Comments on: Urban News and Linkage: The Heads in a Jar Edition

By: Joey Marchy

Joey Marchy — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:21:57 +0000

One thing that frustrates me is driving through town and seeing all the office parks. If even a quarter of those were downtown, we'd have a totally different downtown.

I'd like to see JEDC try to convince more businesses to move downtown as opposed to Southpoint, Gate Parkway, Deerwood, etc.

Thanks Adam.

By: Joey Marchy

Joey Marchy — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:21:57 +0000

By: Adam White

Adam White — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:14:57 +0000

Those are pretty pictures and I like the idea; however, I fear plans like this will fail if people don't start living downtown first. I think Jacksonville's city fathers have a 'build it and they will come' mentality. They want things to show up, fully formed from day one without having to go through the long, arduous work of laying the groundwork and planting the seeds for future success. I remember when I was in HS (in the 80s) and Riverside was pretty sketchy, to say the least. It looked nothing like it does now. And it was cheap to live there. Hell, I saw huge changes between when I moved to Riverside (1995) to when I moved away (2007). It was like a different place when I left.

Developers want young, upwardly-mobile professionals to live downtown, so they build fancy apartments that they end up having difficulty renting out. Because most young professionals don't want to live in a neighbourhood with few (if any) conveniences (grocery stores, other shopping, etc). And the crime rate (real or perceived) scares them off, too.

Downtown needs the students, artists, musicians, gay couples*, etc who are willing to live in an area with few amenities. These people are the ones who take 'bad' neighbourhoods and turn them into 'desirable' neighbourhoods. And then most of them get priced out and move on to another 'up and coming' neighbourhood. But, bad word or not, it's gentrification, and it's a process. It doesn't happen by building a lot of fancy buildings. Just ask the Riverwalk (the original one on the Southbank) and the Landing.

It has to start with people, which is what Downtown Jacksonville lacks.

*I know it's a cliche and maybe a little offensive to say that. But it's true.

By: TheUrbanCore

TheUrbanCore — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:11:42 +0000

Unabomber is a founding host.

By: clandenberger

clandenberger — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:51:02 +0000

I didn't know the Unambomber was a special guest.