| Mayor Peyton to Focus on Downtown Revitalization & St. Johns River |  Last Wednesday, Mayor Peyton outlined his top priorities for the remainder of his term to leaders in the Jacksonville community. In addition to focusing on job growth, quality of life and safety, the Mayor will focus on improving river access and public spaces along the riverfront and on building a more vibrant Downtown. River Access
Mayor Peyton announced more than $23 million in improvements to public spaces in Downtown along the St. Johns River, including: - $3.1 million to repair Friendship Fountain and soften Friendship Park by adding grassy areas and landscaping;
- $8.2 million for the first phase of renovations to Metropolitan Park, including an enhanced children's play area, removal of fencing barriers and creation of a 4-acre lawn;
- $11.9 million to replace the deteriorating Southbank Riverwalk with a more permanent and durable walking path, and new railing, landscaping and lighting. Creating a Vibrant Downtown
The Mayor announced plans for the following Downtown initiatives: - creation of a task force of restoration, retro-fit experts and Downtown property owners to discuss adaptation and reuse of buildings for low-cost housing for artists, office workers and young people;
- support for developing a new convention center on the site currently occupied by the Duval County Courthouse, adjacent to the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront;
- focus on making Downtown streets more walkable, including the Laura Street streetscape improvement plan;
- focus on marketing and selling the Laura Trio and former Barnett Bank buildings to a private developer;
- creation of a Downtown daytime resource center for the homeless at The Sulzbacher Center to provide storage, laundry, rest rooms and social services to those in need while alleviating loitering in public spaces;
- plans to landbank the Shipyards and JEA parcels to focus on building development in the core of Downtown. |
| Sales Continue at The Peninsula |  Despite the economy, closings have remained steady at The Peninsula, a 234-unit luxury condominium tower on the Southbank. To date, 181 units have been sold, with only 53 remaining on the market. The project developer, American Land Ventures, has launched a new website, www.thepeninsulacondos.com, to sell unclosed inventory in the building.
Located at 1431 Riverplace Boulevard, The Peninsula is the city's tallest residential tower at 38 stories.
| | Pastor's Conference Back in Downtown! | First Baptist Church will host the 24th annual Pastors' Conference from January 29 through February 2nd. The conference brings thousands of people to Downtown Jacksonville each year. For more information on the conference, visit the Pastors' Conference website. | | Get Off the Grid! | | This month, three more galleries have opened (Nullspace Gallery, Suite 106 and The Adrian Pickett Gallery) for a total of six vacant spaces occupied as a result of the Off the Grid initiative, a partnership between Downtown Vision, Inc. and the Cultural Council, and inspired by artist Jim Draper. The Art Center Cooperative and MOCA are also part of the collaboration to attract more artists Downtown. During the January Art Walk, Mayor Peyton toured the galleries and has since discussed the positive impact of artists living and working in Downtowns. Check out these Off the Grid galleries: o Nullspace Gallery, 108 E. Adams Street, Mark Creegan and Kurt Polkey (next to Poppy Love Smoke) o Suite 106, The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Drive, Joey Thate (near Nine West) o 229 Hogan, 229 Hogan Street, Matt Abercrombie (above Hemming Plaza Jewelers) o The Next Gallery, 203 N. Laura Street, Sharla Valeski (Elks Building near La Cena) o Southlight Gallery, 100 N. Laura Street, Michael Dunlap (Jacksonville Bank building) o The Adrian Pickett Gallery, Suite 112, The Jacksonville Landing (near Nine West) Photo courtesy of Joey Thate. | | January Downtown Development Update | |  Looking for an update on Downtown development? Check out our online Downtown development update. Revised every month, this update contains the latest information on projects proposed, under construction and completed in Downtown Jacksonville.
January's development update includes information on plans recently announced by the Mayor for improvements to Friendship Fountain, the Southbank Riverwalk and Metropolitan Park. | | Vote Now for Your Movies in the Park Choices! |  JaxParks...Movies in the Park at Treaty Oak is a free, four-week-long movie series, held each spring at the historic Treaty Oak Park in Downtown's Southbank. Click here to vote for your favorites and mark your calendar for Friday nights from April 16 to May 7 to enjoy these awesome family-friendly movies under the stars. | | Downtown Retail Update | - Did you know that Downtown has a burgeoning entertainment district? There are a total of 11 bars and restaurants in a three-block radius around the Florida Theatre: Burrito Gallery, London Bridge, Poppy Love Smoke, Dos Gatos, Casa Dora, The Ivy, Northstar Sub Station, Mark's, Dive Bar, Club TSIDiscoteque and Lit, with an additional two scheduled to be open in the coming months. - Chew gets happy! Happy hour, that is. Check out one of Downtown's hottest restaurants for Thursday and Friday happy hours, featuring your favorite libations plus appetizers and cheese plates. Happy hour begins at 4:00 p.m.  - They're back! The Sinclair has reopened, and is better than ever! Featuring open stage and speakeasy nights, live comedy and theatre and an 8:00 p.m. smoke-free show, not to mention the DVI-favorite Still Life Champagne Cocktail, The Sinclair strives to be accesible and fun for patrons from all walks of life. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment