J Magazine Summer 2018

12 HOURS
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remain eight months after the storm
wreaked havoc Downtown.
Some of the floating docks, with damage
dating back to Hurricane Matthew the
year before, are still unusable.
The long-promised new basin replacing
the old courthouse parking lot is taking
forever to complete. So is the work around
the Hyatt and the repairs to the section of
Liberty Street that collapsed more than
three years ago.
Guest rooms at the Hyatt come with ear
plugs, not exactly an accessory that shouts
welcome to Jacksonville’s prime riverfront
hotel.
On a more positive note, the benches
along the Riverwalk that had once fallen
into disgraceful condition have been
refurbished and painted, and the lights that
vandals insisted on damaging have been
replaced with the more durable historic-style
lamp posts.
While the Riverwalk is used, it doesn’t
attract the number of people that it should.
Regular festivals and activities centered
on the Riverwalk, things we had in the past,
would help.
So would cabanas with food and drinks.
Perhaps the “nodes” — planned points
of attractions and identity on both the
Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks —
will be the impetus to change that.
7:30 a.m.
In June of last year, Mayor Lenny Curry
told the Times-Union editorial board that
he was going to take back the Landing,
which sits on city-owned riverfront property,
from the Sleiman family.
What should be a showpiece for Downtown
has instead become an embarrassment.
Curry said Sleiman Enterprises had
mismanaged the property, adding “we’ve
got a plan internally to put the screws and
keep pushing this.”
On this April day, as the calendar turns
close to a year since Curry made his threat,
the Landing is still a shadow of what it
should be, and the doors were locked when
I was searching for a place to eat breakfast.
8:30 a.m.
First Watch, which serves breakfast,
brunch and lunch, is a pleasant, inviting
place with friendly staff and good food.
Its doors were open.
The restaurant is part of the development
that complements the 220 Riverside
and other new apartments in Brooklyn
— an area that is fast becoming another
success story for Downtown.
It also is illustrative of the pace of Downtown
revitalization: It’s frustratingly slow.
Years ago, on one of the hottest days I’ve
experienced in Jacksonville, I joined others
under a big tent as plans to redevelop
Brooklyn were announced.
Pretty pictures. Pretty drawings. Bold
talk. None of it turned into reality.
Finally, with the birth of 220 Riverside,
success is on the horizon even though
Unity Plaza, which was touted as a great
gathering place for people, has turned out
to be a dud so far.
Other plans are in the works for Brooklyn.
Hopefully they won’t be slow coming
to fruition.
9:45 a.m.
In February 2015 when the refurbished
and redesigned Southbank Riverwalk
opened, City Councilman John Crescimbeni,
not known for effusive praise, said,
“The distinctive new look of our Southbank
Riverwalk will quickly make it an iconic
Jacksonville landmark.”
In appearance, it certainly lives up to
that assertion.
The original Southbank Riverwalk, built
three decades ago when Jake Godbold was
mayor, had been a roaring success.
But it grew old and tired and became a
detriment instead of a destination.
The $17 million spent by the city to remake
the Southbank Riverwalk produced a
remarkable rebirth.
But, as is often the case, on this April
day with bluebird skies, the Riverwalk was
basically deserted.
More activities would help, and the
promised improvements to Friendship
Fountain should be a draw.
But the same problem plagues both the
Northbank Riverwalk and the Southbank
Riverwalk: a lack of parking for the public.
On the Northbank, there are 10 spaces
under the Fuller Warren Bridge marked
for public Riverwalk parking in the lot that
becomes the Riverside Arts Market on
Saturdays.
And there are 25 spaces for the public at
Sidney Gefen park.
The public, however, isn’t likely to know
those spaces exist.
One small sign mentions the spaces
under the Fuller Warren Bridge. There’s
no signage alerting people to the spaces at
Gefen park.
Better signage heralding the existence
of the Northbank Riverwalk and where the
public can park should be a no-brainer.
But even with better notice, 35 parking
spaces for the public is not enough for
the crowds that should be coming to the
Northbank Riverwalk.
It’s even worse on the Southbank Riverwalk.
Although I keep being told there is parking
for the public, I have yet to find it.
If it’s there, signs would be helpful.
The public can park on Riverplace Boulevard
for two-hour time periods.
But getting to the Riverwalk from there
can entail a dash across a wide, busy roadway
and then a search among the buildings
to find an entrance to the Riverwalk.
Why hide your light under a bushel?
We should shout our Riverwalks from
the rooftop.
10:45 a.m.
Downtown hasn’t always been the most
pleasant place to visit.
For years, there has been debate about
adding public art to make Downtown a
more welcoming and enjoyable experience.
For the non-art crowd, this was a waste
of money. For others, it was essential for
adding life to Downtown. The latter were
right.
This is another Downtown success story
in the making.
My walk along Downtown streets on this
morning was spiced by giant murals appearing
unexpectedly on the sides of buildings
and by brightly colored sculptures.
Two of the ugliest things inflicted on
Downtown for years – large utility boxes
stuck in the middle of sidewalks and the
giant, drab pillars supporting the Skyway –
are now a riot of colors and bold designs.
The art shouts that Downtown is unique
and has soul.
The naysayers should say nay no more.
11:45 a.m.
For two years, I sat through meeting
after meeting as a special City Council
committee chaired by Denise Lee debated
on how to reclaim what was then called
Hemming Plaza from the unsavory crowd
that congregated there.
The plaza was dirty, and gambling,
drinking, drugs and public urination were
common.
It was hardly a fitting atmosphere for a
place that serves as the front door to City
Hall.
There was a name change and a new start
as the Friends of Hemming Park took over
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J MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018