(08-01-2019, 09:17 AM)TrivialPursuit Wrote:

(08-01-2019, 08:27 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: Glad this is moving along.

I'm a big proponent of revitalizing downtown.

I just hope the good people of Jacksonville will make the effort to support some of these new attractions.  We all have a tendency to stay safely in our suburban bubble too frequently in my opinion.
Outside of the football season, I'm only downtown spending money maybe 6 or 7 times a year.  We'll need lots of folks doing that and more to support a vibrant downtown.

Burn down FBC if you want that.

I remember reading an article years ago about the zoning laws here, promoted mostly by the churches, that restricts businesses from selling alcohol within 1500 feet of a church.  In that article, similar zoning restrictions in places that experienced successful downtown revitalization were only 700 feet.  If you've ever been in downtown Jacksonville, you'd know there are plenty of churches, especially First Baptist Church, which owns so much land downtown, when you consider the restrictions, stopped a lot of development downtown.

I do not drink, but I realize alcohol sales-especially in restaurants-helps to draw people.

I think an advantage to developing Lot J is it seems to be situated far enough away from churches to be able to open those establishments even with the current restrictions.

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