Mayor Alvin Brown’s transition staff director made it clear Wednesday that the administration will focus on Downtown.
“We’d like to establish a strong Downtown organizing agency,” said Don Shea, executive director of the Jacksonville Civic Council, to Downtown Vision Inc.’s board of directors.
“We have to focus on the core. The Laura Street trio is ground zero.”
Those were two of the comments from Shea, who was invited to update the board about Brown’s plans for Downtown revitalization and economic development.
“A lot of things are about to happen. I think we have an opportunity to buck national trends and stimulate local growth,” said Shea.
He said there are elements in place for Downtown’s resurgence but “no one is connecting the dots.”
Brown is committed to the formation of an independent authority that would be responsible for bringing more businesses, employees and residents to the urban core.
Shea said such an entity “must have the authority to act” and that historically, when it comes to attracting new business, Jacksonville has been “beaten by out-of-state cities that can move faster.”
One of the challenges faced by the new administration is how to identify funding sources to “bring more people Downtown and fill office space” while remaining true to its pledge to not raise taxes or fees.
Shea said Downtown development would expand the tax base and increase contributions to City revenues.
Following the City’s investment of $3 million for the Laura Street improvement project, Shea said the focus for future development must be on the core of Downtown.
He described the three historic buildings at Laura and Forsyth streets as “ground zero” for the future.
Shea said Brown thinks of himself as a “tourist” in that he will be in office for a finite length of time and whatever is started by his administration will be inherited by his successor.
“He wants to leave the place better than he found it,” said Shea.
He also addressed an issue that has been discussed as a possible future Downtown public entertainment destination – the open space along the St. Johns River and East Bay Street near the Maxwell House Coffee factory.
“I’m really glad the Shipyards project never happened,” Shea said. The land had been planned for residential and retail development.
There also have been suggestions that the property be used for entertainment, but Shea makes his preferences clear.
“There’s no way we’re putting up a fence and a turnstile for an amusement park,” he said. “That should be our ‘Central Park.’”
In reference to developing a new convention center Downtown, an initiative strongly supported by the Civic Council, Shea said the center is one part of three needed for success.
The other elements are a host hotel with about 1,000 rooms and “something for delegates to do” when they’re not in meetings.
The Hyatt fits the bill for lodging and the East Bay Street entertainment district is establishing itself.
But even if ground is broken tomorrow for a new exhibition hall, it would be at least four years before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Shea said.
“Convention centers don’t make money, but they create jobs and fill hotels and restaurants. They bring in outside revenue,” he said.
Pursuing a convention center or any other major Downtown capital project will require the support of the entire community and that means areawide public relations is needed to gain support.
“In any city, the biggest critics of its downtown are those who haven’t been there in 10 years,” said Shea.
He also predicted major policy shifts that will be revealed after the City budget is approved by City Council by Oct. 1.
“As soon as the budget is passed, Alvin Brown will announce a major reorganization of government. He wants to put the hammer down now to avoid a $100 million budget shortfall” in the City budget for 2012-13, said Shea.
Shea also is part of a team assigned by Brown to develop a new economic development strategy for the City.
In other business, the DVI board approved a motion to support having two Council members represent Downtown as part of the current redistricting process.
One district should represent Northbank interests, while the other should represent the Southbank, said DVI.
The current plan would place a small section of the Southbank, the area including Baptist Medical Center and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, in the proposed new Northbank district.
DVI Executive Director Terry Lorince said the organization’s next annual meeting is scheduled for Nov. 3 at a location yet to be determined.
It will be a breakfast meeting and Brown has been invited to deliver the keynote address, she said.
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