“I think that what we’ve needed in Jacksonville is a signature project that shows momentum, where somebody really puts their flag in the ground and says, ‘We’re making an investment, and we’re gonna take risks, because we believe there’s great potential.’ I think Shad Khan is the guy who’s willing to be bullish on Downtown and take steps that, quite frankly, we haven’t seen before at this magnitude.”
I see we are still counting on the silver bullet 'game changer' project to turn things around.
In addition to the "game changer" silliness, the pure semantics of what we consider to be "downtown" baffles me.
You almost want to show these people a map.
Lot J is 17 blocks, and 1.3 miles from the CBD, and we constantly hear it discussed as a downtown game changer.
Meanwhile, four blocks to the west of the Landing, and barely a third of a mile walk along the riverwalk, is Brooklyn and the Times-Union property.
Do we ever talk about the Times-Union property or Vista Brooklyn as a potential downtown game changer?
Hell, keep walking, and Memorial Park is practically the same distance from the CBD as Lot J, but we certainly don't consider Memorial Park to be a downtown game-changer.
Even if Lot J is a huge success, let's call it what it is - creating a new neighborhood - rather than what it's not, downtown revitalization.