The Downtown Action Plan continued to unfold last Thursday with the opening of Main Street Park and some of the people responsible for that project were trying to get more people behind the plan Monday.
Bob Rhodes, chairman of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, and Ron Barton, executive director of the JEDC, addressed members of the Meninak Club Monday to educate them and guests on the JEDC’s Downtown Action Plan, which is the blueprint for a revitalized Downtown.
Rhodes was introduced by Ted Pappas, of PBV Architecture, who has placed his stamp on buildings throughout Jacksonville including the restoration of Old St. Andrews Episcopal Church and the creation of athletic stadiums at the University of North Florida and The Bolles School.
“Let’s harness some of this energy for Downtown,” said Rhodes after hearing the Meninak members sing the club’s song.
In the fall of 2006 the JEDC determined an action plan needed to be developed to steer Downtown development. That plan was created with the assistance of over 100 local professionals and community leaders.
“This isn’t Ron Barton’s plan for Downtown,” said Barton. “We got help from folks like you in order to develop these 19 steps.”
The second of the action steps, “Develop and implement a comprehensive streetscape plan,” continues to produce results with the completion of the Main Street Park project. Improvements along Main Street included converting a parking lot into a public park across from the Main Library. Date palm trees have been added and sidewalks have been resurfaced and enhanced with brick pavers and decorative planters.
The next streetscape project will improve Laura Street from Hemming Plaza to the Landing. The JEDC plans to outline the project by the beginning of July
“This was an easy project to choose because it was one people identified as a key project,” said Barton. “This project will help us prove what a great walkable corridor can be.”
Walkability is one of the keys Barton identified that would set a foundation for a revitalized Downtown.
“I was in St. Petersburg during a magical time eight years ago,” Barton said. “St. Pete was deader than a door nail. You didn’t have to look up the street to cross. That has all changed in just eight years. You just have to get the basics right.”
Those basics include walkability, making Downtown a destination, making Downtown a neighborhood and developing a framework for continued success.
Another key component of the Downtown Action Plan is to enhance the appeal of the Riverwalk. The wide walkway along the Northbank of the St. Johns River stretches from Berkman Plaza to the Fuller-Warren Bridge.
“People visit our Riverwalk from all over the state and the country,” said Barton. “We want to program the Riverwalk like it’s a theater and make it more of a destination.”
A lull in the real estate market may slow down the revitalization process, but the JEDC is operating with a sense of urgency.
“We need to address these points quicker so we can bring back capital investment when the market comes back up,” said Barton.
