(03-31-2022, 08:07 PM)NewJagsCity Wrote:

(03-31-2022, 07:25 PM)NYC4jags Wrote: I'd much prefer finally making downtown what it should be with a new stadium and waterfront retail/dining/nightlife district than building a stadium in a boring, generic suburb. 

Suburban sprawl is what ruined downtown and sprawling a vital component of the city to a suburb is like giving up without a fight. 

Other cities have revitalized faded areas to their former glory with new stadiums and adjoining developments. I'd like to see Jacksonville do the same.

Other cities aren't structured like Jacksonville where the township proper is the entire county due to consolidation.  That's the reason for the suburban sprawl.

You could build it south of Butler along the Intercoastal.  Closer to the Beach and established nightlife. That could be developed from scratch and wouldn't have to end up as a 'boring, generic suburb'.  We always talk about 'blowing up the team and starting from scratch', and when they don't, people go ballistic.  Why is the stadium any different?  It's an extension of the team. Spending good money after bad. And by the way, as someone who worked downtown for 30 years, there's nothing particularly exciting about downtown.

Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, and pretty much every southern metro say hi. It’s not because of that (your stated reason), all the above cities have small city limits and populations in city proper, yet millions in their areas due to massive and ongoing suburban sprawl. Sprawl has affected a ton of cities, yet with actual funding and commitment their downtowns have been revitalized. Downtown Tampa is a great place to live and play, same with St Petersburg. And St Pete was as dead as downtown Jax for a long time as well. Tampa had issues when channelside went under. It can be done.

---