FY 21-22 Downtown Vision Annual Report

2021-2022

DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

DOWNTOWN VISION ANNUAL REPORT

LETTER FROM DOWNTOWN VISION’S CHAIR & CEO We would like to take a moment to thank our stakeholders, property owners, Board of Directors, Mayor Lenny Curry, Jacksonville City Council, the Downtown Investment Authority, community leaders, sponsors and partners, and our hard working staff for the ongoing engagement that enables our work to create and support a vibrant Downtown Jacksonville.

Today, the number of cranes in Downtown’s skyline only begins to hint at all of the development projects in the pipeline. Residents are moving Downtown as fast as new units become available. Visitor traffic is near pre-pandemic levels and new community amenities are funded and coming soon.

As Downtown grows, we work hard to respond to the changing needs of its stakeholders. This year we brought our services to the expanded Business Improvement District (BID) boundaries—nearly triple the previous size—and now support parts of Brooklyn, LaVilla and Cathedral Hill districts.

In FY 2021-2022, we nearly doubled the number of Ambassadors working to keep Downtown clean, safe and hospitable and expanded our fleet of equipment to get around the larger BID more efficiently. We engaged in more targeted outreach to stakeholders, implemented influencer campaigns to showcase Downtown and told the story of nearly $5 billion in investment happening right now. Our events, including the second annual Jax River Jams Presented by VyStar Credit Union and the new monthly Sip & Stroll Presented by PNC, brought more than 100,000 people Downtown. And, we launched the new PlacemakingJax program to empower the community to enhance public spaces.

We invite you to learn more about our organization and our scope of work at DTJax.com or at one of our meetings or events. We hope to see you soon in Downtown Jacksonville!

Numa Saisselin, Board Chair President, Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center, Inc. Jacob A. Gordon, Esq., CEO Downtown Vision, Inc.

DOWNTO WN VISIO N AN N UAL RE PO RT | PAG E 2

DOWNTOWN ON THE MAP

NORTH CORE

CATHEDRAL HILL

LAVILLA

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

CITY CENTER

BROOKLYN

SOUTHBANK

WORKING WATERFRONT

DOWNTOWN BOUNDARY (CRA) DISTRICT BOUNDARIES BID BOUNDARY

LIVE



7,495 Residents 4,499 Multifamily Units 98 % Average Occupancy 4,731 Units Under Construction & In Review

WORK

875 SQUARE MILES The consolidated city of Jacksonville is the largest city by area in the contiguous U.S.

3.9 SQUARE MILES

Composed of eight distinct districts, Downtown sits on the St. Johns River centered in the heart of Jacksonville, Florida.

1.3 SQUARE MILES

The Business Improvement District provides valuable services to property owners, residents, employees and visitors.

54,600 Downtown Employees 2,400 Downtown Businesses 7.6 Million Square Feet of Office Inventory 31.3% of Jacksonville Office Space is in Downtown

VISIT

18 .1 Million Visitors (FY 21-22) 2,496 Hotel Rooms 663 Rooms Under Construction & In Review 18 Cultural & Entertainment Venues

INVEST

$263 Million in Projects Completed (Since 2020) $1.35 Billion in Projects Under Construction $2.69 Billion in Projects In Review $658 Million in Projects Proposed $4.96 Billion in the Project Pipeline

DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E PO R T | P A GE 3

DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE’S BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID) ABOUT DOWNTOWN VISION Founded in 2000, Downtown Vision is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Downtown Jacksonville, a not-for-profit organization funded mainly by Downtown’s property owners through a self-assessment. We’re governed by a large board of directors representing diverse Downtown stakeholders. We have a corporate structure with both a 501(c)6 nonprofit business association and a 501(c)3 charitable organization, providing our members and supporters with a wide range of support and benefits.

In 2019, Downtown Vision—led by its board of directors—began to evaluate the organization and geographic district to better support Downtown’s growth and increasing density. After months of outreach and public input, in June 2021, Jacksonville City Council approved an expansion of our Downtown District from one-half square mile to 1.3 square miles – a 160% increase in service area. In FY 21-22, we began providing services to the new areas of the BID, while ensuring existing areas received the same robust level of services previously provided.

Today, growing areas in parts of the LaVilla, Brooklyn and Cathedral Hill districts enjoy expanded Downtown Ambassador clean and safe teams, homelessness outreach, marketing and research, and public space activation.

DISTRICT SERVICES

STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT

MARKETING

RESEARCH

EVENTS

PLACEMAKING

O U R S T R AT E G I C A R E A S O F F O C U S













AMBASSADORS

OUTREACH &

CONTENT, PR

TRACKING &

HAPPENINGS

ACTIVATION &

& PUBLIC REALM

CONNECTIVITY

& PROMOTION

REPORTING DATA

& FUNDRAISING

BEAUTIFICATION

DOWNTO WN VISIO N AN N UAL RE PO RT | PAG E 4

OUR MISSION

OUR VISION

Create and support a vibrant

A dynamic, 24-hour, pedestrian-friendly Downtown

Downtown and promote Downtown

Jacksonville that serves as the premier center for

as an exciting place to live, work, visit

the arts, dining, retail, entertainment, business

and invest.

and urban living in Northeast Florida.

A P U B L I C-P R I VAT E PA R T N E R S H I P F O R D O W N T O W N Downtown Vision is tightly aligned to the vision, mission and priorities of the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA), the Community Redevelopment Agency and economic development arm of the City of Jacksonville for Downtown.

This enables private sector integration in the execution of the Business Investment and Development Plan and benefits the property owners in the BID, the businesses that operate here and their employees and customers.

 THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Appointed by the Mayor’s Office & City Council

DOWNTOWN I N V E S T M E N T AUTHORIT Y

DOWNTOWN VISION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Diverse Downtown Stakeholders

DOWNTOWN PROPERT Y OWNERS Tenants & Owners

LOCAL, REGIONAL AND N AT I O N A L A F F I L I AT I O N S

DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E PO R T | P A GE 5

KEEPING DOWNTOWN CLEAN & SAFE DISTRICT SERVICES The cornerstone of a great Downtown is a clean, safe and hospitable environment, which is why we focus on it seven days a week. We collaborate to address unsightly issues in the public realm and partner with the City, Sheriff’s Office, property owners and stakeholders to support economic growth and the live/work/visit experience.

Key in supporting our mission, Downtown Ambassadors work across five divisions to provide extra eyes and ears on the street, to clean sidewalks and mend building facades, to reach out to those in need and to activate shared spaces.

•

SAFETY & HOSPITALITY DIVISION

•

CLEAN DIVISION

•

SOCIAL SERVICES OUTREACH DIVISION

•

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE DIVISION

•

PLACE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

This year, the Downtown Ambassador Program nearly doubled in size. We now deploy 32 full-time employees in the BID and added new, valuable vehicles and equipment to our fleet to better serve stakeholders in the larger BID boundaries with well-tested urban place-management services. In FY 21-22,the program provided 40 hours per week of dedicated staffing on the Skyway monorail system and supported 89 special events attracting visitors to support Downtown’s restaurants, retailers and cultural amenities.

 D TJ A X .C O M /C L E A N A N D S A F E

DOWNTO WN VISIO N AN N UAL RE PO RT | PAG E 6

CONNECTING O N E-O N-O N E CORE AMBASSADOR SERVICES

16 ,000+

Hospitality Assists

STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT As the key support organization for Downtown’s private property owners, we stay connected to the needs of the Downtown community, represent and advocate for our stakeholders, and keep them informed on issues.

Our Quarterly Stakeholder Meetings provide a platform to inform and exchange

61

Tons of Litter Removed

ideas. Topics covered in FY 21-22 include riverfront activation, investor relations, safety initiatives, placemaking, public art initiatives and residential construction.

Monthly meetings with property managers, security personnel and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office maintain open lines of communication to address safety, security

2 ,000+

Graffiti Tags Removed

and quality-of-life issues. We also work one-on-one with our stakeholders to addresses every day issues, such as nuisance and blight reporting; and events and street closures.

We continue to hold regular clean-ups in partnership with the Downtown

4 ,000+

Nuisance Activities Addressed

SOCIAL SERVICES OUTREACH

Investment Authority, Downtown Dwellers and 904 Happy Hour to engage residents and stakeholders in different districts around Downtown. Each clean-up resulted in an average of 35 bags of trash removed. This year, we assisted with outdoor music programming to animate the new VyStar Breezeway at lunchtime.

And, we work with various organizations to theme the decorative “Lights on Laura” light-wrapped trees along Laura Street to match color schemes for holidays and commemorative dates.

627

Clients Served

498

Documentation Assists

12 3

Transportation Facilitation (Includes 89 Homeward Bounds)

Downtown Clean Up in LaVilla

DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E PO R T | P A GE 7

PROMOTING THE HEART OF OUR CITY MARKETING 9 1 2,0 0 0

DTJax.com Page Views (Up 41%)

25 ,0 0 0

InvestDTJax.com Page Views (Up 34%)

1 4 ,0 0 0

LiveDTJax.com Page Views

We market Downtown under the #DTJax brand, including @DTJax and DTJax.com, as the unique epicenter for business, history, culture, education and entertainment for our region through content creation and curation.

(Up 6%)

1 4 4 ,0 0 0

@DTJax Social Media Followers We

work

closely

with

the

Downtown

Investment

Authority

to

maintain

InvestDTJax.com. Designed to recruit investors, the site highlights available incentives

Across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

and provides a real estate map with available private and City-owned property. Together, we also recently relaunched LiveDTJax.com to recruit residents and provide a welcome guide with resources and information to help new residents settle into Downtown.

10 M I L L I O N

Cross-channel Impressions In 2022, we launched an influencer video partnership with @Cre8Jax to showcase small businesses and hidden gems, arts and entertainment amenities, and ways to get around Downtown. These videos feature diverse talent, showcase that Downtown is walkable and

1 2,0 0 0

safe and promote a healthy lifestyle.

e-Newsletter Subscribers

Additionally, our digital #DTJax e-Gift Card gift card can be redeemed at more than 30 Downtown locations,

Receive the #DTJax Weekly Newsletter, Downtown Information & Safety Network emails and more

making it easy to keep local spending local.

 D TJ A X .C O M / G I F T C A R D

$ 29 ,0 0 0

in #DTJax e-Gift Cards

Distributed Since the 2020 Launch

DOWNTO WN VISIO N AN N UAL RE PO RT | PAG E 8

COLLECTING & VISUALIZING DATA RESEARCH As the primary aggregator of information on Downtown, we analyze and benchmark trends on key indicators of Downtown’s vitality, including: development and investment, residential demand, office market and employment base, transportation expansions and tourism health. By issuing annual and customized reports, we tell the story of Downtown’s revitalization.

Using more than a dozen sources, we publish our annual State of Downtown Report, an 18-month look at the trends that showcase an unprecedented wealth of private and public development projects underway, residential growth, riverfront transformation, activation of historic properties and the creation of equitable public amenities. Our geofencing software allows us to track foot traffic, visitor patterns and trade area data, and to generate specialized reports for developers, investors and partners. Additionally, we survey Downtown residents, stakeholders and visitors on their usage and perceptions of Downtown each year.

Visits Trend Oct 1, 2021 - Sep 30, 2022

View and download at DTJax.com/Reports.

Customized visitor trends available upon request.

2021-2022 S U R V EY R ES U LT S: DOWNTOWN RESIDENT & EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS RESIDENTS

87. 4 % of Residents

LIKE/LOVE Living Downtown

What They Love 1.

Entertainment / Events

2.

Culture (Public Art / Cultural Venues)

3.

Restaurants

4.

City Living / Atmosphere / Vibe

5.

Walkability

What They Hate

© 2022 Placer Labs, Inc. |

What They Love 1.

Restaurants

2.

Entertainment / Events

3.

Culture (Public Art / Cultural Venues)

4.

Walkability

5.

Atmosphere / Vibe

More insights at placer.ai

78 .7% of Employees

LIKE/LOVE

1/1

What They Hate 1.

Loitering / Transient Population

2.

Panhandling

Feeling Unsafe

3.

Feeling Unsafe

Empty Storefronts / Not Attractive

4.

Empty Storefronts / Not Attractive

Lack Of A Walkable Grocery Store

5.

Lack of Cleanliness

1.

Panhandling

2.

Loitering / Transient Population

3.

4.

5.

EMPLOYEES

Working Downtown

DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E PO R T | P A GE 9

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER DOWNTOWN EVENTS We showcase Downtown’s diverse attractions, amenities and offerings through our events. They serve as economic drivers for businesses, create comfortable settings for people to explore Downtown and raise funds for special initiatives.

SIP & STROLL PRESENTED

BY PNC Launched in November 2021, this free, monthly event welcomed nearly 8,000 people Downtown in its first year. Event-goers enjoy

In 2022, nearly 33,000 attended to enjoy live performances by:

A P R I L 7: S P I N D O C T O R S , S I S T E R H A Z E L , DIRT Y BIRD & THE FLU

live music, food vendors, bars and relaxing picnic areas programmed

A P R I L 1 4 : B O Y Z I I M E N, T H E K AT Z

along the Southbank Riverwalk and a free Silent Disco After Party on

D O W N S TA I R Z , M R . A L P E T E

the DoubleTree Hotel pool deck.



D TJ A X .C O M / S I PA N D S T R O L L

FIRST WEDNESDAY ART WALK

A P R I L 2 1 : C A R LY P E A R C E , J O N S T I C K L E Y T R I O, D E A N W I N T E R & T H E H E AT A P R I L 2 8: M A N C H E S T E R O R C H E S T R A ,

First launched in 2003, this beloved event returned in October 2021

L U N A R VA C AT I O N & G L A Z E D

after a 18-month COVID-19 hiatus. We focused on re-engaging the



arts community, supporting local businesses, and partnering on

JAXRIVERJAMS.COM

three major art hubs: James Weldon Johnson Park, The Jessie (duPont

FUNDRAISERS & HOLIDAYS

Center) and The Breezeway at Vystar Tower. More than 65,000 people

Our 7th annual #DTJax Gala—the must-attend Downtown party of

attended Art Walk in its first year back.

the year—welcomed more than 300 guests to celebrate Downtown



and raise more than $100,000 for placemaking initiatives. The 7th

D TJ A X .C O M /A R T WA L K

Annual #DTJax Awards honored the people and projects making a

JAX RIVER JAMS PRESENTED

BY VYSTAR CREDIT UNION

difference in Downtown. (See page 15.) And, holiday promotions

Returning for a second year to Riverfront Plaza Thursdays in April,

Business Saturday and the Holiday Season; storefront decor stipends

this free, four-week, concert series is an inclusive celebration for

for businesses; and the family friendly Merry & Bright Movie Night

Northeast Florida. Jax River Jams is curated to feature multiple

Presented by Live Oak Contracting held on the riverfront.

genres and reflect the diversity of Jacksonville. By matching local



openers with national acts, Jax River Jams showcases the rich talent

D TJ A X .C O M / H A L L O W E E K | D TJ A X .C O M / H O L I D AY S

in 2021 included QR Code Scavenger Hunts for Halloween, Small

D TJ A X .C O M / G A L A | D TJ A X .C O M /AWA R D S

of Jacksonville’s music scene.

DOWNTO WN VISIO N AN N UAL RE PO RT | PAG E 10 #DTJax Gala

Silent Disco at Sip & Stroll Presented by PNC

Jax River Jams Presented by VyStar Credit Union

Alleyway Transformation

CREATING PL ACES BY AND FOR PEOPLE PLACEMAKING Public space beautification, activation and management plays a fundamental role in creating exceptional experiences. We focus on improving the public realm experience in collaboration with community partners to create reasons for people to linger, explore and return Downtown.

OUR PLACEMAKING PRINCIPLES: •

ADVOCATE FOR WALKABILITY, BIKEABILITY AND VIBRANCY

•

ACTIVATE THE STREETSCAPE WITH RESIDENT-LED PROGRAMMING

•

ENHANCE PUBLIC SPACE VIA PRINCIPLES OF TACTICAL URBANISM

•

ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE PUBLIC SPACES MORE PUBLIC

This year, we’ve expanded our placemaking pillar by holding placemaking “office hours” at local businesses to create opportunities for community partners and industry professionals to mingle. We connected with Downtown and neighboring urban core organizations interested in placemaking, offered educational presentations and workshops, and implemented demonstration projects, such as public art installations and an alleyway transformation.

This work has culminated in the launch of the PlacemakingJax, a new initiative to bring creative placemaking to Jacksonville and Downtown. PlacemakingJax will provide technical support and programming funding to engage the community, to remove barriers and to transform underused public spaces into celebrated community places. We recently held an open call for placemaking projects and have convened a task force of specialists with industry knowledge, decades of working experience and deep community connections to qualify and guide the work.

 DTJAX.COM/PL ACEMAKINGJAX DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E P O R T | P A GE 1 1

INVESTING IN DOWNTOWN 2021-2022 B UD GET Downtown Vision is funded mainly through a non-ad valorem special assessment of Downtown property owners in our Downtown district, paid via the Duval County Tax Collector, and through additional contributions from exempt property owners including the City of Jacksonville. These assessments and contributions fund a 501(c)6 organizational budget, which is approved by the Downtown Vision Board of Directors, the Downtown Investment Authority, the Mayor’s Office and adopted by Jacksonville City Council. For fiscal year 2021-2022, the approved budget was $2,514,177. Downtown Vision also utilizes a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit, Downtown Vision Alliance, for private fundraising efforts. The breakdown of our combined budget is below:

REVENUES

17%

City Of Jacksonville

41 %

BID Assessments

41 %

All Other Sources

EXPENSES

22%

Staffing

41 %

District Services

1% 4%

2% 19%

Research Events

Stakeholder Support

5%

Placemaking

Marketing

7%

Administration & Overhead

LEVERAGING RESOURCES FOR OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY Supportive of the value we provide, many exempt properties voluntarily contribute funds towards their 1.1 mils assessment, including the City of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), JEA, JAX Chamber, Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund, the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund and Vestcor. To fund new and additional events, programming and services in fiscal year 2021-2022, we secured numerous grants, sponsorships and fee-for-service contracts through targeted fundraising efforts.

$2 7 7 ,0 0 0

Raised In Grants

$ 5 70 ,0 0 0

Raised In Sponsorships

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$ 1 42,0 0 0

Raised In Fee-For-Services

MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

Lotus Commercial USA, LLC

Sip & Stroll Presented by PNC

Ameris Bank, Ash Properties, Auld & White Constructors, AVL, bestbet Jacksonville, Block By Block, Cecil W. Powell & Company, Connect Agency, Corner Lot Development, Driver McAfee Hawthorne & Diebenow, ELM - Ervin Lovett Miller, Franklin Street, Gate Petroleum, Gresham Smith, Haskell, Iconic Real Estate Investments, ICX Group, JWB Real Estate Capital, Kennetic Productions, Lee & Cates Glass, LS3P, Manifest Distilling, Memorial Hospital, Moody Williams Appraisal Group, Opus Construction, Perdue Office Interiors, PETRA, Police and Fire Pension Fund, Regency Centers, RMC Property Group, SeaCoast Bank, Sight and Sound Productions / Mugwomp, State Farm - Matt Carlucci, Steve Crosby, Sunbelt Rentals and Wingard

Photography by: Amanda Rosenblatt, Katherine Hardwick, Kram Kran Photo, Laken Chaney, Lexi Brantman, @Mkingstogram, Shane Heuer and Toni Smailagic / Cre8Jax.

DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E P O R T | P A GE 1 3

2021-2022 B OA R D & S TAF F BOARD OF DIRECTORS Numa Saisselin, Chair

Caryn Carreiro

Elias Hionides

Heritage Capital Group

Kerri Stewart, Vice Chair

Stephen Crosby

Allan Iosue

Community First Credit Union

Paul Davison, Treasurer

Katie Ensign

David Kottmeyer

The Connect Agency

Oliver Barakat, Secretary

Nathaniel P. Ford Sr.

Vince McCormack

JEA

Ryan McIntyre

JWB Real Estate

Councilmember Joyce Morgan

Downtown Resident

Assistant Chief J.L. Eason

Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow, PLLC

William (Bill) R. Prescott

Aundra Wallace

Haley Tinkle

Savanne Giroire

Laken Chaney

Claire Grunewald & Phoebe Mullis

Florida Theatre Miller Electric

BDO USA, LLP

CBRE Group, Inc.

Teresa Durand-Stuebben, Immediate Past Chair,

Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Retired – CSX / InvestJax Jessie Ball duPont Fund Jacksonville Transportation Authority

Paul Grainger

Downtown Resident

Iconic Real Estate

Zach Ashourian

Soo Gilvarry

Ash Properties

Lotus Commercial USA

Lori Boyer

Jan Hanak

Downtown Investment Authority

Regency Centers

PETRA

Haskell Danis

Perdue, Inc.

VyStar Credit Union Jacksonville City Council

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

Roger Rassman John Ream

Laura Marshall Schepis Alex Sifakis Alex Travis

Cyndy Trimmer

JAXUSA Partnership

STAFF Jacob A. Gordon, Esq. Chief Executive Officer

Cheryl Hunte

Business Administrator

Katherine Hardwick

Vice President of Marketing & Research

Eric Miller, Esq.

Vice President of District Services & General Counsel

Kady Yellow

Sr. Director of Placemaking

Eduardo Santos

Director of Stakeholder Support

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Events Director Communications Manager

Emily Gleeson

Office Administrator

Marketing & Events Assistant

Interns

DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS Jason Hatley

Operations Manager

Mike Ryan

Operations Supervisor

Lionel Roberts

Chris Ewen Dwayne Fields Myra Hedglin Brandy Hicks

Safety Team Lead

Russell Hill

Troy Harris

Potrena Jones

District Coverage

Steve Jones

Johnny Duckett

Al Knox

Clean Team Lead

David Vazquez,

LifeBuilders Team Lead

Azain Aldor

Dion Mathews Gary Mathews Davarrio Merriweather

Social Services Outreach Coordinator

Ali Nelson

Mark Jenkins

Shomari Sawyer

Social Services Outreach Coordinator

Kerry Byrd Mike Carpenter Jason Clark Winnie Croxton

Anna Rudd Evelyn Thomas David Thompson

2021 #DTJAX AWARD WINNERS DAVID VAZQUEZ Downtown Ambassador of the Year

THE VOLSTEAD Small Business of the Year

THE BREAD & BOARD Retail Project of the Year

THE BREEZEWAY AT VYSTAR TOWER Downtown Project of the Year

MARI KURAISHI, JESSIE BALL DUPONT FUND Downtowner of the Year

Duan Thompson Thomas Tuohy GiGi Wilson

MAYOR LENNY CURRY Downtown Achievement Award

Shawn Doyle

DOWN T OWN V IS ION A N N U A L R E P O R T | P A GE 1 5

DOWNTOWN VISION, 214 NORTH HOGAN STREET #120, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32202 DTJAX | DTJAX.COM