Top 10 Things to Make DOWN-town a BOOM-town

[stephendare]

Well its not just FBC.

My pentecostal and charismatic family would be more to worry about on gambling.

If it didnt happen within an hour after Obama won the election, spontaneous rapturing brought on by local church outrage is off my list of things to worry about.

[Overstreet]

What would it take to legalize gambling in Jacksonville

IMO casinos should have be connected to a hotel, in urban areas and be waterfront.
Just think of the jobs they would create.

You know that there were three dog tracks. The one "down town" closed. The other two still operate and have horse betting and poker rooms.

[stephendare]

fsujax.

I still talk with those guys that want to build the southern music museum.

Maybe now is a good time to resurrect the conversation.

[David]

I was about to start a new topic but figured this rant would fit fine right here:


Subject: Can we get a real comedy club?

One that's not attached to a Ramada Inn?

I know it's silly to post things on MJ such as this when the poster lacks any ability to make it happen, such as the "we need more skyscrapers downtown" comments that you’ll see occasionally on this site (which I totally agree with) but it seems like Jacksonville is ready for something larger that has more character than the comedy zone yet smaller and more casual than the Florida theater. and of course it'd be nice if it were located downtown.

I know there's been several attempts to start up alternatives before but it seems like it's hard to cut into the comedy zone's hold on all things funny in this town. This town could use more laughs That's all i'm saying!

[stephendare]

I was about to start a new topic but figured this rant would fit fine right here:


Subject: Can we get a real comedy club?

One that's not attached to a Ramada Inn?

I know it's silly to post things on MJ such as this when the poster lacks any ability to make it happen, such as the "we need more skyscrapers downtown" comments that you’ll see occasionally on this site (which I totally agree with) but it seems like Jacksonville is ready for something larger that has more character than the comedy zone yet smaller and more casual than the Florida theater. and of course it'd be nice if it were located downtown.

I know there's been several attempts to start up alternatives before but it seems like it's hard to cut into the comedy zone's hold on all things funny in this town. This town could use more laughs That's all i'm saying!

This is a meritorious idea.

Downtown has a whole lot of space that needs used.
Downtown Vision is utilizing some of that space for galleries.

There are a number of independent comedy groups that could collaborate on sharing a space.

Mad Cowford and several other comedy acts might be enough to get a space up and running if they could use a downtown building for an incubator.

[ac]

+1 For the comedy club idea.  Stand-up comedy, stephen; but someplace for the improv/sketch folks would be good too.

[tufsu1]

And reed.  seriously  no one is downtown at night.  It can take you up to 25 minutes to travel 8 block of downtown with no other traffic.

Bull crap....I drive downtown at night all the time....most of the lights are still synchronized at night....and even if they weren't, the entire cycle is only about 1 minute.

Downtown signals are actually at their worst on Sunday...and it has nothing to do with NFL!

[Ocklawaha]

Well its not just FBC.

My pentecostal and charismatic family would be more to worry about on gambling.

If it didn't happen within an hour after Obama won the election, spontaneous rapturing brought on by local church outrage is off my list of things to worry about.

Sell the Southbank JEA property to the Miccosukee Tribe, and NOBODY could stop them or the boom. Theme? Hells Bells, look at OUR history + Theirs+Spain+England+France+Confederacy+Mexico+Green Cross...etc...
Toss in The Southern Fried Music Hall of Fame, A. Phillip Randolph Museum, Negro League Hall of Fame and Museum.

BUILD STREETCAR + Complete some parts of the Skyway.

Jump Back and watch us reach for the stars, there would be no stopping us. Certainly the talk about the CUBS moving to town wouldn't hurt anything either.

As for your 25 minute 8 block drives? You were kidding were you not? Downtown? Jacksonville? Hell I can drive across downtown LA faster then that. In Jacksonville, you could do it on the sidewalks in 5!

TUSFU1, "I'll see your BULL CRAP and raise you two BULL SHITS!"

OCKLAWAHA

[billy]

I thought tribes already had to own the land, that it had to be historically tribal land for a casino
to operate.
I do think there are a lot of people currently traveling from south Georgia and the east coast of Florida to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Mississippi and beyond to gamble.

[Keith-N-Jax]

To much is being focused on Casinos, Tampa, Miami and many of the cities in the learning from serious dont have casinos in their downtown area. I would focus more on shopping, dinning, entertainment, housing, homeless issues. Aquarium, and entertainment district, arts, museums linked with transit should be a start.

[Ocklawaha]

To much is being focused on Casinos, Tampa, Miami and many of the cities in the learning from serious dont have casinos in their downtown area. I would focus more on shopping, dinning, entertainment, housing, homeless issues. Aquarium, and entertainment district, arts, museums linked with transit should be a start.

Keith, interesting thoughts, but it sounds like you haven't played the slots too many times. Years ago, being a part time desert rat, I drove up from my California cabin with the family to Ely, NV. to ride the Nevada Northern Railroad (Well worth the trip BTW). On the way to Yosemite and Monterey, we stopped in Tonopah, and old Silver Mining City. Ate lunch in a big restaurant next to the slots, and my two teens started to howl about striking it rich. I told them FORGET IT, it's a game for fools. By the time we left I was pretty pissed about the constant hounding, so I told them; "Look, I'm going to teach you something with these quarters..." Dropped them in a slot machine, pulled the handle and walked out! About 1/2 way to the car this Casino dude comes running up and says, "Hey mister, MAN you better come back in, and your going to need a sack!"
GREAT LESSON OCK!

I think what your missing is: shopping, dinning, entertainment, housing, Aquariums, entertainment district, arts, and even museums, all come with or WITHIN the Casinos. The Tonopah Casino is small but it's got half a damn ghost town to play in, displays, hands on, cabins, mine tram, gold panning...etc. Vegas, Reno or Tahoe, each have hundreds of these venues. Ever since the days of the old west, when pioneers came west in pin striped suits, and carved a gambling empire out of a wasteland with their sub-thompson machine guns, these places are huge money makers. Consider in JAX, we would cut off the folks headed south, we get them broke before they get into St. Johns County! Besides, if the tribe took title to land that was once theirs anyway, it's going to be freaking impossible to beat them in court. They've got more money then Florida has!

OCKLAWAHA

[Keith-N-Jax]

Ock I do like casinos, been to the one in Tampa 3 times this yr which is not in there downtown. All I am saying is we should focus on things most likely to happen. A casino in Jacksonville,,just dont see that happening.

[mtraininjax]

A casino in Jacksonville,,just dont see that happening.

JTA would embrace HSR and follow through on the Skyway, before the FBC allowed a casino in Jax.

[Johnny]

In St. Louis, the casinos are on the river. They used to have riverboat casinos and they started building the buildings in the water to get around the law... You'd never know you were in the water when you are inside, but from the outside you can tell that only the hotels are on land and the casinos are hanging out on the water. I wonder if something can be done to slip it by the opposition prior to them knowing it's a casino?

[thelakelander]

^Is that similar to how SunCruz casinos operate?