by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
By the time the 2005 Super Bowl kicks off, visitors to Jacksonville could stroll wider, palm tree–lined sidewalks down a neon–illuminated Bay Street if the Downtown Development Authority’s streetscape improvement plan runs according to schedule, according to the DDA’s managing director.
Al Battle said he will meet today with Public Works representatives to put a timeline in place for infrastructure improvements to Bay Street. Battle said the City will likely add a few special touches to the area to mark it as an entertainment corridor. The improvements will complement City incentives and private investment aimed at transforming the street into Jacksonville’s premier entertainment corridor, linking Alltel Stadium to the Landing.
“We’re trying to distinguish the area; make it inviting,” said Battle. “We want people who are visiting and seeking entertainment to know about Bay Street. It will be a recognizable area.”
In addition to the sidewalk improvements that mark other City renovation projects, Battle said Bay Street could also feature unique lighting, sidewalk design and a landscaped median. The streetscape is modeled after other urban entertainment districts such as Tampa’s Ybor City.
Incentives for Jacksonville’s version, dubbed the Bay Street Town Center Project, have already been approved by the City Council.
One of the committee organizers the Dalton Agency’s Michael Munz, said the project was gaining clear momentum. The street’s first new venue, the jazz club Eclate, will open later this month. One of the street’s primary land owners, Chris Hionides spent last week cleaning out a string of buildings in Bay Street’s 100 block.
Bay Street property owner and Bay Street organizer James Bailey said buyers signed a contract last week to purchase the Churchwell building at the corner of Bay and Ocean streets and said the Suddath Building is ready for tenants as is a couple of properties in the 100 block.
Bailey said he receives daily calls about Bay Street properties, as we continue to develop a strategy for the development.
“Because of the momentum that’s been building, business leaders and investors are starting to pay attention,” said Munz. “A year ago when I talked about the Bay Street Town Center, people said I must be crazy.
“Last week, I was walking around Dallas’ entertainment district with some of those same people and they were telling me how excited they were that something similar was coming to Jacksonville.”