Peyton Struggles: The Big Idea

[Metro Jacksonville]

Peyton Struggles: The Big Idea



“I really do think it's a serious problem with the Peyton administration that they make too many bad decisions and then down the line, they realize they made a bad decision and come to their senses.”Former Mayor Jake Godbold.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/963

[DRF]

Amen!  Mayor Peyton is too isolated from the people he serves.  His Book Club is the only right decision that he has made in his six years in office.  He spent so much time reorganizing his administration and so little time finding out what the City needs.

[copperfiend]

The whole idea was moronic and childlike. It's as if they held a contest to see which middle school student could come up with the best idea for downtown and Peyton was the winner.

[jbm32206]

Boy, doesn't it make you feel confident that we've got a competent mayor in office? Those are the worst ideas I think he's come up with...he simply must believe that he owns the waterfront, since he's making plans with what is clearly the property of others. Not only are those plans not possible, but where in the world does he think the money's going to come from? He really needs to snap out of his delusions of grandeur. What's he going to call this...Peyton Place?

[wwanderlust]

This is the stupidest move I have seen any MAYOR'S office make in a very, very long time.

Wow. I'm literally amazed at the foolishness.

[commonsense]

What Peyton never realized (probably because he grew up thinking he could do anything he wanted as long as he pushed hard enough) is that Big Ideas are made up of a bunch of little ideas that are actually implemented. As people see progress with the little ideas, they buy into the bigger ideas. And to get progress you need cooperation. It's called "snowballing" and there's a good reason why that term has been used for so long-it contains a fundemental truth.

[Shwaz]

I don't understand why we have to tear down the only 2 downtown landmarks to build new ones.

It's not like there's a shortage of property. Why not appply these ideas east of Berkman plaza and leave the Landing and F.F. intact?

What is going on with the land on the southbank used for the NFL Experience during the Superbowl... I believe it was JEA Park?

[copperfiend]

What is going on with the land on the southbank used for the NFL Experience during the Superbowl... I believe it was JEA Park?

It resembles the area that Julie Andews was singing on in the Sound of Music.

[thelakelander]

The downfall of the Big Idea was the fact that it's backers wanted to tear down existing attractions to bring in new additions.  It would have been completely different if the plan:

- Called for remodeling, expanding the Landing and opening its courtyard to the rest of downtown.

- Realized that the reason people don't use the sidewalks on the Main Street bridge has nothing to do with their width.  It has everything to do with there is no reason for most to go to the Southbank.

- Restored Friendship Fountain and its surroundings instead of tearing it down or reconfiguring it beyond recognition.

- Made the area around Friendship Fountain that new maritime park with the existing maritime musuem as a larger anchor destination instead of planning a similar park where Hyatt currently exists.

- Made River City Brewing a part of a new Southbank destination instead of buying out their 99 year lease.

Keep what you already have, make it a priority to fill in the dead spaces in between and then some of the components will make a lot of sense.

What is going on with the land on the southbank used for the NFL Experience during the Superbowl... I believe it was JEA Park?

There is nothing going on with that land.  The development proposed for it has been canceled.  Imo, JEA and the city should work on a master plan together, take a spot for a central park, develop the street network and sell off smaller parcels individually.  The same should have been done for the Shipyards site.

[thelakelander]

Good point.  "Snowballing" is a concept that would be a great solution for a variety of issues that have been discussed from time to time on this site.

[Shwaz]

The same should have been done for the Shipyards site.

agreed

I would love to see a corridor of bars & resteraunts that line E Bay St all the way to the stadium and a multiple attractions grouped together on the ship yards property.

I imagine it like the strip in Chicago that leads from downtown north all the way to Wrigley Field but on a smaller scale.

[heights unknown]

Not only is Peyton isolated from the Citizens, fellow politicians, and others, but he "shoots off the hip" without investigating ideas before putting them on the drawing board, and above all, he doesn't know what he's doing and it appears he just doesn't know how to be Mayor; in essence, he's inexperienced in the job that he holds as Mayor.

Heights Unknown

[TheProfessor]

It looks like Peyton is trying to piss off everyone these days.  How can one be so blind as to overlook our current assets and business owners that make downtown what it is and replace them with sub par conceptualizations?  Namely The Landing, The Hyatt, and Friendship Fountain, these are important landmarks that give our city space identity.  Peyton needs a reality check or an impeachment!  WE THE PEOPLE!

[Coolyfett]

Vendors on the Main Street Bridge? Tearing down some of the Landing? Removing Friendship Fountain? Why was Kids Kampus built....to be tore down? Replace the Hyatt with another park. What is the difference between urban areas and suburban areas you ask Mr. Mayor?

I'm no longer Cooly Fett, you all can call me "The Shredder"

[brainstormer]

Good point.  "Snowballing" is a concept that would be a great solution for a variety of issues that have been discussed from time to time on this site.

Not to beat the dead horse, but an example is the botched plan for the new courthouse.  Imagine how "snowballing" would create a vibrant area of retail shops, restaurants, coffee shops, residential units and office buildings if there was a vision for the area and the courthouse plan wasn't such a behemoth of dead concrete.  Imagine then if Florida Coastal Law had been allowed to build downtown in that area.  Our city could be fighting off the recession and instead of closings we would have flourishing businesses.  I bet if Peyton wasn't mayor we would have the courthouse half built.  It's time to rally for our city!