State of Downtown: 2011 Progress Report

[Anti redneck]

Amen brother, Brown should go to the Landing and work his way North and South from the River. If the people are at the Landing, they could move block by block up the streets. Not the way he is proposing to fix Hemming and pray people show up. Totally arse-backwards!

you might have noticed the Hemming issue is being led by Council, not the Mayor

What the mayor needs to do is go in and clean house on that council. They're holding him and the city back.

[Adam W]

Good article, but nothing will change here and I have accepted that. Thats why I have planned to leave once I finish school. For those of you who like it here, good for you. Being born and raised up in Jax its so sad to see the city not further along than where it is now. If you're ok with Jax and its supposed future all the power to ya, but life is too short. The people of Jax deserve better.

I think it will change. It changed from what it was once to what it is today, so it's possible to change to something else. At least I hope so.

One thing that irks me a bit is that it seems a lot of what passes for 'progress' is actually just bars opening up. I'm not saying that's all that's happening in Jax, but it seems that everyone I know drinks an awful lot. I guess it's good that Burro Bar opened Downtown and that 1904 bar is opening, but there has to be more to do than just get drunk all the time. Especially in a city where you're forced to drive everywhere.

[Timkin]

Good article, but nothing will change here and I have accepted that. Thats why I have planned to leave once I finish school. For those of you who like it here, good for you. Being born and raised up in Jax its so sad to see the city not further along than where it is now. If you're ok with Jax and its supposed future all the power to ya, but life is too short. The people of Jax deserve better.

I think it will change. It changed from what it was once to what it is today, so it's possible to change to something else. At least I hope so.

One thing that irks me a bit is that it seems a lot of what passes for 'progress' is actually just bars opening up. I'm not saying that's all that's happening in Jax, but it seems that everyone I know drinks an awful lot. I guess it's good that Burro Bar opened Downtown and that 1904 bar is opening, but there has to be more to do than just get drunk all the time. Especially in a city where you're forced to drive everywhere.

    There SHOULD be more to do than get drunk all the time.  Perhaps that is why many get drunk all the time.. there is nothing more entertaining? 

[Anti redneck]

Good article, but nothing will change here and I have accepted that. Thats why I have planned to leave once I finish school. For those of you who like it here, good for you. Being born and raised up in Jax its so sad to see the city not further along than where it is now. If you're ok with Jax and its supposed future all the power to ya, but life is too short. The people of Jax deserve better.

I think it will change. It changed from what it was once to what it is today, so it's possible to change to something else. At least I hope so.

One thing that irks me a bit is that it seems a lot of what passes for 'progress' is actually just bars opening up. I'm not saying that's all that's happening in Jax, but it seems that everyone I know drinks an awful lot. I guess it's good that Burro Bar opened Downtown and that 1904 bar is opening, but there has to be more to do than just get drunk all the time. Especially in a city where you're forced to drive everywhere.

    There SHOULD be more to do than get drunk all the time.  Perhaps that is why many get drunk all the time.. there is nothing more entertaining? 

+1 million

[Anti redneck]

I stated this before. If downtown wants to see some life, they should do what they did at town center. Do not put in a town center clone, but something different with it's own vibe. That's a sure say to see some good progress downtown. Build somewhere for workers to go when they get off, somewhere to go to watch Jags games on Sundays, something for everyone! Let's see a movie theather go up, whether it be an AMC or Joe's Movies. Let's see a theme park. They should try and talk Adventure Landing into expanding downtown. Let's see an aquarium. Let's see some scenery coming into downtown, put in more palm trees coming in. This is Florida. Let's enact more beautification projects. Advertise more on the things that already are downtown! Why should it be up to the people to go out and try to find things for themselves? Get rid of the ordinances that keep businesses already there from putting signs out! Why is that in place anyway?? Allow downtown to be lit up at night. Why turn off the lights at midnight? Allow the St. Johns River to be used! Yes, people see we have a river. Why are they not allowed to use it? Set up jet ski rentals along the river. They will most likely rent out. Maybe even wind surfing! Most of this is not even on the agenda! Why not? City council? You know how that should be over-ridden? Let the people vote on it! If the people were allowed to vote, we might see some real progress, then. Who's on the same page with everything I just said?

[deathstar]

I sure hope the plans for Riverside Avenue tidy up that spot, because I rode through there yesterday and it's ROUGH. Who would want to live in a gem in the middle of an area like that? Downtown needs a huge overhaul.. dare I say another 1901 fire so investors could come in and rebuild the bloody thing and make it right.

[peestandingup]

I agree with most here. Jax isn't doing nearly enough & is in a lot of ways a failed city, at least at its core. And IMO, if you don't have a thriving core, then you can't call yourself a city. Its something else, some good some bad, but not a "city". More like a collection of suburbs pretending to be one. And they really are fluffing this report up. I mean, I understand it & realize they have to do that as its pretty much all they can say, but they keep talking about the low crime & abundant parking. Really?? Well, thats probably because there's no one down there. And they charge for parking everywhere, write tickets, etc. So yeah, no shit.

There's a lot of fish to fry, but I agree that they should start with the Landing & work their way from there. As much as people here like to make fun of it at times, it really is about the only place you can go in town with your family, or you know, if you happen to wanna go downtown & not go bar hopping. Yes, its dated & some of the stuff there sucks. But its got the river, its got the views, the Riverwalk, etc. Expand on that. The city should run its own water taxis & integrate that into transit. I'm sorry, but connection is key here when you have a river running through the middle of your town & you can't have people paying $4 a person to ride with a private company just to the other side of the river that I could almost throw a rock to.

[Anti redneck]

Please, would someone with the power read this thread? May we, the people of Jacksonville, whether they live here or are from here but moved away for certain reasons, please see progress? This thread goes along with the "young profesionals fleeing Jacksonville" thread. If downtown was a place to go, less people would flee! Would the idiots who run this city please stop it! Stop acting like we don't know what we're talking about. Stop ignoring your citizens. You don't know everything! If you hate downtown, please relieve your duties! Why can't the voters be allowed to have a voice with our future?

For the record, yes I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated at how a "city" like Jacksonville can possess such a mentality! It's the only one of its kind. It's almost sickening!

[JFman00]

My favorite line from the piece on First Coast Connect a couple weeks ago: "You can't be a suburb of nowhere."

[Adam W]

I stated this before. If downtown wants to see some life, they should do what they did at town center. Do not put in a town center clone, but something different with it's own vibe. That's a sure say to see some good progress downtown. Build somewhere for workers to go when they get off, somewhere to go to watch Jags games on Sundays, something for everyone! Let's see a movie theather go up, whether it be an AMC or Joe's Movies. Let's see a theme park. They should try and talk Adventure Landing into expanding downtown. Let's see an aquarium. Let's see some scenery coming into downtown, put in more palm trees coming in. This is Florida. Let's enact more beautification projects. Advertise more on the things that already are downtown! Why should it be up to the people to go out and try to find things for themselves? Get rid of the ordinances that keep businesses already there from putting signs out! Why is that in place anyway?? Allow downtown to be lit up at night. Why turn off the lights at midnight? Allow the St. Johns River to be used! Yes, people see we have a river. Why are they not allowed to use it? Set up jet ski rentals along the river. They will most likely rent out. Maybe even wind surfing! Most of this is not even on the agenda! Why not? City council? You know how that should be over-ridden? Let the people vote on it! If the people were allowed to vote, we might see some real progress, then. Who's on the same page with everything I just said?

Downtown is an ideal location. It's equally convenient for everyone. Maybe if you live on the Southside, the St Johns Town Center is easily accessible, but Downtown is never that far away for lots of people. And if Downtown were to develop, it would could have a very positive impact on our public transportation aspirations.

Another thing to keep in mind: a lot of young people want to live in a city. You can't really get much in the way of urban living in Jacksonville, unless you want to live in an overpriced apartment in a wasteland. I used to work Downtown and would walk home to Riverside at night (I got off work after 8PM). It felt like 28 Days Later.

[Bill Hoff]

I sure hope the plans for Riverside Avenue tidy up that spot, because I rode through there yesterday and it's ROUGH. Who would want to live in a gem in the middle of an area like that?

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe the same kind of people who moved to Riverside in the 90's. Or Springfield in the early 2000's.

You know, "crazy" people. 

[ChriswUfGator]

I sure hope the plans for Riverside Avenue tidy up that spot, because I rode through there yesterday and it's ROUGH. Who would want to live in a gem in the middle of an area like that?

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe the same kind of people who moved to Riverside in the 90's. Or Springfield in the early 2000's.

You know, "crazy" people. 

Well, I mean, it depends on the people doesn't it.

The kids in Lord of the Flies weren't crazy just because they happened to be on an island...

[tufsu1]

Amen brother, Brown should go to the Landing and work his way North and South from the River. If the people are at the Landing, they could move block by block up the streets. Not the way he is proposing to fix Hemming and pray people show up. Totally arse-backwards!

you might have noticed the Hemming issue is being led by Council, not the Mayor

What the mayor needs to do is go in and clean house on that council. They're holding him and the city back.

I'm pretty sure the Mayor doesn't appoint the Council....like him, they are elected by the voters!

[thelakelander]

I sure hope the plans for Riverside Avenue tidy up that spot, because I rode through there yesterday and it's ROUGH. Who would want to live in a gem in the middle of an area like that?

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe the same kind of people who moved to Riverside in the 90's. Or Springfield in the early 2000's.

You know, "crazy" people. 

What's so rough about it?  It's virtually abandoned with 90% of the land being vacant from all of the demolitions over the last decade.  It's not like it's the Eastside of Detroit or Chicago's Southside.

[urbanlibertarian]

Wow!  I just don't understand the pervasive negativity.  The state of DT could be improving more quickly but it is improving.  Slow progress is not failure.  The expanding nightlife is very welcome and should feed on itself and grow.