by Mike Sharkey and J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writers
While the next mayor will certainly have to reign over all 800-plus square miles that are Duval County, there’s a neighborhood in the shadow of City Hall that can’t be neglected.
Past mayoral administrations have made an impact on LaVilla, but the next mayor could be the one to truly revolutionize an area that holds as much economic promise as any in downtown. At Friday’s Tiger Bay Club mayoral forum, the candidates addressed their vision for downtown and talked specifically about LaVilla after the lunch forum.
“I think LaVilla is the next frontier for Jacksonville,” said mayoral candidate and City Council member Matt Carlucci. “We have to look at the big picture. It will play a major role in what happens with the convention center and Brooklyn.”
Carlucci’s a firm believer that the Osborn Center is fine where it is, but won’t thrive until complementary businesses are allowed to develop around it.
“The convention center has the opportunity to serve as the anchor of that side of downtown while the sports complex will anchor the other end of downtown,” he said. “Those two will create a synergy that will fill in the rest of downtown.”
Former Jacksonville Economic Development Commission executive director Mike Weinstein agrees with Carlucci that a viable convention center is paramount to attracting much-needed dollars. However, Weinstein’s convinced the Osborn Center should be relocated.
“We need to continue to focus and move forward in LaVilla. We are light years from where we were. Some residential would be helpful, but it’s not necessary,” said Weinstein. “But the convention center is in the wrong place. It should be in the business core near the Adam’s Mark. For me, the plan is to take the site of the [county] courthouse and parking lot and build an exhibit hall on the lot, meeting space on the next couple of floors and put out an RFP [Request for Proposal] for hotel space on top of that.”
Gate Petroleum executive John Peyton said LaVilla and the Osborn Center are both on his radar screen.
“I would definitely like to see the LaVilla subdistrict develop,” said Peyton. “But I believe that we need a master plan and we need to truly implement it to make that happen. Beyond that, we should be concerned with the convention center itself and what role it will take in that development.”
Former mayor Tommy Hazouri said residential development will eventually anchor any other development in the region.
“The problem with LaVilla,” said Hazouri, “is that it was designed backwards. Quite simply, it needs more residential. Sure, we need commercial and retail options there, but residential will provide a solid economic base for that. LaVilla has the potential to be a great neighborhood community and I believe that it is still recoverable.”
Democratic candidate Keith Myers believes LaVilla will benefit from other growth downtown, especially of the potential positive affects the new county courthouse which will be built over the next few years just a few blocks from what is considered LaVilla.
“Growth in LaVilla will, more or, less be a continuation of the growth in the surrounding area,” said Myers. “The one thing that we should keep it mind, is that growth should be well thought out and done right. The City should be working to promote retail growth and I would work to get public transportation all over the city back on track.”
“I grew up in LaVilla,” said Sheriff Nat Glover, “so it’s a part of town that’s close to my heart. I’d like to see it developed like other parts of downtown. It’s a vital part of the area and a feeder for the rest of downtown.”
City Council member Ginger Soud had to leave early in order to attend the City Task Force on Education meeting, which she chairs.