by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Terry Lorince noticed new faces and Ron Barton noticed how diverse the group was before him.
Both were speakers at Wednesday’s joint meeting between the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Downtown Vision Inc. and Downtown property owners with an interest in both organizations.
Barton carried most of the hour-plus meeting. While he did talk about some of the things that have plagued Downtown problems and every master plan created to address those problems, Barton’s overriding theme was one of action rather that talk.
He brought the JEDC’s 2007 Downtown Action Plan and talked about the necessity to implement the suggestions in the plan as opposed to ignoring them, then listening as Downtown merchants, property owners and residents complain.
“We don’t need a whole lot more vision,” said Barton, to an audience of around 75. “We need execution.”
Barton said the activity at the Jacksonville Port Authority will serve as a major economic stimulus catalyst for the next decade. And, while some of that growth will permeate to Downtown, the success of Downtown, says Barton, rests primarily on the JEDC and the Downtown business owners and property owners.
“It’s important for the folks in this room to be advocates of Downtown,” he said. “Downtown is the heart of the region, not just Jacksonville. Any great economic driver has a thriving downtown. Downtown needs to be vibrant and inviting.”
Barton said it’s time to concede the Downtown residential real estate market is essentially flat. Rather that focus on that, he said, it’s time to focus on the “horizontal” issues that will complement the vertical projects that have garnered headlines and radically altered the Downtown skyline.
“I think there’s a sense of frustration on the part of those who live here and work here because we have focused so much on the vertical concept,” said Barton, acknowledging that the new sports venues and private developments have changed Downtown for the better and forever. “We have spent hundreds of millions of public and private dollars on the vertical, but we have not paid attention to the horizontal.”
Barton said he has a self-imposed deadline of two years to not just address the issues but see results in such areas as streetscaping, the conversion of many one-way streets to two-way, the walkability of Downtown, safety, cleanliness and others. He also wants Downtown residents and merchants to consider the area a true neighborhood and take pride in that neighborhood concept.
If Barton is successful, there will be major changes at several Downtown landmarks and mainstays as well as major improvements to the Brooklyn and LaVilla districts. According to Barton, it’s been 30 years since Friendship Fountain was touched. He dispelled talk of tearing it out and talked about working with the Museum of Science and History (which he called a bunker) and River City Brewing Company to totally revamp that area of the Southbank.
Barton also said there are plans in the works to renovate Metropolitan Park to include relocating WJCT and possibly Kids Kampus.
“When you are at Kids Kampus you don’t even know you are on the river. The way it’s developed, it doesn’t need to be on the river,” said Barton. “We want to create a signature open space that complements Downtown. A simple plan that uses the park as a driver is more important than ever.”
Barton said the proposed County Courthouse is a project that by law must be built.
“Just build the courthouse,” said Barton, adding he’s been to way too many meetings in which the courthouse was the topic of discussion. “It’s not a discretionary item. The courthouse is not a catalyst if we just continue to debate it. We committed to a plan to move the civic functions to the urban core. This is the last piece of that plan.”
Sheriff John Rutherford said he has met numerous times with Downtown merchants in an effort to address their concerns. He said crime is a challenge not only in Downtown, but in every community in Jacksonville. He likened the Downtown residents and merchants to his Community Service Officers in that they are both badgeless eyes and ears for JSO.
“This partnership is very important,” said Rutherford, explaining how understaffed his department is. “The problem now is deployment. We have a high number of officers in the high crime areas which means a limited number Downtown, which frankly doesn’t have the violent crime.”
Rutherford warned that thanks to its state-high murder rate and record number of traffic fatalities, Jacksonville is teetering dangerously close to becoming a near-lawless town.
“If we don’t turn this thing around, we could be the next Detroit,” he said. “That’s why this partnership down here (Downtown) is so important.”