by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
Jacksonville’s downtown on weekends usually sees few people and no action.
Last weekend? A downtown lover’s dream.
A record FridayFest turnout at Hemming Plaza on Friday evening — it may have topped 1,500 during the three hours — was the start and it continued Saturday with over 1,000 going on a “Hard Hat Tour” of downtown housing and perhaps 5,000 at the Jaguars’ draft party.
No official estimates were available from the sponsoring Downtown Vision Inc., but Randy Goodwin, president of PRI, an audio-visual production company, and part of both the FridayFest and Jag arrangements, said he was astounded at what he saw.
“I told a friend that I’d meet her here at FridayFest and didn’t figure to have a problem,” he said. “I had a problem; almost didn’t find her.”
The FridayFest turnout caught organizers a little short as beverage lines reached as long as 15 minutes. Hemming Plaza was jammed at its highest point, where a Latin band played on the southeast corner, and the crowd spilled around the fountain and down to the Skyway.
The Chamber’s Downtown Council, the organizer of Saturday’s Hard Hat Tour, hoped to have 500 — that’s how many tickets and programs were printed — and volunteers found themselves scrambling to take care of people with the $5 admission in hand. The Trolley, which ran 15-minute loops to the eight sites on the tour, was full and left people standing at most stops.
“We thought it was an nice idea and were glad to help,” said Jeannie Ward, an executive with Berkman Plaza, “and wow . . . were we surprised!” An enterprising staffer made cookies for the visitors and ran out after an hour.
The Jaguars opened Alltel Stadium for the annual draft party and this year brought over 20 players to sign autographs and mingle with fans on the field and with season ticket holders in the posh clubs within the stadium.
The club levels were filled and an estimated 5,000 visited the field, with kids playing games while their parents sweltered in 90-degree weather.
It was a party, for sure. When the Jaguars’ turn came to select their first player, few eyes turned to the giant the scoreboard screens to watch the ESPN television coverage.
About the only quick reaction to the selection of Tennessee lineman John Henderson came from the media. The Jag radio team, which provided an audio over the ESPN video, and the assembled print media had a collective groan — all present had projected another player in the “mock drafts” which preceded the actual moment.
Coach Tom Coughlin appeared a few minutes later to speak to the media, and the crowd, from a small stage set up at the 50-yard-line on the West side and drew applause after describing his selection as a person who is “big, strong, mobile, dedicated and a leader.” If that wasn’t enough, Coughlin talked about his “maturity level” and seemed to discount Henderson’s injury problems as a media overdraft.
The parties were over by Sunday but that didn’t mean downtown was deserted: the First Baptist Church, usually the only draw downtown on a weekend, had its usual 15,000 at several services. The Jacksonville Suns played an afternoon game against the Carolina Mudcats with parking somewhat a problem due to a car dealers’ sale in the Fairgrounds.
The quietest place?, The media room under the stadium’s West stands, where a smattering of sleepy reporters waited out the second day of the Jags’ draft.