J Magazine Spring 2018

DECADES AGO,
BOATS AND
BOATERS FILLED
THE ST. JOHNS RIVER
IN JACKSONVILLE’S
DOWNTOWN.
NOW, EXCEPT
DURING SPECIAL
EVENTS, THEY SEEM
TO BE BECOMING A
RARE SIGHT NEAR
THE URBAN CORE.
hen taking in the
beauty of the St.
Johns River as it
W runs through the
heart of Downtown,
you will notice
something is missing
on most days.
Where are the boats and the boaters?
A number of years ago, an out-of-town
consultant with expertise on improving
downtowns met with a group of the city’s
movers and shakers, looked at the river
while dining at the University Club high
above it and asked that same question.
Sure, on the few days each year when
there are special events, such as Jaguar
games, boaters use the river as a fun and
convenient highway.
And there’s no better view of Downtown’s
spectacular skyline than there is
by approaching it from the river.
St. Augustine’s river is full of boaters.
So are the harbor in Baltimore and the
waterways in South Florida.
But that’s not the case in Jacksonville’s
Downtown.
There hasn’t always been a dearth of
boaters Downtown.
Tony Lanzetta is a boat captain who
specializes in piloting other people’s
boats and taking his clients places where
they want to go. He’s watched the St.
Johns River for 20 years.
Despite perfect weather, few boats could be found on the St. Johns River in Downtown on a recent Sunday.
In an interview, he recalled when the
Landing was still a hotspot and “boats
were rafted up there while people were
going to the restaurants.”
City Councilwoman Lori Boyer, who
has taken on the challenge of activating
the city’s waterways, also remembers
when boaters were common Downtown.
“I have photographs of there being
quite a few recreational boats on the river
Downtown 20 to 25 years ago,” she said in
an interview.
“The Landing was brand new, and
there might have been 10 restaurants in
the Landing that people wanted to go to.”
What happened?
JEFF DAVIS
58
J MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018