The Northbank is Still Alive

[Metro Jacksonville]

The Northbank is Still Alive



With an impressive mix of old and new pedestrian scale architecture and streetscapes, Jacksonville's original city center can still be a pretty lively urban atmosphere at times.



Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-oct-the-northbank-is-still-alive

[civil42806]

As long as its not after 5 pm

[mtraininjax]

As long as its not after 5 PM

Agreed, and that is a problem we need the Mayor and City Leaders to continue to fight EVERY SINGLE DAY. We all know that the big companies that used to be located in these spaces have either downsized, or moved out to the suburbs (imagine if the Barnett Office Park was never built, all the jobs that would have stayed downtown).

There is a great article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the City of Atlanta and how its growth engine is slowing down, many companies moving just outside the Atlanta city limits, but retaining that Atlanta address for posterity sakes, http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/engine-for-growth-has-173667.html

As in Atlanta, Charlotte, any number of southern cities, the leaders need to get creative (a tough task based on the last 6 years with this administration). It can be done, the buildings are there, infrastructure is there, the land and development issues are still there for companies to move to the burbs, but the JEDC and DDA need to build a more creative downtown. I'd rather shop in an older building downtown that to travel to SJTC.

The question is, what small businesses would thrive downtown right now, that are not already there?

You bring in small businesses, the big ones will find a way to be there too. As well as more residential.

[vicupstate]

Good post Mtrain.  You are learning. 

Your remark about small business is spot on. I would like to see MJ do a series on what types of retail find success in downtowns in different cities.  Sort of a micro-focus of the current urban city-visit series.   

[mtraininjax]

Thanks for the compliment, I don't see much job growth and we don't have to follow the lead of other cities, we need more creativity in our downtown, our leaders and our citizens.

I'd like to see a series that discusses where the new jobs are coming from for downtown and the outlying areas. We have to grow our way out of the recession.

[Bewler]

Nice butt shot on that first Landing picture.

 

[nestliving]

I wish the city would just develop the Laura trio and Barnett bank building into residential and offer incentives for people living in the suburbs to move downtown.

[Bewler]

I always thought that having a strong college presence downtown would help, particularly if we turned many of our vacant and condemned buildings into dorms. And no I don’t mean turn our town into Tallahassee or Gainesville, something more like how Rutgers is set up but on a smaller scale.  Maybe now that FCSJ is trying to become a more significant college, they could try to make something happen with that.  The northern most Skyway stop isn’t that far from their downtown campus. If students lived within walking distance from any one of the stations they could put it to good use. If nothing else, FCSJ could at least try to open up its campus to the rest of downtown or encourage coffee shops or café type places to be opened in or near the building.

[fsu813]

reports....demise....exagerrated

[buckethead]

I wish the city would just develop the Laura trio and Barnett bank building into residential and offer incentives for people living in the suburbs to move downtown.

That seems like an arbitrary abuse of power and finances. It would be better to offer tax incentives to attract businesses as well as residential occupation to all citizens and companies.

Trollies would help greatly.

[Steve]

^The city won't develop it (nor should they in my opinion).  However, this is where the city should step in and offer economic incentives for the Laura Trio.  The Barnett has been partially completed, and probably doesn't need incentives at this point (but I could be wrong).  The key to both is really uniting the Barnett, Laura Trio, and the L-Shaped lot next to it.  The L-Shaped lot was supposed to be parking for both, and that's what needs to happen.

As far as use, I really don't care per se.  Obviously some uses would be better than others.  A botique hotel in the Barnett would be great, because Hotels provide a near 24 hour captive audience.

[stephendare]

reports....demise....exagerrated

really?
that looks like a busy urban core to you?

ok..

[heights unknown]

Wonder how long mtrain had to wait to get shots where people were in the photos; not many people downtown even during the day.  Jax sure looks good in pictures.  I might be relocating back to my hometown soon; then I'll see all of you face to face one day.

Heights Unknown

[JaxBorn1962]

Wonder how long mtrain had to wait to get shots where people were in the photos; not many people downtown even during the day.  Jax sure looks good in pictures.  I might be relocating back to my hometown soon; then I'll see all of you face to face one day.

Heights Unknown

[David]

Downtown's streets aren't exactly bustlin' like NYC's are after 5 pm. But, there's at least 5 times as many places open after business hours than just 5 years ago. (bringing the total number to 5, hehe just kidding. sorta)

7 years ago, I used to ride my bike on those empty downtown streets during the early evening hours, back when London Bridge was one of the few places open after dark. So, if you think dt is quiet now, it’s nothing compared to what it was just a short while ago. It was truly an after hours ghost-town, almost all the time. The only thing you heard for blocks was music from LB's loudspeakers echoing off of all the closed-down store fronts. Bay street was empty, the landing was even quieter than it is today, because there were no bars/lounges, unless you count hooters.

In a way I miss the days when barely anyone came downtown, it felt like you had it all to yourself. Plus there were a few more of the older buildings standing and some pretty cool graphite, but it was still desolate. Progress hasn’t come at a break-neck speed like it was promised, but it’s happening.