Mayor Alvin Brown:Now Is the Time to Invest in Downtown
City of Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown shares his thoughts with Metro Jacksonville on why now is the time to invest in downtown.
Great cities have great Downtowns, and Jacksonville is a great city that deserves a great Downtown.
Anyone who views our beautiful skyline from any of the bridges, with the majestic St. Johns River as a breathtaking centerpiece, can see that our Downtown is distinctive.
We have the natural beauty. We have the buildings. We have the infrastructure. But we need the critical mass of people and activity that will launch our Downtown to the level of greatness we know is possible.
We must maximize every opportunity for people – residents and visitors alike – to see our Downtown as a signature destination. Because that’s what a great Downtown needs – people.
We need people working Downtown. We need people living Downtown. We need people visiting Downtown – whether it’s for entertainment or sports, conventions or special events, dining or shopping, or simply enjoying our scenic river.
This is our opportunity, and it must be our goal.
When I submitted my proposed fiscal year 2014-2015 budget and five-year capital investment program to City Council on July 14, I said that we must invest in Jacksonville as a city of opportunity.
Our economy is recovering and the city’s tax base is growing for the first time since 2007. We have reached a point in the life of our community when we must seize the moment and use our resources to make not only a better today, but a better tomorrow for Jacksonville.
There is a simple principle that’s as true for a community as it is for a business: If we want to create opportunity and grow, we must invest.
To move us forward as a city of opportunity, we must invest in key priorities that will make a positive, lasting impact on our city for years to come. This means investing in job creation, public safety and quality of life.
It also means investing in our Downtown.
Revitalizing Downtown has been a top priority for my administration from Day One, and we have achieved important progress during the past three years.
Within my first year as mayor, we rewrote the city’s economic development policies and worked with JAX Chamber, the Civic Council and City Council to create the Downtown Investment Authority to lead efforts to revitalize Downtown.
Two years ago, we worked closely with the leadership at EverBank to relocate more than 1,500 of the company’s employees to the heart of our city. EverBank has also just committed to a 10-year renewal of the naming rights to our stadium on the edge of Downtown.
At 220 Riverside, 600 new housing units and a new park, Unity Plaza, are being built on what was once blighted city property at the gateway to Downtown. Next door, at newly-named Brooklyn Station on Riverside, a retail-office development is under construction, anchored by a Fresh Market grocery store.
The old Haydon Burns Library is being transformed into the Jessie Ball duPont Center, a hub for nonprofit organizations. Representing a $20 million private capital investment in Downtown, it will house 200 workers and bring new life to a building that has been vacant for nearly a decade. We have introduced legislation that would provide 200 parking spaces in the City-owned Yates Garage to accommodate the organizations and their employees.
There are tremendous opportunities to rehabilitate and repurpose other historic buildings in Downtown. The recent purchase of the iconic but long-vacant Bostwick Building is a promising step forward, as are plans in the works to redevelop the Laura Street Trio and Barnett National Bank buildings.
Awaiting City Council approval is the City’s proposed partnership with The Friends of Hemming Park to manage and develop programming for Hemming Plaza to make this historic public space safer, cleaner and more attractive as a focal point for community events and activities.
In recent months, we have drawn huge crowds to Downtown with special events.
In April, the One Spark festival, a showcase for innovation and entrepreneurship, brought 260,000 people to the heart of our Downtown. My budget proposes to boost the City’s investment in One Spark so this annual event can continue to grow.
At EverBank Field, the recent U.S. Men’s National soccer match against Nigeria had record-breaking attendance of 52,000, while the Country Superfest concert attracted 75,000 music fans.
We expect to attract even more top-tier events thanks to the City of Jacksonville’s new Sports Council partnership with JAX Chamber and Gator Bowl Sports.
With the new enhancements at EverBank Field, we will also provide the very best fan experience – not only for the Jaguars, but also the Florida-Georgia game, the TaxSlayer Bowl and special events like Country Superfest.
Building on our success making Downtown a popular destination for sports and entertainment events, we have the opportunity to take that further with our new professional soccer team, The Armada.
The Armada FC has agreed to make the Baseball Grounds their home field.
We are asking City Council to commit funds to make this City-owned facility suitable to host both the Suns baseball team and the Armada soccer team – which will bring more fans to our Downtown.
Taken together, these developments are laying the foundation for a more vibrant Downtown. Now is the time to get ready to build on that foundation with a comprehensive set of strategic infrastructure investments that can deliver the best results for our Downtown and greatest return for our taxpayer dollars.
This is why I am proposing more than $20 million in capital investments targeted at key projects to revitalize Downtown. To develop this plan, we worked with a wide range of community stakeholders and we appreciate their support, including Downtown Vision, Inc. We also appreciate the strong representation and advocacy on behalf of Downtown shown by City Council members Johnny Gaffney, Don Redman and Lori Boyer (who also serves as Council liaison to the Downtown Investment Authority).
In Jacksonville, we are blessed to have a mighty river flowing through our Downtown. We must make that riverfront a catalyst for Downtown revitalization. That effort starts with The Jacksonville Landing.
There is a vision – a plan – to redevelop The Landing as a showcase that offers housing, entertainment and retail, as well as green space and a plaza opening the riverfront to our Downtown.
My proposal commits $11.8 million in public infrastructure to support the first phase of improvements, including a wider plaza along the Northbank Riverwalk, public space and broader access at Hogan Street.
We must also make progress elsewhere on our riverfront.
The Shipyards property is one of our City’s most important riverfront assets. It has sat empty long enough. There is now strong private-sector interest in this City-owned property. This budget proposes to start the environmental clean-up needed to prepare for private development.
The budget proposes $4.2 million to raze the old county courthouse. This asbestos-ridden building cannot be salvaged, but the property is strategically located. We will demolish the structure and create temporary green space to provide new opportunities for future public or private development.
We will dedicate $250,000 to begin the redesign of another riverfront property – Metropolitan Park – to maximize its value as an entertainment venue. We will also upgrade the Northbank Riverwalk and replace the bulkhead so we can make the most of this pedestrian park along our river.
We must invest in making Downtown the best experience possible. That’s why we will commit $2.5 million to improve lighting and streetscapes to make our Downtown a safer, more convenient and inviting place to navigate – whether by car, by bicycle or on foot.
This includes a unified system of street signs to help people find their destinations, locate parking and move in, out and through Downtown more efficiently. It also means converting one-way streets to two-way streets that are friendlier to both motorists and pedestrians, while making Downtown businesses more visible and accessible.
Our proposed budget will also increase the City’s support for Downtown Vision, Inc., which has done so much to make a safer, cleaner, friendlier and more engaging Downtown.
Historic Riverside is an area near Downtown that we are looking to enhance through investments. We would dedicate $750,000 to support the first phase of upgrades to the Five Points district to make it more accessible and friendly for businesses and pedestrians.
These enhancements include modifications to the Five Points intersection and reconstruction along Lomax Street, from Park Street to Oak Street to make aesthetic improvements and increase pedestrian safety.
Five Points has seen great growth over the last couple of years with great restaurants, retail and entertainment venues. We’re working closely with City Council Members Jim Love and Robin Lumb to enhance this iconic Jacksonville neighborhood to make it an even better place for residents, visitors and businesses.
You can view my full proposed budget, five-year capital investment program, a fact sheet and more on the city’s website, here.
Downtown speaks to the character of our community. Jacksonville is a big city, but we are still proud to embrace the small-town values of hospitality, neighborliness and community spirit. These are virtues we have every right to cherish.
But we should also embrace the ambition to make Jacksonville a world-class city with a world-class Downtown that is a vibrant destination for people to work, live and visit. That is how we will create more jobs by attracting new businesses and growing those already here. That is how we will attract new residents and provide a better quality of life for our current residents. And it’s how we will attract more visitors to see all the great things that Jacksonville has to offer. In short, a revitalized Downtown is how we will create even more opportunity for our city and our people.
Guest editorial by Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown
Anyone who views our beautiful skyline from any of the bridges, with the majestic St. Johns River as a breathtaking centerpiece, can see that our Downtown is distinctive.
We have the natural beauty. We have the buildings. We have the infrastructure. But we need the critical mass of people and activity that will launch our Downtown to the level of greatness we know is possible.
We must maximize every opportunity for people – residents and visitors alike – to see our Downtown as a signature destination. Because that’s what a great Downtown needs – people.
We need people working Downtown. We need people living Downtown. We need people visiting Downtown – whether it’s for entertainment or sports, conventions or special events, dining or shopping, or simply enjoying our scenic river.
This is our opportunity, and it must be our goal.
When I submitted my proposed fiscal year 2014-2015 budget and five-year capital investment program to City Council on July 14, I said that we must invest in Jacksonville as a city of opportunity.
Our economy is recovering and the city’s tax base is growing for the first time since 2007. We have reached a point in the life of our community when we must seize the moment and use our resources to make not only a better today, but a better tomorrow for Jacksonville.
There is a simple principle that’s as true for a community as it is for a business: If we want to create opportunity and grow, we must invest.
To move us forward as a city of opportunity, we must invest in key priorities that will make a positive, lasting impact on our city for years to come. This means investing in job creation, public safety and quality of life.
It also means investing in our Downtown.
Revitalizing Downtown has been a top priority for my administration from Day One, and we have achieved important progress during the past three years.
Within my first year as mayor, we rewrote the city’s economic development policies and worked with JAX Chamber, the Civic Council and City Council to create the Downtown Investment Authority to lead efforts to revitalize Downtown.
Two years ago, we worked closely with the leadership at EverBank to relocate more than 1,500 of the company’s employees to the heart of our city. EverBank has also just committed to a 10-year renewal of the naming rights to our stadium on the edge of Downtown.
At 220 Riverside, 600 new housing units and a new park, Unity Plaza, are being built on what was once blighted city property at the gateway to Downtown. Next door, at newly-named Brooklyn Station on Riverside, a retail-office development is under construction, anchored by a Fresh Market grocery store.
The old Haydon Burns Library is being transformed into the Jessie Ball duPont Center, a hub for nonprofit organizations. Representing a $20 million private capital investment in Downtown, it will house 200 workers and bring new life to a building that has been vacant for nearly a decade. We have introduced legislation that would provide 200 parking spaces in the City-owned Yates Garage to accommodate the organizations and their employees.
There are tremendous opportunities to rehabilitate and repurpose other historic buildings in Downtown. The recent purchase of the iconic but long-vacant Bostwick Building is a promising step forward, as are plans in the works to redevelop the Laura Street Trio and Barnett National Bank buildings.
Awaiting City Council approval is the City’s proposed partnership with The Friends of Hemming Park to manage and develop programming for Hemming Plaza to make this historic public space safer, cleaner and more attractive as a focal point for community events and activities.
In recent months, we have drawn huge crowds to Downtown with special events.
In April, the One Spark festival, a showcase for innovation and entrepreneurship, brought 260,000 people to the heart of our Downtown. My budget proposes to boost the City’s investment in One Spark so this annual event can continue to grow.
At EverBank Field, the recent U.S. Men’s National soccer match against Nigeria had record-breaking attendance of 52,000, while the Country Superfest concert attracted 75,000 music fans.
We expect to attract even more top-tier events thanks to the City of Jacksonville’s new Sports Council partnership with JAX Chamber and Gator Bowl Sports.
With the new enhancements at EverBank Field, we will also provide the very best fan experience – not only for the Jaguars, but also the Florida-Georgia game, the TaxSlayer Bowl and special events like Country Superfest.
Building on our success making Downtown a popular destination for sports and entertainment events, we have the opportunity to take that further with our new professional soccer team, The Armada.
The Armada FC has agreed to make the Baseball Grounds their home field.
We are asking City Council to commit funds to make this City-owned facility suitable to host both the Suns baseball team and the Armada soccer team – which will bring more fans to our Downtown.
Taken together, these developments are laying the foundation for a more vibrant Downtown. Now is the time to get ready to build on that foundation with a comprehensive set of strategic infrastructure investments that can deliver the best results for our Downtown and greatest return for our taxpayer dollars.
This is why I am proposing more than $20 million in capital investments targeted at key projects to revitalize Downtown. To develop this plan, we worked with a wide range of community stakeholders and we appreciate their support, including Downtown Vision, Inc. We also appreciate the strong representation and advocacy on behalf of Downtown shown by City Council members Johnny Gaffney, Don Redman and Lori Boyer (who also serves as Council liaison to the Downtown Investment Authority).
In Jacksonville, we are blessed to have a mighty river flowing through our Downtown. We must make that riverfront a catalyst for Downtown revitalization. That effort starts with The Jacksonville Landing.
There is a vision – a plan – to redevelop The Landing as a showcase that offers housing, entertainment and retail, as well as green space and a plaza opening the riverfront to our Downtown.
My proposal commits $11.8 million in public infrastructure to support the first phase of improvements, including a wider plaza along the Northbank Riverwalk, public space and broader access at Hogan Street.
We must also make progress elsewhere on our riverfront.
The Shipyards property is one of our City’s most important riverfront assets. It has sat empty long enough. There is now strong private-sector interest in this City-owned property. This budget proposes to start the environmental clean-up needed to prepare for private development.
The budget proposes $4.2 million to raze the old county courthouse. This asbestos-ridden building cannot be salvaged, but the property is strategically located. We will demolish the structure and create temporary green space to provide new opportunities for future public or private development.
We will dedicate $250,000 to begin the redesign of another riverfront property – Metropolitan Park – to maximize its value as an entertainment venue. We will also upgrade the Northbank Riverwalk and replace the bulkhead so we can make the most of this pedestrian park along our river.
We must invest in making Downtown the best experience possible. That’s why we will commit $2.5 million to improve lighting and streetscapes to make our Downtown a safer, more convenient and inviting place to navigate – whether by car, by bicycle or on foot.
This includes a unified system of street signs to help people find their destinations, locate parking and move in, out and through Downtown more efficiently. It also means converting one-way streets to two-way streets that are friendlier to both motorists and pedestrians, while making Downtown businesses more visible and accessible.
Our proposed budget will also increase the City’s support for Downtown Vision, Inc., which has done so much to make a safer, cleaner, friendlier and more engaging Downtown.
Historic Riverside is an area near Downtown that we are looking to enhance through investments. We would dedicate $750,000 to support the first phase of upgrades to the Five Points district to make it more accessible and friendly for businesses and pedestrians.
These enhancements include modifications to the Five Points intersection and reconstruction along Lomax Street, from Park Street to Oak Street to make aesthetic improvements and increase pedestrian safety.
Five Points has seen great growth over the last couple of years with great restaurants, retail and entertainment venues. We’re working closely with City Council Members Jim Love and Robin Lumb to enhance this iconic Jacksonville neighborhood to make it an even better place for residents, visitors and businesses.
You can view my full proposed budget, five-year capital investment program, a fact sheet and more on the city’s website, here.
Downtown speaks to the character of our community. Jacksonville is a big city, but we are still proud to embrace the small-town values of hospitality, neighborliness and community spirit. These are virtues we have every right to cherish.
But we should also embrace the ambition to make Jacksonville a world-class city with a world-class Downtown that is a vibrant destination for people to work, live and visit. That is how we will create more jobs by attracting new businesses and growing those already here. That is how we will attract new residents and provide a better quality of life for our current residents. And it’s how we will attract more visitors to see all the great things that Jacksonville has to offer. In short, a revitalized Downtown is how we will create even more opportunity for our city and our people.
Guest editorial by Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown