Little Rock does have a lot of good things going on for them, but they also have their issues. LR has a much larger homeless population than Jxn, and that is one of their downtown area's biggest concerns involving future growth. Also their downtown isn't different from Jackson at all; it doesn't have many restaurants and a lot of businesses that close after 5:00. The Rivermarket District is completely separate and is a great place. What the Rivermarket District is to Little Rock is what Old Capitol Green will be to Jackson.
Buh Bye Jack Town
- Thread starter thatsbaseball
- Start date
No, it's not.
Demography is destiny, and reality bites.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/0541000.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/2836000.html
Demography is destiny, and reality bites.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/05/0541000.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/2836000.html
despite the people with irrational hatred of Memphis, downtown is 200x better than it was 20 years ago.
I was referring to this statement, which has at least 3 contradictory dates attached to it.
http://www.cityofstarkvil...rg/detail.php?p=2&s=202#
But what would you expect from the city of Starkville's website.
The bottom line: If you choose to attend a college where you are forced to drive by 15 houses with cars on blocks in the front yard before you even reach campus, then you shouldn't be talking **** about other cities.
http://www.cityofstarkvil...rg/detail.php?p=2&s=202#
But what would you expect from the city of Starkville's website.
The bottom line: If you choose to attend a college where you are forced to drive by 15 houses with cars on blocks in the front yard before you even reach campus, then you shouldn't be talking **** about other cities.
An Arena of sorts would do good. But politics is the major stumbling block for Jackson. Even when something new comes to Downtown there is an internal fight on exactly which part of town it should be located in.
Atlanta is in many ways like a very large Jackson. There have been some good developments in Atlanta recently that can happen in Jackson.
Keys to fixing Jackson:
First, fix the crime. Businesses and residents don't want to invest in areas where they are concerned about their safety. Atlanta has had limited success in this effort. Lately things have been better though. Jackson at least needs to get the crime stats working in the right direction, to give the perception things are getting better.
Second, fix the schools. Well you can't really fix the schools. So you create an end run around them. Charter Schools have been great in Atlanta. We live in an in-town neighborhood that is wall to wall young families. 10 years ago there wouldn't have been a kid in sight, well at least not a diversity of races.
Third, allow for new models of development. Traditional zoning has failed Jackson, and many other cities. Mixed use, Live/Work, Overlay Districts, etc... done well can facilitate new growth. But there also has to be incentives, usually tax breaks, to attract these developments. This is where a lot of politicians are penny wise but pound foolish. Projects like the 'Two Lakes' fall in this catagory even though it's sort of an extreme. I'm not sure the Corps of Engineers will ever approve of that. Maybe after you spend a few Million on some EA's, but that's a gamble.
If Jackson could address all three of these things other businesses will begin to move in on their own. Then something like an Arena is just gravy on top.
Atlanta is in many ways like a very large Jackson. There have been some good developments in Atlanta recently that can happen in Jackson.
Keys to fixing Jackson:
First, fix the crime. Businesses and residents don't want to invest in areas where they are concerned about their safety. Atlanta has had limited success in this effort. Lately things have been better though. Jackson at least needs to get the crime stats working in the right direction, to give the perception things are getting better.
Second, fix the schools. Well you can't really fix the schools. So you create an end run around them. Charter Schools have been great in Atlanta. We live in an in-town neighborhood that is wall to wall young families. 10 years ago there wouldn't have been a kid in sight, well at least not a diversity of races.
Third, allow for new models of development. Traditional zoning has failed Jackson, and many other cities. Mixed use, Live/Work, Overlay Districts, etc... done well can facilitate new growth. But there also has to be incentives, usually tax breaks, to attract these developments. This is where a lot of politicians are penny wise but pound foolish. Projects like the 'Two Lakes' fall in this catagory even though it's sort of an extreme. I'm not sure the Corps of Engineers will ever approve of that. Maybe after you spend a few Million on some EA's, but that's a gamble.
If Jackson could address all three of these things other businesses will begin to move in on their own. Then something like an Arena is just gravy on top.
Spot on post. There is simply no comparison in actual downtowns.
I hear people from all over talk about how much they like Jackson after having visited. It's always offered up without any prodding by me. But anybody that actually should have a vested interest in it crucify the city every chance they get. Small-town ignorance and stupidity abounds in the crooked letter.
A big Jackson obstacle is that it is completely landlocked. No room for expansion/annexation. Little Rock's neighborhoods get overrun and they just bulldoze and build out west again. Austin, TX reclaimed ****** neighborhoods years ago... They are a good model for Jackson, even though Austin has infinitely more resources.
I hear people from all over talk about how much they like Jackson after having visited. It's always offered up without any prodding by me. But anybody that actually should have a vested interest in it crucify the city every chance they get. Small-town ignorance and stupidity abounds in the crooked letter.
A big Jackson obstacle is that it is completely landlocked. No room for expansion/annexation. Little Rock's neighborhoods get overrun and they just bulldoze and build out west again. Austin, TX reclaimed ****** neighborhoods years ago... They are a good model for Jackson, even though Austin has infinitely more resources.
not the same crime maybe, but just dead, nothing there after 5pm. No reason to go downtown, pretty much ever. The coliseum isn't downtown nor much else. So the city council, or some committee traveled the country to five or six other cities that revitalized downtowns. I remember they came to Memphis specifically. They did build their baseball stadium downtown, single A Grasshoppers. And the games are packed. There's dollar beer night, which per my dad is referred to as "cleavage night", and it's a popular weekend destination. They also built a green area, where they have free concerts during the summer. Now there are restaurants, dance clubs, pubs, and even a local brewpub down there. Lots of condo construction going on right now too, as it's still pretty cheap, but great for younger people. It's taken a while, but it's nothing like it was 20 years ago when I lived there. You never considered going downtown back then. Now it's where most people go.
....was that the guy presenting these arena plans was the same guy that owned that awful Diamond Katts team at Smith-Wills. He ended up 17ing the city on that. So, it stood to reason that he was not to be trusted.
Lo and behold, he somehow brought a free baseball stadium to the worst part of the entire metro area. I can't imagine that I would have believed the guy, either.
Lo and behold, he somehow brought a free baseball stadium to the worst part of the entire metro area. I can't imagine that I would have believed the guy, either.
Most of the major industries have departed the capital city for better deals in Madison Co. Look along hwy. 80, Boling St., amd State St. from Northside Dr. to County Line. Where thriving industry used to be located are now just vacant buildings and empty lots. These industries provided many jobs for blue collar folks - folks with just H.S. diplomas or GEDs -the kind of jobs that the education system in Jacksoncan support. All of these type jobs have departed Jackson and took their taxes with them. Jackson need to get business friendly on an industrial scale bring back some industrial jobs and the taxes and spin off business they bring with them. Look just up I-55 to Madison Co. This is where most of Jacksons still working blue collar residents go to work.
Not electing ******** like Chokewe Lumumba won't hurt these chances any. Getting rid of one or more of the Stokes won't hurt either.
Not electing ******** like Chokewe Lumumba won't hurt these chances any. Getting rid of one or more of the Stokes won't hurt either.
that city should be the model for redevelopment. They run TIF districts the way they should be ran, and the city does smart partnerships. They produce an extremely nice product, and the entire metro area has bought in. Downtown Gville is the place to be.
...all of the people who are leaving think that going to the suburbs will get them away from Jackson's problems.
It isn't. It is starting to spill over. First Byram/Terry. Then, North Jackson. Clinton is on its way down. Ridgeland is getting some spillover crime due to North Jackson falling. The little upper-class white flight haven of Madison will not be safe in a few decades either.
I don't know what can be done from a policy/planning standpoint, but I know that the suburbs need to stop closing their eyes and ignoring what is going on in the big city because it will be in their town eventually.
It isn't. It is starting to spill over. First Byram/Terry. Then, North Jackson. Clinton is on its way down. Ridgeland is getting some spillover crime due to North Jackson falling. The little upper-class white flight haven of Madison will not be safe in a few decades either.
I don't know what can be done from a policy/planning standpoint, but I know that the suburbs need to stop closing their eyes and ignoring what is going on in the big city because it will be in their town eventually.
Third (part B) - Use TIF districts to help fund infrastructure redevelopment projects. Greenville, SC as a model.
Fourth - Create both public sector and private sector partnerships with the Universities and Colleges in place, particularly the research institutions, and play off their strengths. This is something that Tom Murphy , the former mayor of Pittsburgh's turnaround, told me and said was necessary for heavy economic change. Leveraging UMC for businesses to locate in the Medical Corridor plays off this idea. Agglomeration of key sectors.
Fourth - Create both public sector and private sector partnerships with the Universities and Colleges in place, particularly the research institutions, and play off their strengths. This is something that Tom Murphy , the former mayor of Pittsburgh's turnaround, told me and said was necessary for heavy economic change. Leveraging UMC for businesses to locate in the Medical Corridor plays off this idea. Agglomeration of key sectors.
Their DT in the late 80's and early 90's was a ghost town. Now it is fantastic. The completely redeveloped it starting with the vision of a good leader and some cooperation. Now their DT is listed as top ten by Forbes Magazine. The foot traffic is amazing with lots of bars, restaurants, shops, parks, outdoor concerts, the Governor's school and hotels. Greenville is growing and attracting new large businesses through the quality of life and schools. TD Bank has it's American Headquarters along with Michelin and BMW.
If you have the opportunity, I highly suggest a visit.
If you have the opportunity, I highly suggest a visit.
in every important one too. Percentage of persons with bachelor's degrees or higher, median household income, poverty line, etc. Just to throw my 2 cents in (because everyone else has), I've actually met Lumumba and talked to him for several hours over dinner. I knew his reputation, and was not excited about the prospect of meeting him. To my great surprise, he is an intelligent (and even likable) man in person. He was polite to the utmost, and we got along great, even if I didn't agree with him on many aspects. That's what confuses me so much about this guy. In a one-on-one setting, he's extremely likable, and easy to carry on an intelligent conversation with. So explain why he appears to be batshit crazy.
