Five Reasons to Address The Landing Parking Situation

[CS Foltz]

lake.............too smart, too easy and too simple! What ever vendetta the Boy Blunder has against Tony, he should grow up and get over it! Like you say........sell him the land and start collecting the rent! Not hard to figure out!

[avonjax]

JC I think what I'm trying to say is anything that will draw people downtown will help. I think the big chains have a very important place in any city. I would go to 3 Layers any day before Starbucks, but I still like Starbucks. I have been going to Chamblin's since they were on Herschel Street. LOVE the place. But there is a place for B&N and I often go there to buy magazines because they have a great selection.
The sad truth is if you polled people on the North Side, for example and asked them if they would go to the Landing, Chamblin's, or 3 Layers in Springfield, 99% would say no. I have talked to people who have said they have not been downtown in 30 years because there is nothing there.
But I bet if there wasn't an Olive Garden at the River City Market Place and there was one at the Landing a percentage of these people would go IF they could park and walk right into the Landing.
I'm using the Northside as an example because a lot of my family live there and I'm familiar with a lot of the local businesses. The chain restaurants at RCMP seem to be packed all the time, but the local restaurants come and go frequently.
Bottom line is I do get where you're coming from but Jacksonville is just a different world. 

[thelakelander]

The Water Street garage is the closest.  Its also on the proposed streetcar route that would connect DT to Five Points and Riverside.

[CS Foltz]

Not sure about City garage..........there is one right at the end of the Main Street bridge, you have to stage right two lanes to follow the road! Is that the one your talking about lake?

[thelakelander]

The Water Street garage is the large one where the Acosta Bridge ramps meet Bay Street.  Its four blocks west of the Landing.

[fieldafm]

541 Water Street has 1500 parking spaces, 317 Water Street has 121 spaces

[JC]

JC I think what I'm trying to say is anything that will draw people downtown will help. I think the big chains have a very important place in any city. I would go to 3 Layers any day before Starbucks, but I still like Starbucks. I have been going to Chamblin's since they were on Herschel Street. LOVE the place. But there is a place for B&N and I often go there to buy magazines because they have a great selection.
The sad truth is if you polled people on the North Side, for example and asked them if they would go to the Landing, Chamblin's, or 3 Layers in Springfield, 99% would say no. I have talked to people who have said they have not been downtown in 30 years because there is nothing there.
But I bet if there wasn't an Olive Garden at the River City Market Place and there was one at the Landing a percentage of these people would go IF they could park and walk right into the Landing.
I'm using the Northside as an example because a lot of my family live there and I'm familiar with a lot of the local businesses. The chain restaurants at RCMP seem to be packed all the time, but the local restaurants come and go frequently.
Bottom line is I do get where you're coming from but Jacksonville is just a different world. 

avonjax, you are right, unfortunately.  But I wonder how feasible it is to have rural car drivers flocking downtown to park in front of an Olive Garden and walk in for food.  Describing it makes it sound so absurd.    

[thelakelander]

On the surface it does.  The devil is in the details (ex. transit connection, the four block suburban dead zone between and their impact on attracting retailers in the immediate future).

[urbanlibertarian]

If COJ won't play ball with Mr. Sleiman could he go ahead and buy the lot, solve his parking issue and continue to operate the Landing rent-free because COJ didn't fulfill their obligation?

[strider]

Am I reading this right?  The Landing had an agreement that required the city to provide a number of dedicated parking spots and until such time no rent or reduced rent was paid?  And I saw a figure of 28 mil thrown out as lost rent in 25 years?  Was that in real dollars of the times or adjusted for 2010 dollars?  In any case, provide the spots! Cut the loses and hopefully get some rent in. What ever in the world has this city been waiting for?

If nothing else, it helps the yearly cash flow and it should help with promoting DT.  We got to spend some time at Norfolk a couple of years ago.  Arrived by boat, stayed at the marina right at their version of the Landing and actually stayed a couple of days extra because Norfolk was sort of cool.  Lots of restraunts, lots of activity and a new DT grocery that was very nice yet still very affordable.  But the initial draw was the “landing” as it had the marina and guaranteed shopping.  We have similar here in Jacksonville, the landing is across from RCBC.  We should have a reduced or somehow compted water taxi if funds are spent in the Landing/ DT however.  There are actually a lot of boats crossing the St Johns at the intercoastal just a couple of hours away that would stop and visit DT if something more was here to do and see.  And they knew about it.

[thelakelander]

If COJ won't play ball with Mr. Sleiman could he go ahead and buy the lot, solve his parking issue and continue to operate the Landing rent-free because COJ didn't fulfill their obligation?

Good question!

[avonjax]

anyway believe it or not JC the NS is not really rural anymore.

[avonjax]

Even more surprising is there is a little strip of shops at the corner of New Berlin and Yellow Bluff Rd that has parking in the back. The funny thing is most of the business owners said customers had no idea where to park when it first opened.

[vicupstate]

Place A PUD zoning on the Landing, if it isn't already (the design is already under the city's perview, but that adds another level).  Sell the land underneath the center to Sleiman at fair market value minus $3.5mm.  Then let Sleiman solve his own parking problems however he sees fit. 

The city can pocket the 3.5mm it got from Humana, plus the additional funds from the land sale.  The city will start to collect taxes on the land, which it is not currently doing. This would resolve the city's obligation and Sleiman would be out of reasons why he can't bring in new tenants or renovate the place.  He would own the land and would have equity in the center (at least 3.5mm) that he could borrow against for a parking lot/garage. 

The city would be out of the picture and Sleiman would have the ball completely in his court. 

Ask the mayoral candidates if they accept this or if not, what is their solution.   

[brainstormer]

The whole parking situation downtown is really poorly managed.  It just proves how inept city government is in Jacksonville.  I hope I have most of my facts right, otherwise please correct me.

1. The city contracts with a private company to run the parking lots.  Isn't there a clause that guarantees this company a certain amount of revenue or the city has to make up the difference?

2. This said company charges flat rates, not per hour rates.  I agree with the previous poster.  I refuse to pay $5-10 just to park so I can spend 30 minutes in the library, or run into Starbucks to grab coffee.  Here's an analogy.  Parking at JIA is cheap for 30-45 minutes.  Tons of people park and walk in to meet loved ones, and many buy a cup of coffee or a snack.  If it was a flat rate of $10 to park, I bet most would just resort to waiting in the cell phone lot.  That results in lost revenue for the businesses inside.  Downtown Jacksonville is the same way.  People just drive though.

3.  Signage is still terrible and confusing!

4.  The city lots don't seem to be where people want to go.  For example, why would I park in the Water Street Garage?  There isn't much near it to go to.  Why would I park in the Courthouse Garage?  Two huge garages no where near points of interest for someone who doesn't work downtown.  They sit empty while people complain about not enough parking and while the city fails to live up to its promise.

5.  Can the city not work out public/private partnerships with the privately owned garages downtown?  Wouldn't it be nice if the city ran the garages so that workers could park during the day, and diners could park at night?  It is sad that all of these garages are dark and locked at night when people want a convenient place to park.