by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
One of the architects of Jacksonville’s downtown development warned City planners and builders not to put all of their eggs in the Super Bowl’s basket.
Noting that much of the City’s recent downtown revitalization effort has been fueled by the game’s arrival next February. Frank Nero, the former head of the Downtown Development Authority, said last week that too much emphasis on the Super Bowl could leave the City nursing a post-game hangover
“That could be the greatest challenge Jacksonville faces (in relation to the game),” said Nero. “If you keep setting the Super Bowl up as the end all be all, what happens after it’s over.”
Nero’s comments came as he and T-U columnist Ron Littlepage debated the need for continued public financing of private development. Nero credited the Super Bowl with helping jump start downtown’s turnaround. However, he said the City should plan in its own best interests and avoid going too far to cater to visitors.
The City is expecting 100,000 visitors during Super Bowl week, including a notoriously surly press corps. The sports writers skewered Tampa two years ago, and Nero gave assurances that Jacksonville will get some harsh treatment.
“You need to be prepared for what happens if you get negative press, and it very well could happen,” said Nero. “We have Super Bowls all the time in Miami and we get negative publicity.
“They say the drinks weren’t cold, the party wasn’t good, there’s nothing you can do to please everybody.”
The criticism could harm downtown’s long term prospects, said Nero, if the City takes it seriously. When he first arrived in Jacksonville, Nero said one of the highest hurdles the City had to overcome was a citywide inferiority complex.
A poll taken in the early 1990s indicated two-thirds of Jacksonville residents would move if given the chance, said Nero. He said the Super Bowl, and the rush of development that followed, helped provide “a dose of self–esteem.” However, that self-esteem shouldn’t be owed to the game, he said.
Nero has overseen business development in Miami since 1996. As the president and CEO of that city’s Beacon Council, he has witnessed the South Florida approach to hosting a Super Bowl. Rather than develop for the Super Bowl, Nero said Miami views the game as a showcase.
“It’s a big event in Miami, but it’s not going to affect how we do things,” said Nero. “Jacksonville should work for what it is and what it wants to be, not for what other people are going to think of you.”