DVI 2024 State of Downtown Report

[Tacachale]

All... there would be no JWB or Gateway investment in downtown without the DIA. 

Without the DIA, there is not 91 new townhomes and 91 new homeowners in Lavilla at Johnson Commons.  Without the DIA, there is no DPRP incentive program for historic buildings, which JWB used to renovate 218 Church Street, the Federal Reserve Building, the Porter House Mansion, and the Greenleaf building (Greenleaf still in process).  Without the DIA and their leadership (Bryan Moll thought Lori was amazing when they met back in 2022) and incentive programs, we don't get Bryan to come to Jax and lead Gateway... and that project would not be anything close to what it is if JWB was running point on it and not Bryan! 

Not asking people on here to be blind sunshine pumpers, or not criticize when criticism is due.  But if you like what JWB and Gateway have been doing in downtown the last five years, you HAVE to give the DIA credit. From the horse's mouth, anything else is disingenuous.

I honestly think you'll find that most people here consider the Gateway/JWB stuff to be the most exciting, most catalytic plan that downtown has seen over the last 20+ years. It'll be the biggest win DT Jax has seen in many of our lifetimes if it crosses the finish line. And I've heard straight from Bryan's mouth that his involvement wouldn't have happened without the DIA and Lori. No DIA, no project. Absolutely not disputing that.

But I think a lot of us have also become cynical over the years and reluctant to credit organizations like the DIA with their flowers until after the certificate of occupancy is in hand and the project is complete. There have just been too many false starts and abandoned projects over the last five years. The District. The OG Shipyards. Spandrell. The Hardwick. American Lions. The residential tower at the old Greyhound site. Lot J. The Laura Street Trio. Ambassador. Independent Life. Everything about the project and the steps that have been taken suggest that it's got more credibility and possibility of happening than maybe all of those other projects combined, but to me personally, full credit will come when it's complete, because that's what DT Jax needs. I've been burned too many times. Our reputation as a "city of renders" is well documented.

One last thing - more people read these boards than you think, and they do have some level of impact on downtown sentiment. As much as you send criticism when it is due, please celebrate all the good news when it comes too.  I think you will be seeing a lot of good news the next few years when it comes to downtown.

Looking forward to it! And I will say, though this board can lean negative against some of the downtown organizations (myself one of the biggest offenders), you'll also see many people, myself included, thrilled to celebrate positive new DIA initiatives.

Just from the last couple of weeks:

https://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,38066.0.html
https://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,38095.0.html

Feels like this place has also been highly complimentary of the DIA beefing up the historic preservation fund, negotiating an equitable deal with the Jags for their Four Seasons/Shipyards project, launching Sip & Stroll, and (depending on which side of the debate you fell on) standing up against the public subsidies requested for the Lot J project.

Any criticism absolutely isn't personal.

For the DIA specifically, their stated job is to:

Guided by a nine-member board, the DIA works to attract investment, facilitate job creation, support infrastructure improvements, and oversee public property disposition.

We've had five years under this current DIA group. Without diminishing some of the awesome stuff noted above, I think it's entirely fair to suggest that job creation has gone backwards, public property disposition has not been successful with all of the failed riverfront RFPs, infrastructure improvements like two-waying of streets, Musical Heritage Park, St. Johns Park have been very slow to progress, and outside investment has failed to turn as much completed work as you'd like to see over a five-year period of historic economic prosperity and immigration for Jax.

It's awesome what you guys have done with the support of the DIA, but for a city our size, feels like it shouldn't be you guys shouldering the full responsibility of proving their effectiveness. Why aren't there three or four other JWBs out there trying to get their hands on property?

I also wish development was happening faster... but these things take time.

I get it, and it's also what worries me.

My optimism about Downtown Jacksonville five years from now is about as high as it's ever been. As noted, the Gateway/JWB project has the potential to be truly transformational. The new mayoral administration is crushing it, in my opinion, and negotiated a great deal with the Jags that's a win-win for the franchise and downtown quality of life. New parks are coming, new solutions to the vagrant crisis are coming, the Four Seasons is coming. Awesome riverfront development, some announced/some not yet public knowledge, is on the horizon. UF is setting up shop.

But what I'm worried about is how we shore up existing downtown business in the interim so all of these great new additions add net-new downtown vibrancy, instead of backfilling the monthly losses we've been seeing for a while now.

You mention how we needn't be all rainbows and sunshine, just better acknowledge the positive. I think that's quite fair. In the same vain though, I think that works both ways. The DIA & DVI can be the exact opposite, all rainbows and sunshine while ignoring or not directly addressing the dire issues that all of us see with our own eyes on the streets each day.

Lost/ignored in the DVI's State of Downtown Report is the attrition. Just off the top of my head, we've lost Peterbrooke, Vagabond, Back to the Grind, Bread & Board, Jumping Jax, Magnificat, and Burrito Gallery in the last 10 months. Olio, Zodiac, and Cowford lunch service weren't far behind that. Major businesses, some with thousands of employees, are considering leaving because of how things are now, rather than how they will potentially be in five years.

I get frustrated and lose trust when none of this is publicly acknowledged. The first part of stopping the bleeding in the short-term is admitting there's a problem and working toward some immediate solutions while we wait for the bigger, exciting plans to come online.

90% of my criticism of the DIA and DVI would go away if I didn't hear them on the radio or in interviews saying that the homeless problem is statistically overstated, Jacksonville's rising downtown office vacancy is normal and because of "work from home shifts," and that downtown has never had more momentum. It's DELIGHTFUL to be optimistic, I'm an optimistic guy, but I'd be much, much more supportive if I heard, "Downtown residents and workers - we hear you. We've got some really difficult challenges to overcome in the short-term while we fix these bigger things. Here's what we're going to do." That's it. Just an acknowledgment that there's a problem in the moment, and we're all in it together to try to fix it. And instead of feeling like I'm being told my eyeballs are lying to me and the empty storefronts/vagrant threatening to stab me are hallucinations, I feel like we're all on the same page. And if there's a roadblock toward change, we can all address it honestly as a populace. Does the DIA need more resources? Is there too much red tape? Let's find a way to collectively fix it.

I think I've mentioned it in the past, but a lot of my frustration and passion about the downtown situation over the last 7 or 8 years ultimately comes down to being a Dad. I brought my daughter to One Spark when she was just a baby, and it was just the greatest time. And I took a job downtown in 2017 because I wanted to be part of that growth, support downtown business, and have this awesome place to spend time with her as she grew up. She's turning 11 this weekend, and I can't even bring her down to the office to hang out on the weekend because there are vagrants camped out in our entrance and all of our favorite spots on Laura Street are closed. Having a vibrant, clean, safe urban area is just so vital to a city's quality of life, and creating a region where kids like her will want to stay and plant roots in post-college. Really breaks my heart that her entire childhood and early adulthood might pass without any real progress being made.

I got 7 more years with her here. Let’s go!

I've been relatively quiet about this stuff since joining the mayor's office, but I feel like I need to say, some of the criticism DIA gets is totally unfair. It's not that there aren't big issues with Downtown or that aren't things to criticize DIA about; the Jaxson has been quite vocal about in our issues for over 6 years, myself included. But there's a tendency to lump all problems that Downtown faces together as DIA problems, and it's just not accurate.

For instance, you mention "infrastructure improvements like two-waying of streets, Musical Heritage Park, St. Johns Park," etc. Simply put, DIA doesn't have jurisdiction over the execution of projects like this. They create incentives packages, help make plans, etc. to kick them off, but execution on that infrastructure work is up to the city departments which report to the administration. Different mayors have different emphases, and currently we have one that's very focused on downtown. We've had a lot of success in getting things like the road projects and parks started or completed in the last year and a half, but it couldn't have been done so fast without the groundwork that DIA has laid.

You also mention the homelessness issue. That's also a city issue, as well as a JSO issue. It's definitely a major problem, and it's something we're putting a lot of focus on. The part that'll be kicking into higher gear in the new year is the PATH team under the JFRD, which seeks out homeless folks who are sleeping in public areas and brings them to shelters and connects them with support resources (and if they won't accept, that's where JSO comes in). As council liaison, I can say without reservation that this whole thing has taken a metric shit ton of work to get going, and DIA has been very helpful all around.

Loss of businesses and employers is also a big issue. While there's no one solution since each business is a little different, I believe what I've always believed, that the best way forward is to lay the groundwork through planning, infrastructure and incentives, and focus on the Three C's of clustering complementing uses in a compact setting. I believe with projects like Gateway, the parks, and smaller base hits for businesses supported by programs like this, we're laying the right type of groundwork.

[Ken_FSU]

At the end of the day, I think we're probably conflating two different perspectives, looking in two different directions. You feel like the DIA has been a big help since Mayor Deegan took over in July, and is helping a very downtown-friendly mayor with an awesome staff continue to lay the groundwork for downtown redevelopment. I fully agree with this, and am optimistic to see what everyone can do together when rowing in the same direction.

When I look at in the rearview mirror over one of the biggest economic booms in our city's history, and at the current conditions on the streets, I feel like the DIA has been largely impotent over the last five years, and has abjectly made almost no (or backward) progress towards the very goals that I don't arbitrarily or unfairly hold them to, but that they claim themselves as their very reason for existence (https://investdtjax.com/about-dia):



I'm a positive dude, and it brings no pleasure at all to be critical, but when I look through that list of goals and critically evaluate whether we've moved in a positive or negative direction over the last five or six years, the DIA (regardless of all of the political machinations and red tape that all of us are ultimately beholden to in our public and private sector jobs) is batting like 1 for 8 over the period covered in the recent DVI report (the report whose rosy portrayal of the current state of the streets triggered this thread). And I don't know who else I have to blame for having to jump on a plane to travel to other cities to meet with clients because the conditions are so rough on the streets in Q4 2024.

Decades of our lives have already been squandered with no meaningful progress downtown in the CBD, and I don't think it does anyone any favors to not hold our downtown agencies feet to the fire to find a way to push through the b.s. and make dirt turn, particularly when every single peer city I visit is running circles around us. The local media certainly isn't doing it. The close-knit political circles aren't.

Homelessness, and attrition, and public works delays, and office vacancy definitely, 100%, to your point, aren't DIA-exclusive problems to fix. Just like Trent Baalke can't make Gabe Davis catch the ball. But at the end of the day, when it comes to the big-picture state of downtown Jacksonville, the buck's gotta stop somewhere. We get nowhere if we're afraid to ask the binary question - "Are things demonstrabily improving under this group?" It comes with the job. We've spun our wheels for too long, with too little to show for it, to not approach this all with a sense of urgency.

To the same extent, if the DIA is taking unfair criticism, a lot of that comes down to a lack of communication after announcing initiaitves (something Deegan has pushed in the right direction). The public can't be mind readers, and the DIA has shared almost nothing back over the years with the public about why some of the projects noted have been delayed. If there are political or operational holdups delaying the two-saying of streets for four years, explain why. If Friendship Fountain is being stonewalled for years because Lenny is pissy at Leanna, well that's probably a tougher one.

ALL THAT SAID, again, I am genuinely optimistic about the coming years. I think we're got the leadership in place, with the right priorities, to really push things forward.

Perfectly happy and willing to hit the reset button and give everyone the benefit of the doubt under our new city leadership, while continuing to strongly believe that we HAVE TO look outside of Jacksonville for our next DIA CEO and bring in someone with a proven track record of rapidly redeveloping a major urban area. And I actually do genuinely think it would be great for the city and DIA to keep Lori Boyer on in a support role, as there's no one smarter or more knowledgable about our codes.

[Ken_FSU]

But what I'm worried about is how we shore up existing downtown business in the interim so all of these great new additions add net-new downtown vibrancy, instead of backfilling the monthly losses we've been seeing for a while now.

You mention how we needn't be all rainbows and sunshine, just better acknowledge the positive. I think that's quite fair. In the same vain though, I think that works both ways. The DIA & DVI can be the exact opposite, all rainbows and sunshine while ignoring or not directly addressing the dire issues that all of us see with our own eyes on the streets each day.

Lost/ignored in the DVI's State of Downtown Report is the attrition. Just off the top of my head, we've lost Peterbrooke, Vagabond, Back to the Grind, Bread & Board, Jumping Jax, Magnificat, and Burrito Gallery in the last 10 months. Olio, Zodiac, and Cowford lunch service weren't far behind that. Major businesses, some with thousands of employees, are considering leaving because of how things are now, rather than how they will potentially be in five years.

Another one bites the dust. 

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/dec/18/super-food-brew-downtown-to-close-dec-31/

I say this sensitively, with full knowledge of the externalities.

If you fail at any job and badly miss your performance goals for multiple years in a row, it’s time to get out and make room for someone who can succeed.

We’ve got a large enough sample size to know none of this is working in the moment to help downtown business.

Downtown is BLEEDING business, and our downtown agencies have still yet to even acknowledge that there’s a problem.

How many hours and how much money went into the State of Downtown report? Just to tell the downtown business owners that funded it how things have never been better.

I try to be positive, but it will take YEARS to backfill these losses that continue to pile up.

Absolute, unhinged insanity.

[Tacachale]

I'll say, I'm glad for the DIA and the fact that we in the city departments and private investors are moving in the same direction in terms of the things like the public spaces, streetscaping incentives and above all clustering.

[Ken_FSU]

I'll say, I'm glad for the DIA and the fact that we in the city departments and private investors are moving in the same direction in terms of the things like the public spaces, streetscaping incentives and above all clustering.

Non-antagonistic question for you Bill (or really anyone) that I'm genuinely curious about.

You mentioned a few days ago that you're optimistic about the groundwork being laid by the DIA with the new Hogan-Laura Corridor Activation Program (https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/oct/25/new-dia-program-focuses-on-energizing-the-heart-of-downtown/).

Described in the article as:

New DIA program focuses on energizing the heart of Downtown

The Downtown Investment Authority launched a new initiative to ensure that people who check out the new public facilities have places to dine, drink and shop in the historic central business district.

On Oct. 16, the DIA board unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Hogan-Laura Corridor Activation Program, in which the DIA staff will put a special focus on spurring redevelopment in a 12-block area running along Laura and Hogan streets between Independent Drive and Church Street.

As described in Resolution 2024-10-04, the program’s activating legislation, the initiative will involve DIA staff reaching out to property owners in the targeted area to discuss possible projects with a goal of “high impact, near-term implementation” of new developments in the next three years.

The authority plans to explain to property owners how various DIA incentive programs could help fund retail establishments, facade improvements, historic preservation work and more.

“What I would like to see is that when the park spaces and Emerald Trail open, you have a critical mass of other spaces that are also open,” DIA CEO Lori Boyer told the DIA Strategic Implementation Committee on Oct. 15.

“I think you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck if you can get more of those open now.”

She said the DIA also would be looking to fund public enhancements in the targeted area, such as streetscape improvements, lighting and landscaping.

In response to a question from board member James Citrano Jr., Boyer said the DIA wasn’t planning to adopt any new incentive programs related to the program.

I remember five years ago (Jan 2020), the DIA laid out a plan that sounded very similar, with a goal of attracting 25 new restaurant and retail establishments to the CBD (https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/01/14/dia-ceo-unveils-plan-to-make-dt-core-vibrant-for.html).

DIA CEO Unveils Plan to Make Downtown Core Vibrant for Retailers

Under the program, which Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer presented in a Tuesday morning subcommittee meeting, retailers would be enticed to concentrate along Laura, Hogan, Forsyth and Bay streets by providing free or discounted city parking, rent control, grants for facility improvements, grants for sidewalk uses and incentives pegged to square footage and use type.
Boyer chose the two areas, known as the Laura and Hogan Corridor and the Elbow, because they had a significant inventory of vacant space while also having a concentration of retailers to build upon, were located near the city-owned Ed Ball and Yates garages and are oriented towards the sites of the former courthouse and the Landing, both of which the DIA expects to sell this year for development and riverfront activation.

"The idea is to cluster restaurants, bars, coffee shops in walkable areas," said Boyer.
Boyer also hopes to expand the sidewalks and convert one-way roads to two-way roads in both corridors, making them more walkable.
Specifically, Forsyth and Adams streets between Liberty and Pearl would be converted to two-way roads, and Hogan Street would get a cycle track that connects into the Emerald Trail system. The districts would also get shade trees, public art and other improvements.

Boyer said she had already spoken with landlords about offering a reduced base rent, noting she would be unable to recruit restaurant operators at market rents. She also recommended that the new incentive program would cap the number of retailers by each type – ice cream parlors, coffee shops, etc. – that could receive the incentives, although no numbers were suggested.
Boyer's "enhanced" retail incentives would not replace an incentive structure already in effect, which provides forgivable loans of up to $20 per square foot or 50 percent of total eligible expenses. That incentive would still be available to retailers outside of the two concentrated districts, retailers within the districts that don't meet the eligibility criteria or retailers within the districts after the retail-type caps are reached.

When this plan was announced, there was a lot of talk about the DIA targeting high-profile local restauranteurs and brands (Safe Harbor, Taco Lu, Flying Iguana, Hawkers, Angie's, Mayday, etc.), but nothing ever materialized from it. New openings from the Retail Enhancement Program in the CBD have greatly dried up since 2019 or so.

In the absence of new incentives tied to the program, how do you feel we can succeed on Hogan & Laura specifically (where we're seeing so much bloodshed) in 2024 where we haven't over the last couple of years? I'm excited about all the new stuff coming in the future - from parks to Gateway - but what can do in the meantime to keep Bellwether from closing in the next six months, for example? They've already reduced hours.

Whoever's fault it is, the mass exodus of retail from the CBD has been really, really scary to watch. How do we stop it in the short-term?

[Tacachale]

I'll say, I'm glad for the DIA and the fact that we in the city departments and private investors are moving in the same direction in terms of the things like the public spaces, streetscaping incentives and above all clustering.

Non-antagonistic question for you Bill (or really anyone) that I'm genuinely curious about.

You mentioned a few days ago that you're optimistic about the groundwork being laid by the DIA with the new Hogan-Laura Corridor Activation Program (https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/oct/25/new-dia-program-focuses-on-energizing-the-heart-of-downtown/).

Described in the article as:

New DIA program focuses on energizing the heart of Downtown

The Downtown Investment Authority launched a new initiative to ensure that people who check out the new public facilities have places to dine, drink and shop in the historic central business district.

On Oct. 16, the DIA board unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Hogan-Laura Corridor Activation Program, in which the DIA staff will put a special focus on spurring redevelopment in a 12-block area running along Laura and Hogan streets between Independent Drive and Church Street.

As described in Resolution 2024-10-04, the program’s activating legislation, the initiative will involve DIA staff reaching out to property owners in the targeted area to discuss possible projects with a goal of “high impact, near-term implementation” of new developments in the next three years.

The authority plans to explain to property owners how various DIA incentive programs could help fund retail establishments, facade improvements, historic preservation work and more.

“What I would like to see is that when the park spaces and Emerald Trail open, you have a critical mass of other spaces that are also open,” DIA CEO Lori Boyer told the DIA Strategic Implementation Committee on Oct. 15.

“I think you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck if you can get more of those open now.”

She said the DIA also would be looking to fund public enhancements in the targeted area, such as streetscape improvements, lighting and landscaping.

In response to a question from board member James Citrano Jr., Boyer said the DIA wasn’t planning to adopt any new incentive programs related to the program.

I remember five years ago (Jan 2020), the DIA laid out a plan that sounded very similar, with a goal of attracting 25 new restaurant and retail establishments to the CBD (https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/01/14/dia-ceo-unveils-plan-to-make-dt-core-vibrant-for.html).

DIA CEO Unveils Plan to Make Downtown Core Vibrant for Retailers

Under the program, which Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer presented in a Tuesday morning subcommittee meeting, retailers would be enticed to concentrate along Laura, Hogan, Forsyth and Bay streets by providing free or discounted city parking, rent control, grants for facility improvements, grants for sidewalk uses and incentives pegged to square footage and use type.
Boyer chose the two areas, known as the Laura and Hogan Corridor and the Elbow, because they had a significant inventory of vacant space while also having a concentration of retailers to build upon, were located near the city-owned Ed Ball and Yates garages and are oriented towards the sites of the former courthouse and the Landing, both of which the DIA expects to sell this year for development and riverfront activation.

"The idea is to cluster restaurants, bars, coffee shops in walkable areas," said Boyer.
Boyer also hopes to expand the sidewalks and convert one-way roads to two-way roads in both corridors, making them more walkable.
Specifically, Forsyth and Adams streets between Liberty and Pearl would be converted to two-way roads, and Hogan Street would get a cycle track that connects into the Emerald Trail system. The districts would also get shade trees, public art and other improvements.

Boyer said she had already spoken with landlords about offering a reduced base rent, noting she would be unable to recruit restaurant operators at market rents. She also recommended that the new incentive program would cap the number of retailers by each type – ice cream parlors, coffee shops, etc. – that could receive the incentives, although no numbers were suggested.
Boyer's "enhanced" retail incentives would not replace an incentive structure already in effect, which provides forgivable loans of up to $20 per square foot or 50 percent of total eligible expenses. That incentive would still be available to retailers outside of the two concentrated districts, retailers within the districts that don't meet the eligibility criteria or retailers within the districts after the retail-type caps are reached.

When this plan was announced, there was a lot of talk about the DIA targeting high-profile local restauranteurs and brands (Safe Harbor, Taco Lu, Flying Iguana, Hawkers, Angie's, Mayday, etc.), but nothing ever materialized from it. New openings from the Retail Enhancement Program in the CBD have greatly dried up since 2019 or so.

In the absence of new incentives tied to the program, how do you feel we can succeed on Hogan & Laura specifically (where we're seeing so much bloodshed) in 2024 where we haven't over the last couple of years? I'm excited about all the new stuff coming in the future - from parks to Gateway - but what can do in the meantime to keep Bellwether from closing in the next six months, for example? They've already reduced hours.

Whoever's fault it is, the mass exodus of retail from the CBD has been really, really scary to watch. How do we stop it in the short-term?

Sure thing. My understanding is that the DIA board never approved the incentives pitch back in 2020. The current board has approved the October 2024 program, so that's one major difference. Just like different administrations, different boards have different priorities, and the current one is focusing more on the Three C's, which obviously I'm very happy with.

The current program also focuses more heavily on the built environment than previous efforts. Ie, it's targeted to underused or hidden retail spaces, and further along, will also target some new buildout along that corridor where there isn't retail now, and even some potential residential buildout for unused upper floors of certain buildings. Again I think this is the right approach, as there's only so far attracting businesses can take you if there aren't enough fronts for them to go to within a compact enough setting.

This coincides with the restructuring of Hogan Street as part of the Emerald Trail which will make it more pedestrian and bike friendly and channel more activity along that way. To be clear, Hogan Street has been something DIA and Lori Boyer have been advocating for for years, but it wasn't prioritized on the City end until we got here. It's progressing through the design phase and construction should start by this summer. And finally, this target area is more focused than the 2020 version and similar attempts. It's 5-6 blocks on two streets. As the third C of the Three C's argues, it's more effective for clustering to be within a compact, pedestrian-scale setting.

Now, as to the question of how we can help save current businesses that are struggling, all that's only part of the answer, as it will take a while to see the fruits of the labor. In the short term, it will fall to things already on the ground like the existing DIA incentives for the businesses, our new homelessness plan, streamlining permitting and approvals, and continuing to work on residential and office space. It isn't easy but from where we're at, the only way out is through.

[Ken_FSU]

I'll say, I'm glad for the DIA and the fact that we in the city departments and private investors are moving in the same direction in terms of the things like the public spaces, streetscaping incentives and above all clustering.

Non-antagonistic question for you Bill (or really anyone) that I'm genuinely curious about.

You mentioned a few days ago that you're optimistic about the groundwork being laid by the DIA with the new Hogan-Laura Corridor Activation Program (https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/oct/25/new-dia-program-focuses-on-energizing-the-heart-of-downtown/).

Described in the article as:

New DIA program focuses on energizing the heart of Downtown

The Downtown Investment Authority launched a new initiative to ensure that people who check out the new public facilities have places to dine, drink and shop in the historic central business district.

On Oct. 16, the DIA board unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Hogan-Laura Corridor Activation Program, in which the DIA staff will put a special focus on spurring redevelopment in a 12-block area running along Laura and Hogan streets between Independent Drive and Church Street.

As described in Resolution 2024-10-04, the program’s activating legislation, the initiative will involve DIA staff reaching out to property owners in the targeted area to discuss possible projects with a goal of “high impact, near-term implementation” of new developments in the next three years.

The authority plans to explain to property owners how various DIA incentive programs could help fund retail establishments, facade improvements, historic preservation work and more.

“What I would like to see is that when the park spaces and Emerald Trail open, you have a critical mass of other spaces that are also open,” DIA CEO Lori Boyer told the DIA Strategic Implementation Committee on Oct. 15.

“I think you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck if you can get more of those open now.”

She said the DIA also would be looking to fund public enhancements in the targeted area, such as streetscape improvements, lighting and landscaping.

In response to a question from board member James Citrano Jr., Boyer said the DIA wasn’t planning to adopt any new incentive programs related to the program.

I remember five years ago (Jan 2020), the DIA laid out a plan that sounded very similar, with a goal of attracting 25 new restaurant and retail establishments to the CBD (https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/01/14/dia-ceo-unveils-plan-to-make-dt-core-vibrant-for.html).

DIA CEO Unveils Plan to Make Downtown Core Vibrant for Retailers

Under the program, which Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer presented in a Tuesday morning subcommittee meeting, retailers would be enticed to concentrate along Laura, Hogan, Forsyth and Bay streets by providing free or discounted city parking, rent control, grants for facility improvements, grants for sidewalk uses and incentives pegged to square footage and use type.
Boyer chose the two areas, known as the Laura and Hogan Corridor and the Elbow, because they had a significant inventory of vacant space while also having a concentration of retailers to build upon, were located near the city-owned Ed Ball and Yates garages and are oriented towards the sites of the former courthouse and the Landing, both of which the DIA expects to sell this year for development and riverfront activation.

"The idea is to cluster restaurants, bars, coffee shops in walkable areas," said Boyer.
Boyer also hopes to expand the sidewalks and convert one-way roads to two-way roads in both corridors, making them more walkable.
Specifically, Forsyth and Adams streets between Liberty and Pearl would be converted to two-way roads, and Hogan Street would get a cycle track that connects into the Emerald Trail system. The districts would also get shade trees, public art and other improvements.

Boyer said she had already spoken with landlords about offering a reduced base rent, noting she would be unable to recruit restaurant operators at market rents. She also recommended that the new incentive program would cap the number of retailers by each type – ice cream parlors, coffee shops, etc. – that could receive the incentives, although no numbers were suggested.
Boyer's "enhanced" retail incentives would not replace an incentive structure already in effect, which provides forgivable loans of up to $20 per square foot or 50 percent of total eligible expenses. That incentive would still be available to retailers outside of the two concentrated districts, retailers within the districts that don't meet the eligibility criteria or retailers within the districts after the retail-type caps are reached.

When this plan was announced, there was a lot of talk about the DIA targeting high-profile local restauranteurs and brands (Safe Harbor, Taco Lu, Flying Iguana, Hawkers, Angie's, Mayday, etc.), but nothing ever materialized from it. New openings from the Retail Enhancement Program in the CBD have greatly dried up since 2019 or so.

In the absence of new incentives tied to the program, how do you feel we can succeed on Hogan & Laura specifically (where we're seeing so much bloodshed) in 2024 where we haven't over the last couple of years? I'm excited about all the new stuff coming in the future - from parks to Gateway - but what can do in the meantime to keep Bellwether from closing in the next six months, for example? They've already reduced hours.

Whoever's fault it is, the mass exodus of retail from the CBD has been really, really scary to watch. How do we stop it in the short-term?

Sure thing. My understanding is that the DIA board never approved the incentives pitch back in 2020. The current board has approved the October 2024 program, so that's one major difference. Just like different administrations, different boards have different priorities, and the current one is focusing more on the Three C's, which obviously I'm very happy with.

The current program also focuses more heavily on the built environment than previous efforts. Ie, it's targeted to underused or hidden retail spaces, and further along, will also target some new buildout along that corridor where there isn't retail now, and even some potential residential buildout for unused upper floors of certain buildings. Again I think this is the right approach, as there's only so far attracting businesses can take you if there aren't enough fronts for them to go to within a compact enough setting.

This coincides with the restructuring of Hogan Street as part of the Emerald Trail which will make it more pedestrian and bike friendly and channel more activity along that way. To be clear, Hogan Street has been something DIA and Lori Boyer have been advocating for for years, but it wasn't prioritized on the City end until we got here. It's progressing through the design phase and construction should start by this summer. And finally, this target area is more focused than the 2020 version and similar attempts. It's 5-6 blocks on two streets. As the third C of the Three C's argues, it's more effective for clustering to be within a compact, pedestrian-scale setting.

Now, as to the question of how we can help save current businesses that are struggling, all that's only part of the answer, as it will take a while to see the fruits of the labor. In the short term, it will fall to things already on the ground like the existing DIA incentives for the businesses, our new homelessness plan, streamlining permitting and approvals, and continuing to work on residential and office space. It isn't easy but from where we're at, the only way out is through.

Great stuff, Bill. I think this is exactly what we need, in terms of a focused effort on this key area that everyone is aligned on organizationally. Love the idea about activating hidden retail and residential as well. Also, interesting information about Hogan Street. I know there are political sensitivities, but it's the type of information that I wish the DIA was willing to be more transparent about, so the population knew where the bottleneck was and could make sure they were putting the pressure on the right people.

[Zac T]

Add another one to the list. This is brutal

Wolf & Cub, the vintage clothing and accessories store at 205 N. Laura St. Downtown opened in 2016 by Emily Moody and Varick Rosete, announced Feb. 6 on its Facebook page that it is closing.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share some big news – after nearly nine years in Downtown Jacksonville, Varick and I have made the difficult decision to move Wolf & Cub out of Downtown,” Moody wrote.

She continued: “This city and this space have been our creative home, our passion project and a gathering place for so many of you who have supported us through every season.”

The post also said they can’t yet reveal the new location but they plan to reopen later this year and the website, wolfandcubjax.com, will remain active and all merchandise in the store will be sold at 30% discount.

“This isn’t a goodbye. It’s just a shift and we can’t wait to share what’s next,” Moody wrote.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2025/feb/06/wolf-cub-announces-it-is-closing-downtown-store/

[Gambit80]

Also sad that I had never heard of this place until now. Looks like a place I would have checked out regularly. Dang.

[CityLife]

From their FB post, “This was not the path we hoped to take, but the continued lack of support for businesses in DTJAX has made it impossible to stay”.

There is a bit of momentum building with UF, Gateway, and Khan’s projects. Imo, it’s important to not forget about existing businesses/assets while looking to the future. More importantly, there will be a lot of new restaurants, businesses, multi-family, etc coming online in the next 5-10 years. DTJax has to ensure that what has happened in the last 5 years with closures does not happen to the next wave of new businesses.

[Ken_FSU]

Add another one to the list. This is brutal

Wolf & Cub, the vintage clothing and accessories store at 205 N. Laura St. Downtown opened in 2016 by Emily Moody and Varick Rosete, announced Feb. 6 on its Facebook page that it is closing.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share some big news – after nearly nine years in Downtown Jacksonville, Varick and I have made the difficult decision to move Wolf & Cub out of Downtown,” Moody wrote.

She continued: “This city and this space have been our creative home, our passion project and a gathering place for so many of you who have supported us through every season.”

The post also said they can’t yet reveal the new location but they plan to reopen later this year and the website, wolfandcubjax.com, will remain active and all merchandise in the store will be sold at 30% discount.

“This isn’t a goodbye. It’s just a shift and we can’t wait to share what’s next,” Moody wrote.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2025/feb/06/wolf-cub-announces-it-is-closing-downtown-store/

Genuinely sucks, I hate to say it, but I'm still optimistic about the future of Laura Street.

Some really cool stuff happening:

- Live Oak should be closing on their purchase of the Laura Street Trio this month.
- Riverfront Plaza is coming along quickly, with the cafe shell complete, and plans for a riverfront restaurant in progress
- Gateway Jax appears to have a realistic plan for private development at Riverfront Plaza that is a win-win for the city in terms of the UF Campus.
- Funding is set aside to radically transform JWJ Park (still deeply dislike the proposed redesign, but that's neither here nor there)
- Pour Taproom and Pizza Jeans in the VyStar garage are humming along in terms of construction
- Oak Steakhouse is coming to 204 North Laura
- The Miami group is planning to open BOFA tower to the streets and install a high-end restaurant
- Juliette Balcony and the adjacent building is in new hands, with a plan to transform that key corner (and do something that with awful billboard)
- Though vacant, I can't imagine that the Bread & Board Provisions space stays empty for long once VyStar puts it on the market. They've gone above and beyond to incentive their retail tenants as well.

Broken record, but if the city can find a way to repurpose Snyder Memorial as a live music venue & bar/restaurant, reactivate the retail bays in front of the Main Street Library, drop a couple million to connect the Skyway to Brooklyn via no-frills station, and make JWJ Park into an active 365-day a year space, you've got the makings of a really, really awesome corridor.

[Zac T]

I'm excited about all the projects coming along but boy can it be depressing walking around Downtown these days. The amount of business closings in the past 2 years has just made the quality of life so much worse. I see the light at the end of the tunnel but it still sucks being in the tunnel