by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
In 2003, visitors to downtown Jacksonville found a cleaner, safer, more entertaining neighborhood, according to Downtown Vision, Inc. The group’s focus in 2004 will be providing those people places to live, work and park.
In its annual report, DVI promised a renewed focus on parking and a more active role in housing and business retention.
More parking has been identified by city planners and business owners as a necessary step to bringing employers and residents downtown. The movement toward a cohesive parking policy began in 2001 with a task force comprising public and private downtown leaders.
In 2004, DVI said it will continue to push to implement the task force recommendations. They range from better parking enforcement and increased meter fines and rates to establishing a single parking authority to manage public parking resources.
The group’s goals for 2004 are to create a Downtown Parking Commission to streamline parking management and to research ways to better connect popular City venues through public transit and well-placed lots.
DVI listed the creation of Park Smart, a discount parking program, as its most notable contribution in 2003 to solving downtown’s parking woes. Launched in August, the cooperative campaign offered reduced parking fees at participating lots during lunchtime, evening and weekend hours.
Parking will increase in importance as more visitors are drawn to downtown events. DVI reported progress in downtown’s viability as an entertainment venue. The report tallied more than seven million downtown visits last year.
This year, DVI will continue to lobby government officials on the importance of a vibrant downtown. Specific goals are to move an expanded Farmer’s Market to Hemming Plaza and to expand the Wednesday Art Walks to include more exhibits and more venues.
DVI said it will partner with downtown businesses to offer entertainment packages to potential downtown visitors. The tailored packages would offer combinations of food, entertainment and lodging within downtown.
More of those potential visitors now think of downtown as a clean, safe destination, according to the report. A survey taken by DVI showed 67 percent of downtown businesses thought the area was clean and more than nine out of 10 thought the area was safe.
DVI’s goals in 2004 are to work to reduce nuisance crimes like panhandling and vandalism while encouraging the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to maintain a visible downtown presence.
The group will also seek to increase garbage bins downtown and will continue to have its Downtown Ambassadors to pick up trash. The ambassadors have picked up 19 tons of trash so far, according to DVI.