by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“Money, money, money.”
That’s what two Downtown leaders said was key to following through with all the elements of Downtown Vision Inc.’s new report, “Turning the Corner: Rethinking and Remaking Downtown.”
Ron Barton, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, and Terry Lorince, DVI executive director, both said funding was essential to putting the full findings into action.
Until funding is found, however, Downtown advocates call for focus on the issues.
DVI released the report on Tuesday. It focuses on eight principles that DVI believes should guide community efforts to revitalize downtown. DVI said the report’s purpose was “not to make detailed recommendations to reverse the decline of our Downtown.”
“Anything that helps describe some of our impediments to success and better maps our direction is a good thing,” said Barton.
Downtown Vision was founded in 2000 at the request of Downtown property owners who agreed to levy an additional property tax on themselves to pay for the organization. DVI also receives funds from the City based on the value of municipally owned Downtown real estate.
The group advocates for downtown improvements.
Lorince said the report found that economic resources have been expended over too large an area in terms of Downtown and that funding has relied too much on one source.
“We have spread ourselves too thin and most projects have been publicly funded,” said Lorince. “Downtown needs more private investment and for that to happen, property owners want to see a specific plan about what will happen over the next several years.”
The report found that over the past decade, more than $1.1 billion in development was spent throughout Downtown, but that “unfortunately, less than a third of this investment has been spent in the core.”
John Welch is a DVI board member and an author of the report. He said the study was inspired by comments last November during DVI’s board retreat. That’s when Welch and his colleagues went to work on the research.
“I’ve seen a lot of reports about Downtown,” said Welch, who added that this study shows there are improvements that are possible without significant funding.
“Getting operating funds right now is a problem, but there are steps we could take that wouldn’t cost a lot of money. Things like wayfarer signage and fixing broken lights,” he said.
“A lot of things that are happening are happening without governmental assistance,” he said, including more Downtown nightlife, the “Off the Grid” artists’ initiative Downtown and the growing popularity of First Wednesday Art Walk.
“Things like that don’t take a lot of money, and we have to help the people who have already helped themselves,” said Welch.
Barton agreed that resources have been spread out and used for large capital projects at the expense of the ground-level Downtown experience.
“We have spent money on libraries and the Sports Complex and the (new County) Courthouse. That’s great but those things don’t make a great Downtown,” he said.
Barton pointed out the challenges faced by the City to fund improvement projects, using the $3 million Laura Street improvements as an example. Work is under way to redesign the streetscape from the Landing to Hemming Plaza.
“It was talked about for 10 years and we had to cobble a budget together from unused public works funds to pay for it,” said Barton.
The DVI report follows other Downtown plans.
In 2007, the JEDC published a 19-point “action plan” that covered topics from enhancing “Clean and Safe” programs to stormwater management. Some of the items have been addressed, including improvements to Friendship Park and its fountain, which has been funded by approval of City Council.
Welch also helped write a 1992 Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce report that explored Downtown redevelopment issues. That “Downtown White Paper” became known for its statement that “plywood (is) the window treatment of choice” downtown, which Tuesday’s report stated is still true in some areas.
“Since we came out of the Downtown Action Plan, between DVI and the JEDC we have a vision and a playbook. The recurring theme is lack of funding to execute that playbook,” said Barton.
The report will be used to educate the community about the issues facing Downtown and what can be done to improve it.
“This report is just the beginning,” said Lorince. “The next step is to take Downtown’s story to the public and build a consensus. This report also formalizes our position.”
She also the study will lay the foundation for Downtown’s future in terms of support from the City’s next administration.
“We need to start the conversation with the mayoral candidates now,” said Lorince. “Mayors usually serve for eight years and we want whoever is elected to have a Downtown strategy.”
Lorince said that she and the resort’s authors are aware their work may not be warmly received in all corners, much like the 1992 white paper.
“It created quite a stir when it came out,” said Welch. “It said we had a problem, but it was solvable and we needed to face it.”
Lorince believes the 2010 edition of how to improve Downtown will likely receive a similar response. She said the report is available at www.downtownjacksonville.org.
“This report isn’t going to make everybody happy, but it’s what we believe will be needed to achieve significant improvements,” she said.
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