Downtown Jacksonville Public Pier

[urbanlibertarian]

Divide it up, sell it piece by piece and let the new owners do whatever they want with it.

[Noone]

Today a  Ribbon cutting ceremony at Metropolitan Park Marina designating it as a Clean Marina. Starts at 9:30. Mayor Peyton, Council members Johnson and Gaffney are also expected to participate. Still have no idea what councilman Gaffney is wanting to do with the 680' Downtown Jacksonville Public Pier. I hope to ask him if he is going to take the lead and keep it separate in this citywide city council and mayoral campaign issue.   

[north miami]

Small city initiatives remove fence, throw some grass seed and connect the ten feet between the shipyards and riverwalk.  Then try to make the processes as painless as possible for some fisherman and street vendors to operate in an area totally public.  Some organic growth may spur some future grand developments.

I know, COJ suffers from the same affliction that blew up SPAR over in Springfield. They have unilaterally determined that it will either be a vacant lot or a $400million giant development, and the market be damned. Well, ok, the market won't be damned and now big shock it's still a vacant lot. It's time to wrap our heads around the fact that, as adults, we can't always have everything we want.

Let's do what we can with it...and the sooner the better.

It's Downtown Jacksonville's front porch.Southern style.

[fieldafm]

It's Downtown Jacksonville's front porch

That's a great tagline, thanks North Miami!

[Noone]

After attending numerous river related meetings. I'm of the opinion that if our local legislative representatives don't take legislative action to immediately open the Promised Downtown Public Pier for Public Access and Economic opportunity than the issue should be expanded to make it an issue not only in the local city council and mayoral campaign races but expanded to the Governors race.

[ricker]

AMEN, brother!
FREE our PIER
FREE our PIER

[Noone]

Snapped a few more pics on my bike ride this morning.  I did some very scientific measurements on the width of the pier.  I wear a size 13 shoe and I counted 44 paces in length.  So the pier is somewhere over 40' feet wide.














This is the view of the Berkman marina looking West from the pier.





Here is where the Riverwalk ends at the Berkman property line.





Here you can see the work done to the bulkhead, so you can see extending the Riverwalk wouldn't be all that difficult.





And just for referance, this is the public restroom facility I mentioned along the Northbank Riverwalk at the foot of the Acosta Bridge.

Fieldafm captures it. This spot after the city council and mayoral campaign can be a hub of vibrant active urban revitalization and a springboard for Downtown. Keep score.

[Noone]

District 4 city councilman Don Redman as a new member of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission and Downtown Vision is in a position to now offer an ordinance to keep the 680' Promised Downtown Public Pier separate from 2010-604 which what was Shipyards/Landmar.

This is a huge campaign issue.

[urbanlibertarian]

Will Councilman Redman have any opposition for re-election?

[CS Foltz]

I can't say for sure at this time but he represents part of my world, talk about gerry mandering,across the street! The rest of my world is supposed to have representation, but Dick Brown was appointed to fill Art Grahams position.............this has just shown what Mr Brown is............basically a zero!  He does not represent anyone other than himself and the rest of GOB Network!

[tufsu1]

well CS...you'll be happy to know Mr. Brown doesn't desire to run for the seat once his temporary term is up.

[CS Foltz]

Gee thanks..but I all ready know! Did you know that I volunteered to fill that position at no cost to the City? My view was that District 13 should have had representation on the Council and with Mr Meserves legal issue's and removal,my district had no representation. Charlie evidently did not feel that was prudent, whatever his reasons, so now we have one of the GOB Insiders who is not only just filling a spot on the Council, but is getting paid to do it! First thing he was involved in was a zoning change and he did not even show up cognizant of the issue so............what use is he? Still have no representation on the Council and this does not make me happy and I  still get to pay for his salary!

[Noone]

After attending numerous river related meetings. I'm of the opinion that if our local legislative representatives don't take legislative action to immediately open the Promised Downtown Public Pier for Public Access and Economic opportunity than the issue should be expanded to make it an issue not only in the local city council and mayoral campaign races but expanded to the Governors race.

At the Veterans Day parade I was fortunate to have a brief moment with Gov elect Scott and mentioned to him when you see the piers along the river imagine using one pier and small businesses operating out of containers  for the immediate creation of jobs and getting people to work. He said that the ports will be a big focus in Florida. I agree.   

At Wend. Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting I asked Don Redman and any other member of Waterways to sponsor legislation to keep the Downtown Public Pier separate from Shipyards/Landmar. This request is in the Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting minutes 3 months in a row.

The Public Trust has been destroyed in this community. If Annie Lyltle can be legally land locked don't kid yourself that the people of Jacksonville can lose this opportunity for Public Access. Even if you don't use it right away any council member can introduce legislation to have it separate. 

[CS Foltz]

Current Councilmembers are more interested incovering their respective butts than they are representing the people who voted them into office Mr Noone! With few exceptions, the Council needs to be cleaned out or we will never get moving forward..............I am looking forward to when the candidates start spouting their platforms and putting their respective agendas out before the public! March is not far out, which means that come January everyone will start making a move..........can't wait!

[Noone]

Is anyone on this forum participating in the current JCCI study? Its called Recession Recovery and Beyond.

I've participated in two.

My first was River Dance. The first meeting was a presentation by Downtown Vision and the focus of the presentation were recommendations that were made by Chan Krieger and Associates who came to our city and spent 3 days in our Downtown. The remnants of the Old Fuller Warren Bridge were highly visible and in place during this 3 day observation period. After the power point presentation with pictures and specific recommendations it was open for Q&A

My question was along the lines "At any time did Chan and Krieger after spending 3 days in our Downtown have any thoughts or suggestions on what to do with what is remaining of the OFWB?   

The response back that it was their position that it should be SAVED and USED.  WOW! So we invite these people to come and help us and by the way we'll be blowing up that critical vertical access point that would narrow the river.

Chan Krieger and associates put it in their report that basically we were making a mistake.

Now we have Savannah College of Art and Design. A refined scope of observation. By the way we'll be keeping this  Promised 680' Public Pier. If this teeny tiny bit of information was made known to the students then how would this have changed some of the designs especially as it relates to the river.

SCAD did this for FREE. Very good work. And in no way am I diminishing it.

Lets save $400,000 of taxpayer money on a study to move the fair. Reach out to another school.

So can you imagine how exciting it was to see that a team recognized that the existing pier should be SAVED and USED. And another team suggested the use of containers for economic opportunity.

Those who voted on this forum to the question are very clearly saying to our future city council and mayoral candidates that the issue of Public Access to the River is important.

On Tues. our city council will be voting on 2010-616 returning the ETHICS to our city charter. Watch for a floor amendment by Fussell who oversaw the formation of the Charter Revision Commission.

Remember 2010-675-USS Adams. A Finance amendment. This legislation did not go before the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. WHY?

The people of Jacksonville should be scared to death, petrified, What are you afraid of?

Its just dumb luck that we are even getting this back.

Who will be the the Jacksonville city council member that will introduce legislation that will keep the Promised 680' Downtown Public Pier separate from the other 44 acres that was Shipyards/Landmar?

Keep score.

If the current city council won't do it then the community needs to ask the mayoral candidates.

Keep score.