by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
The year 2005 will be remembered for many things in Jacksonville. We hosted the world in February when the Super Bowl came to town. Although the Jaguars didn’t make the playoffs last year, hosting the game helped put the River City on a worldwide stage. And, from all accounts, the pundits that insisted on reminding everyone that Jacksonville was once called Cowford, left with a pretty good impression.
Speaking of the Jaguars, 2005 was a great year. They wrapped up the calendar year with an 11-4 record and a playoff berth, the first since a 1999 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship game.
The Jacksonville Suns won the Southern League championship and set attendance records when they hosted the ACC baseball tournament.
Developer Cameron Kuhn out of Orlando took the city by storm when he started buying downtown buildings. The first was the SunTrust building followed by the Barnett and Dyal Upchurch buildings. Rumor has it he’s not done.
LandMar took over the Shipyards project and promises big things and Miami developer Bayard Spector announced plans for a 70-story high-rise on Bay Street near the Sports Complex. The new Main Library opened to rave reviews and the accolades are still coming.
But, that’s enough of the past. What’s in store for 2006?
Mayor’s Office
Mayor John Peyton certainly had a busy 2005. When he wasn’t reading to kids at elementary schools all over town he was cutting ribbons and working with the Navy to possibly restore Cecil Field as a master jet base. Late in the year, he and Chief Judge Donald Moran came to an agreement that will get the new county courthouse — the final vertical project within the Better Jacksonville Plan — out of the ground.
Peyton was out of the office this week, but he did mention several things he plans to focus on in 2006: increasing economic opportunities, increasing public safety, increasing early literacy, enhancing the quality of life in Jacksonville to include transportation, planning and parks, increasing infill housing and streamlining government.
“In particular, in 2006 there will be an enhanced focus on downtown and a river initiative,” he said.
City Council
City Council President Kevin Hyde will wrap up his term as president
halfway through 2006, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an agenda for the year.
“From our side of the hall, there are two main issues,” said Hyde. “One is growth management and the implementation of the local ordinance to comply with the recently-passed growth management act.”
Hyde said the Council has until the end of ‘06 to submit its legislation to the state. However, he plans to work closely with Council member Sharon Copeland, who is chair of the growth management committee, to have a solid draft ready by the end of March and a final draft by the time his tenure as Council president ends June 30. Hyde said the local legislation will deal with the fair share program that developers have to adhere to and concurrency issues such as roads, schools, fire protection and public safety.
“The other issue next year will be the river. One, how do we avoid a repeat of last year’s green river? And, two, the economic development part and river access,” said Hyde. “We have the JEA site (on the Southbank) and the new development all up and down the river. Really, the whole gamut, not just downtown.”
Politics
Linda Whipple, local Democratic Party chair, said the top priority for her party in ‘06 is to win the governor’s race. Current Gov. Jeb Bush will have to step down due to term limits.
“We have two candidates right now,” said Whipple, who is a trial paralegal for Spohrer Wilner Maxwell & Matthews, P.A. “Rod Smith is a state senator from Alachua County and Jim Davis is a U.S. Congressman from the Tampa area. It’s a big year for us on the local, state and federal level. We want to pick up some seats nationwide and go forward with the presidential race in 2008. Definitely winning the governorship in Florida is at the top of the agenda. We will also work hard to assure (Sen.) Bill Nelson gets re-elected.”
Locally, Whipple said there has been some talk of a Democrat possibly opposing incumbent Mayor John Peyton, but it’s just that — talk.
“There have been no commitments,” she said. “Some people have asked on behalf of others. We will run some people in some races, but they have asked not to be revealed at this point.”
Republican Party chair Mike Hightower said 2006 is about laying the groundwork for all Republican candidates for office. On the state level, Hightower said the North Florida region — which includes Duval, Nassau, Clay, St. Johns, Baker, Flagler and Putnam counties — won’t back a specific gubernatorial candidate, but will work to assure a Republican remains on the job.
“We are not backing either Tom Gallagher or Charlie Crist, but we will do whatever it takes to win the governor’s race in November,” said Hightower. “Whoever the nominee is, we are behind them. Locally, we expect to raise and spend $1 million on the governor’s race.”
Locally, things could be interesting. Peyton will be tough to unseat, but City Council may be fun to watch. Nine members of Council are ineligible to run in 2007 due to term limits, with five of them Republicans and four Democrats. Hightower says it’s important to retain the GOP seats and there’s a possibility the Republicans could grab a seat or two. He said Dist. 11, where Democrat Warren Alvarez will have to step down, may present an opportunity to add to the Republican stronghold (14 of 19 are Republicans) on the Council.
“The issue we are confronted with as Republicans is the open City Council seats,” said Hightower, adding he doesn’t discount the possibility his party could make a serious run at Reggie Fullwood’s Dist. 9 seat. “We will look at all the races.”
Sports
Joe Cowart, co-host of “Lamm at Large” on AM-930, believes 2006 may be one the best in Jacksonville sports history. A local, Fred Funk, will defend his Players Championship title. The Jacksonville Suns will defend their Southern League title as well as host the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament again. The Jacksonville Jaguars will still be a young, improving team coming off a playoff appearance and the Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators will both be improved.
“A fantastic basketball tradition is starting when we host the first and second round games of the NCAA basketball tournament in March,” said Cowart. “We may even see a No. 1 seed Florida Gators team here. And, this may sound kind of hokey, but JU and UNF will cut their teeth in the Division I level and a fledgling rivalry will develop between those two.
“I see Tiger Woods winning another Players Championship.”
Cowart said the 2006 college football season will be very interesting.
“I see (FSU head coach) Bobby Bowden heading down the home stretch. If he wins another national title next year, it could be a good way to go out,” said Cowart. “At Florida, (head coach) Urban Meyer has all the tools and a great recruiting class. If he puts it together, it could become the program everyone wants to see.
“I see Jack Del Rio getting a new contract and I see the Fred Taylors and Jimmy Smiths of the world making way for the Ernest Wilfords and Greg Joneses of the world. I see the Jaguars staying in the playoffs.”
Downtown development
During the last quarter of 2005, it seemed as if a new downtown development project was announced every other week. New buildings, new owners, new developers, new condos on the Southbank and a new land deal for the Landing were just a few of the highlights. According to Jim Citrano of CB Richard Ellis, 2006 will be a test of the legitimacy of the projects.
“I think you will see many of those projects come to fruition,” said Citrano of the commercial developments. “It will still be a little slow on the other products. There’s a lot of changing of hands, but not a lot of new commercial construction. The Shipyards and the Landing will prove to be catalytic or not.”
One developer, Cameron Kuhn, CEO of Kuhn Development, certainly made his mark in 2005. Kuhn bought the SunTrust and Barnett buildings on Laura Street and the Dyal Upchurch building on Bay Street. He plans to renovate all three as well as build another office tower across from the Landing.
“He’s amazing,” said Citrano, who served on the Downtown Development Authority for several years. “He probably will buy other buildings. He has a whole plan and an aggressive approach. He’s a dynamic guy.”
Citrano said 2006 should prove to be a good year for commercial development thanks to market indicators such as the overall growth in the area, the healthy local economy and the fact that Northeast Florida seems to remain immune from the housing troubles that are beginning to plague some areas of the country. He did say downtown is ready for a new office building.
“There hasn’t been a new office building since the Barnett Building was built. Downtown is about due,” he said.