TU: Editorial- For Downtown to grow, we must embrace history without wallowing in it

Link to article: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2017-09-19/wednesday-editorial-downtown-grow-we-must-embrace-history-without

Downtown’s reputation is harmed by a general longing for the good old days when it was the center of government, entertainment and shopping.

Those days are simply not returning.

Duval County, one of the largest cities in land area in the continental United States, is a far more populated place than it was in the 1950s.

Today, Downtown remains a government center and a regional cultural and sports center. And with the Elbow, Downtown is growing as a youth entertainment magnet.

As far as shopping goes, Downtown’s future will have to focus on specialties, not matching the St. Johns Town Center as the area’s retail magnet.

Downtown retains large business centers with a growing demand for people to live near work. There are lots of housing units for wealthy and low-income residents but a shortage of market-based housing units.

Nevertheless, the rousing success of 220 Riverside showed there is a market for higher-end rental units.

As more college students come Downtown with the new housing for Florida State at Jacksonville, along with University of North Florida’s entrepreneurship center, there should be a new, lively vibe to Downtown.

The lack of Jacksonville’s history is a less appreciated impediment.

Sometimes Jacksonville takes unwarranted criticism. For instance, why is there a jail so close to the riverfront? Why is the School Board building on the riverfront?

Both were erected when the waterfront was industrial. Until the mid-1970s, Jacksonville was pouring untreated sewage in the St. Johns River. There wasn’t much demand for that waterfront space except for heavy industrial uses.

The jail was built close to the old courthouse, which made sense at the time.

The School Board building was constructed next to the JEA’s Southside Generating Station site.

Who wanted to be next to a power plant?

The transition of Jacksonville’s waterfront from industry to government to private use is entirely logical.

It goes in three stages

• It starts with industry.

• Government moves in.

• Then government turns over property to taxpaying businesses.

LEADERSHIP

One of the lessons we have learned on the editorial page staff is the incredible energy it takes to make a change when something has existed for years. The force of inertia, even when it’s unwarranted, is huge.

Even a bad precedent develops followers.

That’s why it takes great energy from a bold leader to force change. Think of Mayor Tommy Hazouri, who led the cleanup of Jacksonville’s smelly air from pulp and paper mills and led a referendum to replace tolls with a sales tax.

Hazouri lasted just one term, but in four short years he made major improvements in the quality of life by cleaning up the nasty smell in town and getting rid of frustrating tolls. Let Orlando be “Toll Town.”

Mayor Lenny Curry has the energy and vision to be such a leader. But the proof will be in the cleanup of local eyesores and erection of cranes Downtown.

NEW GENERATION

Millennials are preferring the vitality, the activity and the culture of downtowns that don’t require residents to do a lot of driving.

In fact, many young people are putting off getting driver’s licenses and adopting car-sharing practices.

These habits work best in downtown environments.

Downtowns have a bright future because they make sense for the people of our future, our young people.