after the laughter died down last Tuesday, Stephendare and I took another look at SAX SEAFOOD. Thinking "Anchor of the Trolley System". This building is suited well to becoming a first class museum, with gift shop, bistro, car shop and storage yard. Tracks could pull out onto Beaver to Davis, and hence South and help recreate one of the most exciting streets of the former Harlem District of LaVilla. Davis is small, quiet, yet fairly dense with some pretty cool places on both sides.
The Sax place is plenty tall enough, either in the kitchen? or the dining room areas. Lots of parking would make it a park and ride site for a host of historic venues. Beaver and Davis streets may still have streetcar tracks in them as both are historic Jacksonville Traction routes. The Sax location would do something else for our Streetcar operation. We would trump New Orleans, Memphis, Little Rock, Tampa, Ft. Smith or Dallas in having the museum/carbarn located just a block off the interstate with it's own exit/entrance. Moreover, we would have the only on with a brand new - turn key - exhibit space. Toss in a "World Class" hobby shop with internet/mail order and a focus on trolleys - railroads - highway systems - buses - air - ships - Navy and we would boost the operating income and offer yet ANOTHER spot for some family fun.
I invite all of you to head down there and take another good look for yourselves. Look at that high ceiling or roof. Look at the size of the place. Look at the location in relation to Water - Union Station - downtown. Look at it and tell me you don't hear bells!
If this city had just one visionary political type in a leadership position we could be all of that...
Ocklawaha
