It is a catch-22. Like vic's point (and correct me if I misunderstood), the developer's were building on the premise that just the act of putting in homes would increase interest which would cause them to sell. More people living in downtown = more people shopping, eating, playing in downtown, so the businesses would readily stay open past 5pm or 8pm because the people living there would ultimately require it.
The businesses in downtown can't afford to stay open past peak hours right now. They would most certainly fail with one or two people coming in from Springfield or down the street to grab a burger. They have increased prices just to make ends meet as it is. Business men will pay $10 for a burger at lunch, so that offsets what they could've made if they were in a large residential area like Southside staying open til 9pm and selling burgers for half the cost.
I disagree with the "artists/bohemians" theory though. These residences were not built with them in mind. They were built with the wealthy young business person in mind...even the ones from other states. We're talking about not just rebuilding a downtown but just short of creating one from scratch. In order to do that, it requires money...money that folks from Southside or Orange Park and especially the "artists/bohemians", just don't have, to be able to sell their homes, pack up the family and move downtown. If those condo developments draw people with money from other states that see just how empty downtown is, they'll come here with investment and vision on their minds. They'll move here, buy retail/business space, set up shop and start generating some revenue by people who already live in downtown and the surrounding areas. That opens the doors for the artists who scraped all they had together to open an art-gallery, coffee shop, or record store, to start turning profit. You need money to make money. That's the catch-22.
NJ: We DO have an amphitheatre as well as a HUGE and very expensive collesium that rarely get used. I can't tell you when the last major recording artist was here (and I'm talking the Elton John's, Rolling Stones, and U2's of the world). They all go to Orlando, Miami or Atlanta. The city doesn't even do a decent job of booking the stadium. There is never anything going on down there when games aren't in full force.
I don't know how we can ever expect to fill the developments or generate any money into our city when we do little to draw anyone here. And no, one freakin SuperBowl does not make up for all the poor-planning and lack of foresight, lol.