by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission approved the 2007-08 Downtown Vision Inc. budget Thursday. Now, it will be up to the mayor’s office and City Council to decided the exact value of that budget.
DVI Executive Director Terry Lorince submitted two different budgets for JEDC consideration as required by City ordinance. One is for $1.14 million and includes City funding worth $229,000. The other budget is for $912,460 and reflects the loss of City funding as part of city-wide cuts to all public service grants and 501(c)3 and similar organizations. DVI is a 501(c)6 that services the 90-block Business Improvement District that includes portions of both the Northbank and Southbank. A majority of its funding comes from an extra property tax assessment to property owners in the BID. Two years ago, that assessment was extended for another seven years, through 2012.
Lorince said fully-funding DVI is important because the organization works to improve Downtown — an area that sees 35,000 workers daily and 7 million visitors annually.
“We are like a mall manager,” said Lorince, explaining that DVI and its Downtown Ambassadors focus on cleanliness, safety and parking. “This is an exceptionally difficult time for us and for Downtown. It’s a difficult time for Downtown, DVI and the JEDC.
“This is what I call a ‘Polish promotion.’ We are going to be asked to do more with less.”
Ron Barton, the JEDC’s executive director, said he hopes Council approves the full $1.14 million budget because he believes DVI is an asset. He also realizes that a majority of DVI’s budget comes from Downtown commercial properties in the 90-block BID, all of whom approved an extra property tax assessment. Barton asked Lorince to get letters from the property owners “affirming their self-assessment and support.”
“The JEDC has no desire to defund or reduce the funding,” said Barton. “The issue is out of the hands of the JEDC. The budget process will dictate if we fully fund DVI through the City coffers or not.”
Lorince said if the lesser budget is approved the first cuts will be in the Ambassador program. The ‘07-08 budget includes funding for 10 Ambassadors plus an Ambassador manager. If the funding cuts occur, DVI will eliminate 3.5 Ambassadors and discontinue weekend and evening Ambassador service.
The JEDC also approved two projects that should serve as catalysts for the long-awaited revitalization of Brooklyn, the area of Downtown just west of Riverside Avenue.
Atlanta-based Miles Development plans to develop 12.5 acres that will include up to 800 residential units in mid-rise structures with 100,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 square feet of retail space, a 200-unit hotel and 2,700 parking spaces. Jacksonville-based Hallmark Partners plans a two-phase development called 200 Riverside Avenue. The first will consist of 148,545 square feet of office, retail and parking. The office space will house the new headquarters for the law firm of Marks Gray and Elkins Constructors. A hotel and 250 residential units are planned for Phase II. Overall, the two projects will infuse $290 million worth of private capital improvement into the Brooklyn area.
Unlike Downtown development projects of the past, the developers of the projects are not seeking millions of dollars worth of incentives.
Per the development agreement, the City will assist Miles and Hallmark with infrastructure improvements in the area, something Barton said he began working on in the late 1970s.
“The lack of infrastructure in the area has been an impediment to to development for 25 years,” said Barton. “This is meat and potatoes redevelopment. This is what we do. For the past several years, our projects have been primarily incentive based. This is not an incentive. The City is delivering an infrastructure agreement. The developer will act as the delivery agent for certain infrastructure with Public Works overseeing the work.”
Barton said the current infrastructure in Brooklyn is “antiquated” and most is 80 years old. The area is littered with vacant lots, blighted conditions, an outdated grid, no connection to the St. Johns River and an “underutilized’ McCoy’s Creek.
“A majority of the infrastructure is antiquated and inadequate to address modern development needs,” said Barton, who calls the area a “key entry point” for Downtown. “We believe this project will address much of this. This is an inner-city neighborhood that has continued to deteriorate for 25 years. Now, this is a monumental moment, one we’ve desired for many, many years.”
Jason Perry, vice president of development for Miles, said his company has been in Florida for years, but primarily in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area where Barton worked before coming to the JEDC 20 months ago.
“We are passionate about urban development,” said Perry. “We started assembling property in Brooklyn in November of 2005. The development has changed quite a bit since the original inception.”
Barton said when Perry and Miles first came to Jacksonville he said he sent them over to Brooklyn because he thought the area had potential.
“I said, go over there and look at it. I didn’t say, go over there and buy it,” said Barton.
City Council member Warren Jones represents the Brooklyn area. He said Preston Haskell, the Times-Union and Blue Cross and Blue Shield were the “pioneers” in the area 15 years ago.
“Today, you have two projects that can begin that revitalization,” said Jones, explaining that former Mayor Ed Austin’s River City Renaissance plan was supposed to help Brooklyn. “Fifteen years ago, the community supported the River City Renaissance because they wanted to get out there. I am excited about this project and it is long overdue.”