I know social media isn't necessarily representative of every single voter in Jacksonville, but in my experience every time something has come up about Downtown's issues there are multiple comments about the jail, from people who generally at least don't appear to be in Curry's circles or known local Republicans. Although to your credit there are often also comments about the homeless, so maybe there are just a lot of skewed perspectives at hand.
I think moving the jail is one of those things people ask for until they see the price tag. The average citizen here probably hasn't paid enough attention to know this has a $400 million plus price tag associated with it. For that money, which is even more than Lot J, you can bet there will be plenty of people asking for other priorities to be funded first. Even, after the Lot J fiasco, including the stadium 
.
There are at least a few people who are
surprisingly willing to accept that price tag, although I doubt it's enough to justify doing so. At the end of the day, the ideal convention center solution for our market is likely adding the final piece (an exhibition hall) to the 3/4 of a convention center at the Hyatt. It's a shame that Curry's antics have at best put that on hold and at worst scuttled it entirely. And it's annoying that so much breath has to be spent on explaining the cost of the jail to everyone who insists that moving it is the first thing we should do.
Moving the jail is something that will take more than one mayoral term. The expense would also handicap the general budget and would come at the expense of public needs elsewhere.
If I were running, I'd just say I'm going to create a clean, walkable and highly active and vibrant downtown by the end of my term by programming and focusing on and maximizing our existing assets, buildings and businesses......and I'm not going to break the piggy bank doing it. It doesn't mean that we won't take advantage of economic development opportunities spread out around the the CBD. It would a part of a short term prioritization strategy, focusing on quick change by cleaning up and upgrading our Northbank public spaces, programming them, and targeting complimentary adaptive reuse and infill adjacent to existing businesses and projects already planned or underway. All around clustering, complementing uses within a compact pedestrian scale setting. If you don't see progress at the end of 4 years and still can't find cup of coffee on a Sunday morning outside of the hotels and 7_Eleven, vote me out of office.
Ennis, have you filed yet for your mayoral run ? I think many here would support you.
If not, maybe Carlucci, if he wins, hires you to run DIA or another urban planning agency for the City! You can bring Marcus along with you too. The Dream Team!
Haha, now there's an idea! I pointed out in another thread that this city has a remarkable track record of electing outsider candidates. There's no reason someone from the brain trust here couldn't be that candidate.
To put on the campaign hat for a moment, I'd recommend punching up the language a bit. Voters tend to get bored of long-winded explanations of the specific policies that would be implemented (not saying the policies shouldn't exist, just that you don't have to offer them up front). Think "We have the tools to rebuild downtown, and it's time to use them." or "We're going to make downtown a place you can walk around and enjoy yourself in, day or night." or perhaps "We
can afford a clean, walkable, and vibrant downtown, what we need is leadership to build it."
That line about a cup of coffee on Sunday morning is terrific though.
Also, it's probably a given, but one probably can't run for mayor on
just downtown. But being able to make a case for how the proposals for downtown are also applicable to other neighborhoods (assuming NIMBYs don't somehow derail that) probably puts one on track for success in that area.
