Share this article
Jacksonville's Downtown Action Plan
The Downtown Action Plan is the JEDC's 19 point initiative for breathing life into Downtown Jacksonville during the current recession.
Published February 18, 2009 in Urban Issues Digg
Share on Facebook
Tweet this!
Print Article
Metro Jacksonville on Facebook
Must Read from around the web
St. Joe will move headquarters out of Jacksonville jacksonville.com - The St. Joe Company will move its corporate headquarters from Jacksonville to Bay County the Panhandle where the company is building a large development anchored by the Northwest Florida Beaches…
JIA passenger count drops 4.7% in February jacksonville.bizjournals.com - The number of passengers who traveled through Jacksonville International Airport fell by nearly 4.7 percent from February last year to about 389,000 last month.
Vestcor's loan modifications for 11E and The Carling clear first hurdle jaxdailyrecord.com - The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission unanimously approved loan modifications on Wednesday for two Downtown apartment buildings developed by Vestcor Inc.
Wind towers, solar panels help power Jacksonville strip mall jacksonville.com - The twin 30-foot-high towers in front of a strip mall on the south side of Atlantic Boulevard near St. Johns Bluff are hard to miss - especially when the wind…
Jacksonville declares impasse with police union jacksonville.com - After little to no response from the police union on proposed salary cuts and pension reform, Jacksonville declared impasse this morning with the Fraternal Order of Police.
Delaney to pitch $1.75 billion investment in 'new economy' jaxdailyrecord.com - University of North Florida President John Delaney said he will take his call for a $1.75 billion investment in the state's university system, specifically for creation of "knowledge" jobs, to…
Morris Publishing Group emerges from bankruptcy jacksonville.com - Morris Publishing Group announced today it has completed the necessary steps to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company submitted a plan on Jan. 19 to restructure its debts that…
Watchfulness in Jacksonville's Ortega area helps keep crime low jacksonville.com - Jacksonville's safest neighborhood has been described as a small town wrapped by the city. Maggie Wilson said that's the feeling she had growing up in Ortega, Jacksonville's least crime-ridden neighborhood,…
Jacksonville in 5... foxnews.com - Jacksonville might not be the first city you think of when planning a vacation to Florida (or even the second or third). But visitors who do take the time to…
Beaver Street stays busy, soon to be bigger jaxdailyrecord.com - An economic recession hasn't dimmed Jackie Perry's optimism for the entrepreneurial spirit. Every day the Beaver Street Enterprise Center executive director goes to the office, she sees the will of…
Follow us on the web!
Welcome Guest. You must be logged in to comment on this story.
What are the benefits of having a MetroJacksonville.com account?
What are the benefits of having a MetroJacksonville.com account?
- Share your opinion by posting comments on stories that interest you.
- Stay up to date on all of the latest issues affecting your neighborhood.
- Create a network of friends working towards a better Jacksonville.
Already have an account? Login now to comment.
RSSCopyright 2010 MetroJacksonville.com
reednavy
February 18, 2009, 09:03:01 AMWow, very bold and ambitious. Let's get it done, some is already underway. The biggest improvement IMO, is the 2-waying of streets.
billy
February 18, 2009, 10:59:45 AMShouldn't this be updated?
JeffreyS
February 18, 2009, 11:06:07 AMWell they are behind on their date estimates but if Jax could adhere to these guidelines it would be a good thing.
copperfiend
February 18, 2009, 11:18:02 AMWhere is this gathering dust at city hall?
JeffreyS
February 18, 2009, 11:29:54 AMThey could cut the $3,000,000.00 for new parking meters and the relocation of kids kampus and WJCT.
thelakelander
February 18, 2009, 11:37:32 AMThe estimates are probably behind because there are no dedicated funding sources identified for the plan's implementation. In a city that is trying to raid mass transit money to get the courthouse up, it may mean indefinite delays in completing all 19 goals.
xian1118
February 18, 2009, 12:06:25 PMNot gathering dust...was gathering momentum before the economy went to the crapper. The thing about it - it is the first time the city has got their wits about them and made a comprehensive plan that details the components that will make downtown friendly. This plan should have been written 20 years ago. It would have saved the city billions in infrastructure improvements and helped the bold new city of south truly breakthrough. Think of what we could be spending that money on? Put that in your light-rail pipe and smoke it.
xian1118
February 18, 2009, 12:08:08 PMWouldn't it be great if the Landing was right in front of the stadium along the river?
copperfiend
February 18, 2009, 12:38:07 PMWhat if the Landing was next to the Convention Center?
Doctor_K
February 18, 2009, 12:59:59 PMcopperfiend
February 18, 2009, 01:18:19 PMBridgeTroll
February 18, 2009, 01:33:18 PMHow about... um... er... connected via a streetcar or trolly?
copperfiend
February 18, 2009, 01:46:12 PMWith detailed signage so people would know where the streetcars and trolleys were going.
Steve
February 18, 2009, 01:47:35 PMThis is completely not true - Delaney's Downtown Master Plan in 2000 was far more comprehensive (and won awards). My problem with this is it is not a plan - it is a wish list. A plan would have included funding sources. It would be like a business publishing a list of expenditures, without any revenue, and calling it a budget - not exactly the same thing.
Not to mention, it's not like Peyton did anything for downtown while the economy was in the upswing in 2003 and 2004. If he wanted to do this then, fine.
Personally, I don't think this is going to go anywhere, save for possibly the street conversion, and maybe the friendship fountain thing (since he's going to need a legacy project, and the Courthouse isn't going to be it). I think it is a great list created to shut people up, and make people think he cares about downtown.
hiddentrack
February 18, 2009, 04:05:15 PMthelakelander
February 18, 2009, 04:10:23 PMHere you go:
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville+Economic+Development+Commission/Downtown+Development/Downtown+Maste.htm
zoo
February 18, 2009, 04:18:58 PMMiles Development has officially listed the Brooklyn site for sale. Anyone surprised?
Maybe JEDC can use some of the $24M in incentives it was gifting to Miles/Hallmark (I'm sorry, I meant the $24M for the two development companies to build infrastructure for the city that should cost 1/2 that) to make some of the things in this 2-year-old plan come to fruition?
Maybe since it is now confirmed that Brooklyn is not going to happen in the foreseeable future, which I believe has been mentioned for at least a year-and-a-half on this site, JTA should re-look at its phasing for streetcar, as well?
I'll give JEDC credit for trying, and they have made strides in other areas they target for biz dev -- JTB corridor, Cecil Field, Port, JIA -- but I have to chuckle-with-a-knee-slap every time I think about what they have "achieved" as the master developer for Downtown...
thelakelander
February 18, 2009, 04:30:03 PMSo it looks like the pre Great Fire of 1901 Mt. Moriah Church, in Brooklyn, was torn down for no reason. I guess the fire station will be next.
hiddentrack
February 18, 2009, 05:24:17 PMSteve
February 18, 2009, 05:52:57 PMBTW, I see they got rid of the welcome letter that was the original page 2 of the plan - it was an intro letter from Delaney. A couple of years ago, I got a printed copy, and Peyton replaced Delaney's Pic with his own, and changed the letter. One of tackiest moves that I've seen him do.
Keith-N-Jax
February 18, 2009, 09:35:10 PMNo plan of any kind serves no purpose when you dont actually follow it. Haven't we seen this before, creative ideas, bold statements, downtown on the move etc
Kenney
February 19, 2009, 01:07:03 AMwhat about moving all homeless, jobless, dangerous people and shelters out of the Downtown and then talk about creating and implementing some plans?
stjr
February 19, 2009, 11:40:20 PMI just got around to scanning this plan and while I appreciate the time that many respected people supposedly contributed to it (based on the names listed) -thank you! - it appears to me (1) almost all of it is a re-hash of previous ideas and plans (2) it is posed in a manner as to be politically correct (i.e. offend the fewest number of currently vested interests or causes) (3) lacks any real definition of bold, imaginative, and distinctive ideas that just pop off the page as "why didn't I think of that!?" (4) is very weak on providing rationales for the specific items recommended (most ideas lack any substantive commentary or comparison to other possibilities or support for why these recommendations are superior to others) (5) appears to be mostly driven by staff or city employee ideas or agendas - not a real and fresh brainstorming session by the citizen "volunteers" (6) is mostly common sense that has been continuously ignored or overlooked. I don't think we needed this level of talent to make this kind of effort to tell us this.
Example: It refers to both a desire to create more events downtown (now, where have I heard that before?) and later says that Metropolitan Park should be a mega-site with no mention of even considering other options such as the Shipyards or JEA property. Without any investigation, how do they conclude that this site is superior or has more future potential than others? And, did they compute the cost of moving the Kids Campus and WJCT as stated? Just moving WJCT is likely to match a large portion of the cost of buying the JEA or Shipyards property! Did anyone discuss this? WJCT buildings and land, alone, are listed by the property appraiser at $9.5 million (exclusive of valuable specialized improvements, I'm sure). And, as a depreciated value, you can bet replacement cost could be several times that amount. Add moving costs, and I bet the number would be north of $20 million for WJCT alone.
IMHO, the City really doesn't desire and/or know how to seek and execute creative and thoughtful solutions - just validation of what it already has on its agenda. The intentions may be good but the process is broken.
One suggestion would be to have a strategic planning blue ribbon committee of fresh pure-of-heart CITIZENS under the guidance of an experienced strategic planning facilitator. The committee should tell City staff - not the other way around - what information they want or need to formulate desired goals and strategies. Thoughts, comments, and ideas regarding goals and strategies should be sought from the committee members, the citizenry at large via town hall forums, surveys, and web site solicitations, interested city and independent professionals having appropriate expertise , etc. The committee, through investigation, inquiry, and vigorous discussion and debate should synthesize and prioritize into a final list the best key strategies that lead to achieving the desired goals without regard to cost or funding. Once this is done, the final strategic plan should be presented to the Mayor and City Council for adoption and support.
Upon approval, the plan should then be passed on to an implementation blue ribbon committee to focus on tactics, feasibility, funding, scheduling, implementation processes and methods, etc. needed to attain successful execution.
This process both builds support and consensus while recognizing that the creative mode is a distinctly different mode from the implementation mode. This is also the approximate and time tested standard for strategic planning and implementation but seems to be foreign to the City of Jacksonville. The absence of it may explain why so many of the hoped for goals of these "plans" and "reports" are never achieved.
BridgeTroll
February 20, 2009, 08:03:07 AMWhere oh where could such a committee be found??