by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
Seven years ago, the local builders association endorsed John Delaney’s candidacy for mayor. Friday, he again gave his thanks.
“The builders were with me when only two percent of the people knew who I was,” he said in a speech to the Sales and Marketing Council of Jacksonville, part of the local builders association. “I pledged then to share their vision of growth, but growth in the right way. I think we’ve all done a good job.”
Delaney focused on three areas close to the builders: growth, environment and neighborhoods.
“We are putting in the infrastructure necessary for growth,” Delaney told about 250 at the Southpoint Marriott breakfast. “A mall isn’t going to exist on a septic tank — it needs a sewer line. Growth stops at the end of sewer lines.” And, he said, the road building part of the Better Jacksonville Plan goes hand-in-hand.
The environment is better today, too, he said.
“Frankly, not a lot of people were proud of this place 15 years ago,” he said. “The odor was unpleasant and the river was a dumping ground for raw sewage. Today, it’s rare that you get a bad whiff, and that comes from South Georgia. The river is clean: I was at Ruth’s Chris [the downtown riverfront restaurant] last night and there were dolphins swimming under the Main Street Bridge. The river is clean.”
He also pointed out the rebirth of neighborhoods, particularly in the near-downtown area.
“We aren’t abandoning old neighborhoods,” he said. “It’s great to see what’s happening in places like San Marco and Riverside.”
Delaney also gave his usual pep talk about the $2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan, telling the SMC that it’s being recognized around the country.
“I was in Fresno, Calif., recently and they wanted to know how we’ve been successful,” he said. “I gave a speech to the Tampa Chamber of Commerce and the questions were about our commitment to the community. I went to a meeting of elected officials in Orlando and they were asking about what we were doing and how we did it.
“Jacksonville is one of the few places that will be better next year than it is this year. It’s moving up,” he said. “We’re doing things for the future, like developing a light rail corridor that probably won’t be built in this generation. But when the city is ready to build it, the growth along the line will be oriented toward it.”
Delaney also had a plea: “Keep building,” adding, “I have four kids and I love them, but I don’t want them living with me for the rest of my life. But, I want them nearby, so that means you’ll have to build four more homes.”