J Magazine Spring 2018
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POWER<br />
RATING DOWNTOWN<br />
By The Florida Times-Union Editorial Board<br />
Lofts and apartments popping up<br />
from LaVilla to the southbank<br />
5 5<br />
8<br />
4<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
PUBLIC SAFETY<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
HOUSING<br />
INVESTMENT<br />
Overall crime numbers are<br />
down from a year ago, but<br />
still too many auto burglaries.<br />
The “Downtown isn’t safe”<br />
perception is inaccurate,<br />
but it lingers.<br />
PREVIOUS: 5<br />
City leaders have shown a<br />
greater sense of urgency to<br />
make headway on projects<br />
like The District and get<br />
dormant properties like the<br />
courthouse/City Hall annex<br />
site on the market.<br />
PREVIOUS: 8<br />
The Lofts at LaVilla is open<br />
and others (including Houston<br />
Street Manor, Broadstone River<br />
House and Monroe Lofts) are<br />
in progress.<br />
PREVIOUS: 4<br />
More investors are showing<br />
interest in Downtown<br />
renovations and other projects.<br />
Businessman Jack Hanania, for<br />
example, has spent more than<br />
$2 million to purchase the<br />
Dyal-Upchurch building.<br />
PREVIOUS: 3<br />
3<br />
5<br />
3<br />
2<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
MIN<br />
MAX<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
EVENTS & CULTURE<br />
TRANSPORTATION<br />
CONVENTION CENTER<br />
Still too little movement<br />
on too many vacant<br />
Downtown buildings.<br />
Why isn’t there action on the<br />
vacant JEA building at<br />
233 W. Duval St.?<br />
PREVIOUS: 3<br />
Downtown is holding its own<br />
as a popular draw for concerts,<br />
musicals and other shows. In the<br />
next few months you can see<br />
everything from James Taylor at<br />
Veterans Memorial Arena to the<br />
Foo Fighters at Metropolitan Park.<br />
PREVIOUS: 5<br />
JTA has finished Phase One<br />
of its $58 million regional<br />
transportation center project<br />
— and it has a test track in<br />
place to study the feasibility<br />
of driverless vehicles in<br />
the future.<br />
PREVIOUS: 3<br />
DIA got the go-ahead to request<br />
proposals from private investors<br />
for a possible convention center<br />
on the old courthouse/City Hall<br />
Annex riverfront parcel. If there’s<br />
no workable proposal, we need<br />
to tear down these eyesores.<br />
PREVIOUS: 2<br />
OVERALL RATING<br />
Lots of work has been done,<br />
and lots more has been planned. But<br />
we need a lot more work to get<br />
across the finish line.<br />
PREVIOUS: 4<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />
JEFF DAVIS<br />
16<br />
J MAGAZINE | SPRING <strong>2018</strong>
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