by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
A decade in the making, City Council vice president Elaine Brown will unveil her vision for the LaVilla subdistrict to Mayor John Peyton and his staff Friday.
In recent years, Brown has worked closely with various Council members, the Florida Department of Transportation and Jacksonville Transportation Authority while developing a plan.
“I think there have been so many different visions for what LaVilla should be and now it’s time for us to go forward with one, the right one,” said Brown. I believe we have it.”
Brown said she’s most looking forward to hearing Peyton’s reaction.
“Definitely,” she said. “But no matter what, we have to get that office as excited about this plan as we all are. We’ve worked very hard on it.”
Brown’s plan calls for “mixed use throughout LaVilla.”
“That’s what you have to have or it’s never going to work,” she said. “We’ve got to be thinking about the available land over there and about the appropriate land use.
“You need residential. You need to attract the right businesses.”
Brown said a parking garage should also be built, though one element not included in phase one her plan is a convention center.
“That part we’ve left open ended,” she said. “We can’t sit and wait for people to decide what they want to do with it. We’ve waited long enough.
“The best thing we can do is develop around the Osborn Center while the City and the CVB figure that out.”
Last year, Cooper Carry, a consulting firm, suggested the Osborn Center be expanded with a hotel constructed next door.
“That’s still something I would like to see happen,” said Brown. “But again, we can possibly address that in a later phase if everyone agrees that’s the best way to approach it.
“I’m just ready to get started because, honestly, this is the best time for this,” said Brown. “With Brooklyn, LaVilla is the city’s last frontier and we need to put out an RFP (Request for Proposals) and find the right developer to make it happen.”
Mayor’s office spokesperson Heather Murphy said Peyton would not be attending Brown’s meeting, though Chief of Policy and Government Affairs Steve Diebenow or Director of Public Works Lynn Westbrook would be present.