Doug Ganson owns and operates Sundrez and Dipper Dan’s at the Landing and For All Seasons at AT&T Tower 301. He has been in business Downtown for almost 30 years and also is active in organizations that address Downtown issues. He is a past chair of the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of Jacksonville. Ganson responded to questions about some of his views about the neighborhood.
What’s your history Downtown?
I have operated businesses in Downtown Jacksonville since 1983. I have been involved at one time or another with the Downtown Merchants Association, The Downtown Development Authority and the Chamber of Commerce. I served as chairman of the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition for 18 months.
What are your main concerns about Downtown?
There are too many empty buildings and surface parking lots that will require a massive capital input at a time when neither demand nor economics mandate the investment. We are still dealing with the same old players trying to get government to finance bad projects. We need new blood to go along with the new mayor and his plans.
What would having a day center for homeless people do for Downtown?
It would serve two needs. First, it would provide those in need with basic necessities, such as bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities. Second, it would provide a centralized location for intake information to get those in need the available assistance that they need to get back on the right track.
It also is an absolute necessity in order for Downtown to be revitalized.
An effective center would be located near the existing population and service providers, therefore it needs to be located Downtown. The best location is in conjunction with the Sulzbacher Center.
It would provide showers and restroom facilities, laundry facilities, televisions and books as well as computers and the Internet. Primarily it would serve as the primary intake point for all indigent members of our community. This would allow tracking from service provider to service provider and allow all agencies to know what services each person has accessed. It would also provide each agency an opportunity to staff the center and be part of the intake system.
The Main Library has been referred to as Downtown’s day center for homeless people. What’s your opinion?
I have been in the library enough times to know that the homeless population does not misuse or abuse the facility any more than the public in general. I would have a problem with denying anyone access to public libraries. Remove homeless people from the library and you will have more homeless people on the streets.
Should there be more service organizations or programs? What changes do you think could improve services for people in need?
The services are already here, we just need to continue working toward better collaboration between existing agencies. We also should eliminate duplicating functions in order to lower administrative expenses and get more money on the street where it can help people.
There is too much duplication of services in the provider community and too many agencies are competing for the money available. They spend way too much on administration and not enough on services. These are not $100,000-a-year jobs. Fewer agencies and more focus are needed.
We have the complete plan already drawn out and figured out. The coalition and I worked with the City for more than a year. The wheel does not need to be reinvented, it’s all there.
The total operating cost for a day center would be about $150,000 annually. If you want to clean up Hemming Plaza and the Main Library, pony up the cash. City government and Downtown property owners would benefit the most.