Maritime Conclusion

On the 22nd of November I and a colleague of mine gave a presentation to the Mayor of Jacksonville of a proposal for a new Maritime Museum on a plot of land named the Acosta Site. The presentation itself went well. The Mayor was receptive and attentive to all that was said, as well as the visuals provided by us.
However, it seems that the Mayor and city council have had their eyes on that particular piece of land for quite some time and have no intention of letting it go to a museum. A mixed-use development is their vision. This is, as you can imagine, not what we had hoped for, but not entirely discouraging. You see, EA is still committed to helping further the architectural attitudes of Jacksonville, to re-educating the public on good and responsible design.
So, while we won't be building the latest and greatest Museum on the water, we may be engaging in some master planning of the entire site. This would include relocating an existing museum, a restaurant and a boat slip. The master plan would incorporate Friendship fountain, a landmark on the Southbank. All is not lost, and we will push forward.
The Maritime plan is not dead either. We, EA, will continue to work with them to try and find another suitable site for new construction, and possibly to get federal and state funding so that the financial burden does not solely rest on their shoulders. This is but a small hurdle in a much longer and more complicated process.
As it stands, the City of Jacksonville seems to be in what could be called a "holding pattern". By that I mean, there are projects on the boards that will go a long way to furthering the architectural beautification of the city, but the interest is lacking. There doesn't seem to be a firm foundation of people who would be willing to give up their McMansions 30 miles (and 1 hour) away for a new condo in a gleaming high-rise on the St. Johns River. This, to me, is strange. What exactly is it that drives us into the Suburbs? Is it the quiet peacefulness of the surrounding planted forests? Is it the memory of days long passed when "the city" was a haven for "undesirables"? I think mostly the latter.
Most people of an age and financial situation in the market for new property are not going to want to live in the middle of a downtown like ours. Not to mention the fact, like a previous post, there isn't enough of an infrastructure to keep people here. All of the grocery stores, shopping districts, and activities are outside of the city core. The problem is, the city officials know this, know how to change this, but quite clearly have no intention of pushing the issue towards effective change.