Lenny's Lawn: The Grass Field Replacing the Landing

[heights unknown]

Should I get my lawn chairs ready for when I visit Jax?

[Bill Hoff]

Should I get my lawn chairs ready for when I visit Jax?

This is a great opportunity to start the annual First Coast Lawn Chair Festival, Jacksonville's favorite new tradition!

[Bativac]

I am not in Jax and my family isn't as plugged in as they should be, but friends have told me there's no real vocal opposition to tearing down the Landing and replacing it with a lawn or to the $230 million dollar entertainment...thing at Lot J. Is this true? Are most Jax residents in favor of these things? Does Curry have a lot of support or is he riding roughshod over the opposition?

[Captain Zissou]

The Jaxson and Nate Monroe are the only voices speaking up against him.  Everyone else is cowering in fear.

[thelakelander]

Does Curry have a lot of support or is he riding roughshod over the opposition?

He's riding roughshod over the opposition. Most are in fear to speak out.

[vicupstate]

Curry is drunk on power. Good people who know better are doing nothing. Thus, here we are.

I honestly can't even get my head around a mayor WANTING to have any responsibility for the schools to this degree.  Does he really want to get the phone calls and the criticism and the headaches that come with that? Doesn't he have enough to herd over already?

In reality I know he really doesn't, he is doing the bidding for others and he isn't running again, so he doesn't really care.
 

[Ken_FSU]

I am not in Jax and my family isn't as plugged in as they should be, but friends have told me there's no real vocal opposition to tearing down the Landing and replacing it with a lawn or to the $230 million dollar entertainment...thing at Lot J. Is this true? Are most Jax residents in favor of these things?

I think we're talking two different questions here.

Cronyism (and a personal grudge dating back to the 2014 mayor election) is clearly how he got away with it, and why the Landing is being torn down and replaced with a vacant lot.

As to why there isn't more vocal opposition, I think the realistic answer is:

Lots and lots and lots of people, for better or worse, view the Landing as a dump that's a black eye on the city. This has been a widespread, largely nonpartisan view predating Curry.

Both because it's fallen into disrepair in recent years, and because some very public, very voilent crimes have occured on the site.

Sleiman has never been the most popular guy in Jax either.

Plus, it sadly takes more time and energy to understand why adaptive resuse - or at least leaving the door open for adaptive reuse - is the smartest use of taxypayer dollars than the average Jacksonville citizen (voter turnout was 12.5% at the last election) is willing to give.

[thelakelander]

^Honestly, I don't think the majority of the city really cares one way or the other about the Landing, Lot J or downtown in general. However, this is the situation in most cities. More do care about what happens with JEA and the public schools because they directly impact their quality of living. For the lower percentage of the population that does care, it's a mixture of the things Ken has stated, along with what boils down to pure local politics and potential fallout from going against the mayors office. When politics are at play, the outcome or proposed resolution becomes less important than being on the side for whatever the person controlling cash flow desires to do.

[RattlerGator]

I am not in Jax and my family isn't as plugged in as they should be, but friends have told me there's no real vocal opposition to tearing down the Landing and replacing it with a lawn or to the $230 million dollar entertainment...thing at Lot J. Is this true? Are most Jax residents in favor of these things? Does Curry have a lot of support or is he riding roughshod over the opposition?

Curry has a lot of well-earned support. What you're reading here is an embarrassment from people who should know better. That said, their responses are as predictable as mine. I can admit it. Fine, we're on opposite sides. The difference is this: they've lost a political battle by a *WIDE* margin because most of the people in the City who care to follow this stuff, always a minority in *every* locale, know the bitch-and-moan crowd (yes, I'm looking at y'all) will only support the approaches they favor that are *totally* group-think from within an authoritarian bubble along the lines of density, density, density (gargle) core, core, core (gargle) but only as *we* define it.

Sorry, friends, that won't cut it. To hell with your definitions, okay? To hell with 'em. I mean, what level of fool doesn't understand the proposed Duval Live! facility is far beyond the possibility of the The Landing? Damn what *you* prefer, the city had spoken about The Landing, loud and clear, years ago. What fool doesn't know how to admit the creation of a district available nowhere else in Florida -- yet demonstrably successful elsewhere -- isn't a plus for Jacksonville?

The Landing was built on a wish, and championed by the sort of folks bitching about its demise. Oh, they say, that was the wrong approach and we knew it all along, these possibilities are the right approaches. Man, shut up! You were wrong then and you're wrong now.

Talk nonsense about a so-called Lenny's Lawn all you like, the facts say this is a can-do mayor sho 'nuff getting things done *and* facilitating downtown development.

Since he can't disclose all that is planned or being discussed, I know this upsets the tell me everything, tell me everything right freaking now gang but that is a feature, not a bug. Win elections, guide the future.  Deal with it. So, *y'all* can uncharitably dismiss all he has done for downtown Jacksonville if you want to but it will be dismissed as the sour grapes it surely is.

Now, if only Shad & Tony & Tom & Doug et al. can just get our Jaguars to the Super Bowl . . . sigh.

Good morning, everybody. Nice to be tangling with y'all once again.

[thelakelander]

Welcome back RattlerGator! I miss your objective posts. We should catch up for brunch on Laura Street on Sunday to see all the success! You pick the restaurant!

[Tacachale]

Welcome back RattlerGator! I miss your objective posts. We should catch up for brunch on Laura Street on Sunday to see all the success! You pick the restaurant!

[vicupstate]

Somebody post a picture of Peyton's Park soon to be dog park, to show Rattler how 'off base' this crowd has been about predicting the end result of party-hack-turn-mayor projects. 

[Peter Griffin]

I like this RattlerGator fella. Refreshing to see someone poke the beehive

[Steve]

I am not in Jax and my family isn't as plugged in as they should be, but friends have told me there's no real vocal opposition to tearing down the Landing and replacing it with a lawn or to the $230 million dollar entertainment...thing at Lot J. Is this true? Are most Jax residents in favor of these things? Does Curry have a lot of support or is he riding roughshod over the opposition?

I think the issue we're also facing is that downtown really hasn't worked for over a generation. I'm in my mid 30's and my generation doesn't ever know a lively Downtown Jacksonville. My in-laws (as they've been here MUCH longer than my parents) haven't seen a vibrant downtown in decades either.

In short - the general public I believe has become so jaded about downtown that at this point is sort of like the adults in Peanuts. I think most people would like to see it happen, but since we've been talking about downtown revitalization since the 1971 master plan that presents a challenge.

[Downtown Osprey]

Welcome back RattlerGator! I miss your objective posts. We should catch up for brunch on Laura Street on Sunday to see all the success! You pick the restaurant!

Careful! I've heard trying to find a table at a downtown establishment on a Sunday is quite difficult.