Redeveloping downtown is one of those ideas that has been kicked around in Jacksonville — in one form or another — for decades.
What's new this time, as Mayor Alvin Brown embarks on setting up a Downtown Investment Authority that stands separate from broader economic development concerns?
The guy at the top, Brown said.
"The leadership is different," he told the Times-Union editorial board Wednesday. "There's that commitment to do this."
His plans, which are now being considered by the City Council, are bolstered by across-the-city support for revitalizing downtown, Brown said, pointing to EverBank's plan to move 1,500 employees downtown as an example.
Other supporters, he said, include the Jacksonville Civic Council, the Chamber of Commerce and local business leaders.
Several local companies have talked about expanding into the downtown area, said Civic Council executive director Don Shea, a downtown development expert who has been working with the administration.
You need to be a member of First Coast Tea Party to add comments!
Join First Coast Tea Party