by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Landing’s leadership is taking some extra steps to ensure that downtown’s biggest New Year’s Eve party is a safe one.
Like downtown’s other large celebrations — the Super Bowl, Florida/Georgia, July 4th — the New Year’s Eve party is expected to have its epicenter at the downtown mall at the south end of Laura Street. To keep the crowd safe, the Landing is hiring extra security and limiting admission on New Year’s Eve to those age 21 and over or accompanied by a guardian of age.
The age restriction is put into place two days a year. The Landing requires entrants on July 4th and New Year’s Eve to show ID or bring along a guardian. Landing spokesperson Rachel Kaltenbach said the policy helps keep revelers safe inside the mall and prevents underage drinking.
“These kind of events tend to bring big crowds to the Landing and when things get big they can get unsafe for kids without an adult around,” she said. “We’re trying to make sure everyone’s safe and keep the celebration family-oriented.”
The Landing will set up ID checkpoints at the entrances and employ plain clothes security to conduct spot checks, said Kaltenbach. Restaurants and bars inside the mall will also be required to check IDs before serving alcohol, she said.
“Kids could come in with a parent,” she said. “Just because they make it inside the Landing doesn’t mean they’re old enough to drink.”
The plain clothes security will be part of a beefed-up security force at the Landing. Kaltenbach wouldn’t disclose the number of extra security guards on duty, but she said it would be “significantly more than you’ll see on a busy weekend night.”
Live entertainment at the Landing is scheduled from Friday, Dec. 30 to Monday Jan. 2. The courtyard will host a variety of events from live concerts to pep rallies for the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl. The Landing will show the game live starting at 12:30 p.m. The 21-and-older requirement is only for Dec. 31. All events at the Landing are free and open to the public.