Getting to know who’s who and what’s what Downtown was the theme Wednesday morning at Hemming Park.
It was a continuation of the agenda for the past two months for Jake Gordon, Downtown Vision Inc.’s CEO since May 11.
The nonprofit dedicated to promoting the urban core invited business and property owners as well as arts, cultural, entertainment and sports providers and venues to the park for a light breakfast.
The event was a chance for people to meet Gordon.
“We’ve been working on getting his face out there,” said Bill Prescott, DVI board member.
In addition to getting to know the DVI staff and board members, Prescott said he and Gordon have been spending time at City Hall, meeting members of the new mayoral administration transition team and City Council as preparations for the 2015-16 budget are underway.
“We’re still in the learning phase,” he said.
Previously director of the urban promotion agency in Camden, N.J., Gordon said one of his first impressions of Jacksonville in general and Downtown in particular is the mindset of the community.
“We need to make the most of the small-town atmosphere,” he said. “A small town is a great place to live, work, play and invest.”
Gordon said Camden and Jacksonville are similar in that both have dedicated and influential stakeholders who are passionate about making the urban core a better place.
The foundation for success in either market is maintaining a clean and safe streetscape and promoting events that attract people from the suburbs, such as Art Walk.
On the differences side, Jacksonville has a more-developed Downtown with anchor institutions and more amenities and retail businesses than Camden.
“The weather is better too,” said Gordon.
Gordon said he wasn’t actively looking for a new job when DVI began its search for a chief executive.
“I only applied for one job. I wanted to come to Jacksonville,” he said.
He has ties to the area, including him and his wife living in Atlantic Beach for eight months in 2007 before he took the job in New Jersey. Plus, his wife’s parents live here.
Gordon plans to work closely with the city administration and the Downtown Investment Authority to maximize value for those who fund the organization’s $1.2 million annual budget through an additional assessment on the ad valorem taxes.
“DVI is all about the property owners. We want to encourage the city and the private sector to work together,” Gordon said. “Communication is what will make us successful.”
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