I agree, however I also agree with Lakelander that it wouldn't be a 'trick pony' that would revive downtown. That said, it could certainly be part of a general makeover such as the Oklahoma City MAPS projects. Talk about waking a dusty prairie town up, man they are pulling away from us in a cloud of red dust. Check out the improvements at
http://www.okc.gov/maps/index.htmlThe trick with MAPS was it was completely comprehensive, improvements across the board in infrastructure, transit, amenities, parks, waterways etc. That's the only way something like this would really make a difference in Jacksonville. A sweeping vision of sustainable, connected, walkable improvements in the city core. Roll out a BETTER JACKSONVILLE II plan and focus those energies on remaking the 'city' experience. In one fell swoop, we get streetcar, Skyway and BRT improvements/extensions and expansions, commuter rail, a 'Dixieland' remake, Bass Pro/Ikea or similar unique big box stores in a downtown location, bike trails/cyclovia's, landscaping, aquarium, line the river walk with Jacksonville's stars in bronze, interactive fountains, water screens under a bridge and kiosk shops to be leased to vendors. A road diet, compete streets, razing most downtown parking meters and beautification sweep would put our roadways over the top. A new convention center and a remake of Jacksonville Terminal downtown (without the insanity of 4 new massive empty buildings), and you'd see a major change in the face of our city. I'd even suggest a marriage of the new 'Dixieland' concept with the 'Epoch Project' and roll them out as one in a World's Fair Epoch Expo. I'm working on an article on just such a thing, so stay tuned...
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