I think about $4 million dollars went into infrastructure improvements to extend the Riverwalk to the site, design and construct the bathroom facilities and stage area, port electricity to multiple bridge columns for vendor use, and add pavers, etc.  Fidelity helped with some of the cost, to my understanding, but various administrations had to buy into the idea and sustain it.  Councilman Corrigan deserves a lot of credit for staying on top of the project, and, happily, Peyton has come around to understanding its potential impact as well.  RAMROD shouldered a huge part of the burden, but the market wouldn't have happened without support from the city, DOT, JEA, etc.

Hey, thanks for the kind words about RAP! RAP's job now is to make sure that folks understand that it's RAP that's putting on RAM, and get folks to translate their enthusiasm for the market into membership and volunteer support for RAP's other community endeavors.

I hope the RAM is a "point of pride" for the entire Jacksonville community, and becomes a draw to a wider audience/region as it evolves, much in the way Portland's Saturday Market is to the entire Portland/Vancouver metro area.  While RAP has been critical to start it (couldn't/wouldn't have happened), and the event brings positive awareness to the Riverside-Avondale neighborhood, I hope that RAP understands the greater potential and need the RAM brings to the entire area.

[xian1118]

It seems that the commentary is getting away from the fact that the arts/farmers market was a huge success last weekend and should be a catalyst for more "sustainable" activities in the urban core. The Super Bowl was a fantastic success and introduced visitors and residents alike to a vibrant downtown that many didn't think was possible. I believe the re-investment from the Super Bowl inspired a renewed interest in downtown as an economic engine for doubters who didn't see the potential.