by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
The Florida Theater, Duval County Courthouse and City Hall may be little easier to find for foot traffic downtown, providing a proposed Downtown Vision, Inc. program comes online.
DVI recently made a recommendation stating that stationary pedestrian maps downtown should be installed outside of various locations, including the Landing, Hemming Plaza and all six Skyway stops.
“We like the idea of establishing a ‘you are here’ program so that pedestrians downtown can get a better understanding of where they are and where other places are located downtown,” said DVI director Terry Lorince. “It’s also important for them to know the distance it takes to reach those places.”
Lorince said the maps — no design has been selected or drafted — may mirror similar programs already in place in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
“It’s been talked about for a while now and we just think it’s necessary for a larger city to have a wayfinding system downtown,” she said. “Especially here while we’re trying to encourage more people to come downtown.”
Cost estimates for the signs have yet to be determined, but Lorince said monies may come from both private and public sources.
“We haven’t identified any funding source yet,” she said, “but it was our thought that if we put a map or kiosk in front of City Hall, for example, the City might be willing to cover some of that cost. If we put one in front of the Landing, Tony Sleiman may help with that.”
The ultimate number of maps, said Lorince, will be contingent upon the amount of money awarded.
“We’ll have to see,” she said. “The first thing we’ll need to do is find a design we’re all happy with and can agree upon. Once we have that prototype to work from, we’ll have a better idea of what will be available to us.”
Lorince said the map will be based on a downtown map already in circulation and widely used.
The program is part of an ongoing signage initiative spearheaded by City Council member Suzanne Jenkins, who has been working with DVI and various other agencies in developing a new system to guide visitors and residents to and through downtown.
Funding for that project, which includes interstate and access road signage, is also undetermined.
A follow-up meeting at City Hall is expected to take place within the next few weeks.