A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville’s Downtown has been on the cusp of revitalization for a half-century now, and local leaders are admitting that efforts thus far have not accomplished the desired end.
In a statement Monday, Mayor Donna Deegan affirmed her support for a City Council probe of these efforts, one to be accomplished via a special committee.
“Growing our downtown is a top priority. Since I was first sworn into office, my administration has been working closely with the Downtown Investment Authority to evaluate its current challenges while also celebrating its successes. It is certainly within the purview of the City Council to examine this matter as well. This is an important conversation we should have as a community, and as Mayor I will continue to emphasize the importance of creating a vibrant downtown for all our citizens to enjoy.”
Council President Ron Salem issued a charge memo Monday for what is being called a Special Committee on the Future of Downtown, probing what has happened since the formation of the Downtown Investment Authority back in 2012 under the Alvin Brown administration.
The second-term At Large Republican says that some variables, “such as market-forces, geo-political shifts or mother-nature herself,” are out of the city’s control, but that “the things that the City does have control over, such as Downtown-dedicated resources, time and funds, should be examined.”
9 comments
Julia
April 29, 2024 at 5:38 pm
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MH/Duuuval
April 29, 2024 at 6:02 pm
Any downtown study should begin with resiliency, as Hurricane Irma demonstrated. Instead, the public gets financial asks from developers who want to build right smack on the waterfront, along with vested interests who want to keep deepening the channel despite the threats to hurricane resiliency.
The JTA insists on introducing AL technology that has not been thoroughly tested in real-life conditions. Let these experiments take place in the UAE, or some such place with plenty of dough to waste. What locals want, and need, is reliable mass transit — and not once an hour — using tested technology that has proven to be reliable AND has a human being on board at all times. (Instead, folks in power want to add more capacity for autos.)
Margaret
April 29, 2024 at 6:07 pm
Apparently, you haven’t finished writing this article about the DIA.
Still to be examined is the poor performance of the leaders of this quasi-official group of people, non elected, as far as I understand. There may be some “oversight” as it were by the City Council, but the current leadership of the DIA is sorely lacking in bringing some obvious projects forward, especially, the now infamous Trio on Laura Street.
It is a travesty to have allowed the iconic architecture of Henry Klutho to have degenerated as much as it has over the past 20 or so years. The dubioud deals along the riverfront have not panned out, either. DIA needs to be disbanded and a committee of architects, bankers, and developers with genuine proposals start doing the work of rebuilding wherever “tear-it-down-Curry”
left his mark of rubble and weeds.
MH/Duuuval
April 29, 2024 at 9:40 pm
Re: the Trio I have to wonder if new structures should replace the two mini-towers in light of hurricane protection. The bank probably remains solid.
This is where crony capitalism has taken us. Were Klutho’s buildings underwritten by the public?
Earl Pitts "AMERICA'S BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT" American
April 29, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Good evening Jacksonville,
You are missing whats right before your eyes which is a dark and frightening side of D. D.
EARL ‘SPLAINS HIMSELF:
Jacksonville, lets go back in time together to when the media was running those totally hott bone inspiring pics of D. D. with each and every article.
WELL THINGS HAVE TAKEN A TURN FOR THE WORSE:
JAX most of you have noticed this is the second use in a row of D. D. in her Not So Hot look. In fact its the same “Non-Hot MlLF Look” I, Earl Pitts American, got when she was angry in the kitchenvand shouted for me to “PUT THAT ANACONDA BACK IN YOUR PANTS EARL”. Yeah it about sceared me 1/2 to death ….. I injured my Johnson by the zipper as I failed to Re-Tract “IT” fully prior to my panic Zip-Up.
But anyway back to the Media’s choice to run these “ANGRY D. D.” pics with the last 2 articals ….. I’m telling you Jacksonvile …. I dont know who D. D. whizzed off ….. maybe she told George Soros ” NO” to his inapproprite “Oldester Man $exual advances” …. Who Knows ….. but something is going on.
Thank you Jacksonville,
Earl Pitts American
rick whitaker
April 29, 2024 at 9:49 pm
WACK JOB
What happen to americanism
April 29, 2024 at 9:33 pm
As Florida newbies become better on track …and studies of home vs category 6 learn to succeed ( maybe). They will see how it goes but just don’t touch the winds the wrong way.
MH/Duuuval
April 30, 2024 at 8:36 pm
I listened to the Mayor and DDA boss Lori Boyer this morning on radio and all they could talk about was building stuff near the river. Shouldn’t the COJ resiliency officer be at the table to point out that the river can, and probably will, leave its banks? And, worse.
They don't care
May 2, 2024 at 4:37 pm
What resiliency officer? What has her administration focused on besides Jaguars and more billionaire welfare on the taxpayer dime? Everything they want to build centers around McCoys Creek inlet downtown, which even the ACOE has issued dire warnings about especially since the deepening of the port. Taxpayers will be on the hook for that, too, when things go bad, and they will. Our street has seen a flood risk rating go up 2 levels in 2 years not from the river but from neglected sewer pipes they refuse to maintain much less fix. Yes, refuse, since requests and alarms have been sent through Jimmy Patronis representative of neighbourhoods, who came back with a “nothing we can do, pipes are old, move along” response. Not in the budget, but they can find $1.4B for a privately owned stadium and $25k downpayment assistance for “select” people earning $80k a year out of the general fund. When Deegan was campaigning and “asking for people’s input” and I emailed her campaign to ask questions about their PROMISES to focus on neighborhoods, infrastructure, climate change resiliency and good governance….No Response. When I offered to volunteer….no response…When I call the city about the flooding (the kind you can’t get a car through) just from a normal afternoon shower….No response. I’m almost maybe kinda beginning to detect a pattern….
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