The Jacksonville Landing

For the past 20 years I've lived in the Jacksonville area. The jags were a young team, the city had  potential and the Landing was something new and exciting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Landing

Now, many years later the Landing is a run down section of Jacksonville right on the St. John's river and is most famous for shootings in the past coule years. 

Jacksonville's answer is to close the Landing.

I think this is like Jacksonville. I've lived here long enough, cross county lines four times a day to get to my home not even in Jacksonville but walking distance from it. The city much like their team the Jags have no vision, no dream. It is but a pit stop on people's vacations to Orlando and the great Disney mess and St. Augustine. Or maybe their going further to Miami or the Keys.

The city lacks creativity in spades. My idea is to take the natural beauty and uniqueness of one of the very few rivers that run backwards and make it something people want to see, want to visit, maybe even plan their vacation around it.

How does that happen? Cruises. Yup. Simple right. Day and dinner cruises that go up and down the St. John's. The only foreseeable problem is they would have to be eco-friendly and not disturb the environmental balance of the ecosystem but that can be done. 

If I had the millions of dollars to invest I'd do it. Not only would there be cruises but the place would have its own resteraunts ran and owned by locals. Seriously, when people go on vacay they want something unique to the area. The theme wouldn't stop there I'd also bring in locals artists and businesses to the shops. Who wants a souvenier made in China when your visiting somewhere besides China -- no one. 

To top it off I'd put in a parking garage for people visiting the shops and taking the cruises. Parking in J'ville is a nightmare so having it is a commodity and a must.

I can't be the only peron with vision, maybe just the only one who lives in the area.

http://news.wjct.org/post/2017-state-st-johns-river-report-another-mixed-review-rivers-health

I plea with the Jacksonville City Council and Duval County (one in the same) to consider doing something with this beautiful parcel of land that will bring people to the city for more than a stop at Chick-fil-a.