from staff
If you have ever been to the Landing and witnessed a man going through the crowd passing out trinkets and souvenirs, you saw the shopping center’s owner although it probably didn’t occur to you that’s who it was.
A self-confessed workaholic, don’t be surprised if you spot Toney Sleiman at the riverfront entertainment center any time the doors are open. If it’s the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Sleiman is there. If it’s the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in the courtyard or the Light Parade, Sleiman is there. If it’s Friday or Saturday night, chances are Sleiman is there.
He even bought the penthouse condominium on the west side of Berkman Plaza so he could look out his living room window and see how big the crowd is at the Landing and make sure every light is burning brightly. If it’s not, the maintenance staff gets a phone call.
Sleiman started in the family business, shopping center development and management, when he was 15 years old. Today, Sleiman Enterprises has a portfolio of more than 100 properties in North Florida, Atlanta and Tennessee.
He has been called on by more than one mayor to offer his opinions and the benefit of his lifetime of experience concerning economic development and Downtown renewal. One thing’s for sure: Toney Sleiman never hesitates to speak his mind on any subject and in front of any audience.
The Daily Record editorial staff sat down with Sleiman to discuss the present and future of business in Jacksonville and what he thinks would make the city better. He also shared some insight into what makes Toney Sleiman tick.
Every business has “indicators” that can help people in that business predict what the future holds. What are the current indications for retail property development telling you?
We have properties scattered throughout the city so if anyone is going to get a feel for the temperature it’s going to be us. It’s a lot better than it was 12 months ago. Last year, November and December were terrible. The phones weren’t ringing and we weren’t writing any leases. Now we’re doing five to seven leases a week, so it has turned.
What is still happening is a lot of people are out of work so they’re not spending money like they would if they were working. Anybody in retail right now is having a problem because people aren’t shopping.
It’s funny, when you’re happy you go out drinking and when you’re sad you go out drinking. That’s why the restaurants and bars are doing well. We’re doing a lot of restaurant leases.
With construction well under way on the new County Courthouse, it’s time to start thinking about what to do with the waterfront property where the 50-year-old courthouse and annex sit. In your opinion, what would be the highest and best use of that site?
I was on a committee for almost a year that studied that question. We need a convention center.
All the professionals that develop convention centers said one thing: you don’t build a convention center away from your largest hotel. You put a convention center right on top of that hotel. The largest hotel in Jacksonville is the Hyatt and that’s where a convention center needs to be. Having one there would work because people who go to conventions don’t want to be bused from place to place. People want to walk out of their hotel rooms and into the convention.
I also think we owe it to ourselves to have an aquarium. We’ve got to have an attraction. A large marina would be another great addition.
What do you think it would take to make that happen?
If you said we were going to build a convention center, we were going to build an aquarium in Jacksonville, we were going to build a marina, we were going to make this city No. 1, people would vote for an increase in taxes. I think it just has to be presented in the right way. If the leaders in the City and the leaders in the community would put it together, people would understand it. We did it when John Delaney was mayor with the Better Jacksonville Plan. People voted for it because it was good for the city and I believe they would do it again.
In a month, construction of the Laura Street improvement project will begin in earnest. What do you think that’s going to do for the Downtown retail environment?
It’s going to be very nice. I think it’s going to help and I really like the design.
You have to go to the nucleus, the center of Downtown, and the Landing is the center of Downtown. More people go to the Landing than any other attraction in Jacksonville. Visit Jacksonville did a survey and found that 40 percent of tourists listed it as the city’s No. 1 attraction.
Even before I bought the Landing, when I’d have people visit from out of town, I’d take them to the Landing. I never thought I’d own it but that’s where we went. Where do you go? The beach and the Landing.
How has your business model changed for The Landing?
People have about 30 minutes for lunch or an hour. Their main thing when they go to The Landing is to go somewhere, get some food and get back to work. They are not really there to go shopping, so retail doesn’t effectively work in this Downtown market. People do their shopping when they go home. The group that I’ve got has decided that we want to go more restaurant and entertainment. Now we know how to get people there on weekends, we’re doing music and entertainment and we are doing events.
The retail stores we have right now are doing good because they work. Nine West works because there are a lot of women who work Downtown that need shoes. Sportsmania targets people attending sporting events. They work.
One of the things we are working on from the retail side is getting a smaller scale Dollar Store concept.
Landing or elsewhere, are there any big plans in the works? Anything you can share?
(Regarding Landing) You know, I’ve got to get my parking situation done. I think it’s got to happen and I’m excited because I think we’re going to get it done. I’m an old bulldog and when I get ahold of something I don’t let it go ... and we’re going to get parking. I’ve had a hard time explaining it (the need for dedicated parking spaces for businesses). There’s just some people that don’t get it. If I have a Cheesecake Factory, as an example, and they say, “We want to do one of our small stores that we do in downtown markets because you have a captive audience and I want 120 parking (spaces).” You know what I tell them? “I don’t have it.” If I had that parking and I could put them in there, how great would that be?
On parking, you mentioned you were excited about “getting it done.” What makes you optimistic?
Because I’m not going to let it go.
Other than parking, do you face other challenges with running the Landing?
We’re doing good. We work 24 hours a day. My people do a great job in making it happen. Events are going great, entertainment is big and we do lots with charities. Really, the only issue we have is parking.
Say you’re given a blank check for Downtown. What are the first three things you do?
Let me tell you — and not because I own it— but the forefathers that built it, the Godbolds of the world that built the Landing ... that was a good move. You’ve got to start somewhere. The nucleus to Downtown is that the Landing has to be successful. I’d build a parking lot right there, cut through the middle of the building, fill it up and then build residential around it and buy the land from the City.
You’ve been in the business for your entire life and deal with other business owners. Given the times, what advice would you have for small business owners out there?
I think a lot of what needed to be done has been done. Business owners are cutting back expenses and working a little bit harder. I’ve seen it myself with some of our people who might have had four or five employees cut back to none and now they’re doing it all themselves. I’d say take over, take charge and put in the work because it is your money you’ve invested.
What’s your gut feeling on the economy?
I think we’re on the right track but I think we need banks to loosen up credit and loan to small businesses borrow and grow again. I don’t mean the government giving away money, but banks need to help small businesses stay in business ... it’s the backbone of our nation.
Of all the Chamber of Commerce and business trips you’ve been on in your career, is there a city or two that stand out as getting it right?
The Seattle trip, when we were there with the Chamber last year, was fun. They had just done a referendum to raise money for Pike’s Market to remodel and redo the whole thing and make it twice as good as it is. There’s your leaders right there. They just passed it, even in a down economy. I liked that and learned a lot from Seattle. Nashville, Atlanta... there’s a lot of great cities out there if you know where to go.
You’ve talked about some of the different challenges with the business. But, when your career is over and you look back, what would you say is one of your best successes?
Almost everything I do has its challenges. But as for a particular success? (pauses) I’ve done so much, I don’t think there is one.
What are you involved in that people don’t know about?
I’ve been on the board of Goodwill Industries for 32 years; I think I’m one of the longest serving members. It’s important because of the service they provide through the operation of their retail stores and job placement. They hire handicapped people that may not be hired anywhere else. Job Junction helps people fill out applications and find jobs. I love what Goodwill does and and what they stand for.
How important is the sports entertainment industry to Jacksonville?
It’s very important. The impact is hundreds of millions of dollars to the community, provides jobs and helps us to be recognized nationally. Anything that we can do to bring people to Jacksonville is important. I don’t care if it’s 100 people or 80,000 people. Anything we can do to bring people to Jacksonville is important and sports does that.
When was the last time you took a vacation and where did you go?
I love to hunt and try to go on a big trip once a year. About three weeks ago I went elk hunting in Montana.
When I landed in Boseman, everything was solid brown. There had been some cold weather, but it hadn’t snowed yet. We drove up to a cabin about 6,000 feet elevation up in the mountains and we hunt at about 12,000 feet.
I love to hunt on horseback. We’d get up at about 5 in the morning and have breakfast then saddle up the horses.
One morning we went out about 15 miles into the wilderness. At about 11 that morning after we got on top of this mountain, four feet of snow fell in four hours. We didn’t get back until about 9 that night.
We saw elk and got close enough to shoot every day, but I didn’t pull the trigger on the entire trip. I could have shot an elk every day but I don’t shoot just to shoot. I only shoot when it’s a real trophy.
I also take a lot of working vacations. I go to three merchandise shows every year. I go to one in Las Vegas where you buy Christmas decorations. The tree at the Landing was bought there. There’s also a shopping center convention in Las Vegas I go to every year. It’s three days but I stay there 10 days. I blend in work with vacations.