‘Get a professional recommendation:’ Jacksonville DIA deciding what’s next for empty Downtown spaces

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An outside agency could be the deciding factor in what takes shape in some empty lots in Downtown Jacksonville.

The Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) met on Thursday morning to discuss bringing in an outside broker to give recommendations on development for land, like the “Ford on Bay Street” property, where the old courthouse previously resided.

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“What we heard from board members and members of the public is disagreements of about what the best use of the property was,” DIA Executive Director Lori Boyer, said.

The board also wants to introduce an optimization study to decide not only who would pay the most money for empty lots but also what kind of development would bring in the greatest economic return.

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“The goal was to figure out not only who would pay us the most money for the land, but on a particular parcel if X were developed if a hotel were developed in that particular spot, does that really cause the whole area to blossom,” Boyer said.

This all comes as several projects, like the Laura Street Trio, have failed to come to fruition. Big companies, like Citizens Property Insurance, are also considering moving out of Downtown. Sources tell us it’s due to safety concerns.

“Eliminating vacant spaces and simply having eyes on the streets and developed property rather than vacant spaces definitely helps safety and security in downtown,” Boyer said.

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Boyer said having an outside broker could help in deciding the best options for the land and bolster their decisions when the board brings proposals to City Council and the public.

“Let’s get a professional recommendation that we can show everybody, ‘This is why we’re making this restriction [or decision],’” Boyer said.

Next week, the board will meet to vote and move forward with hiring a broker and move forward with its study. No word yet on how much all of this will cost.

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