The city of Jacksonville and the Downtown Investment Authority are accepting bids for a new convention center on a preferred site of the old courthouse and courthouse annex.
The proposals are due by August 1, 2018 at 2 p.m. for the nearly 8.4-acre property. The DIA will evaluate the proposals during a 60-day process after submission process closure. Then the DIA will rank the top selections and top plan will go to the DIA and Jacksonville City Council for final approval.
“I’ve heard a lot of ideas. I haven’t really seen any of them come to fruition,“ Greg DeSanto said. He owns Olio restaurant, located right across the street from the old courthouse. “You can build all the facilities you want, but if you can’t get them full, it really doesn't serve any purpose.”
DeSanto says most of his business comes from smaller conventions in walking distance.
“Seventy-five to 80 percent of my current business is from convention traffic at the Hyatt which is right across the street.”
According to documents, obtained by First Coast News, the plan is requiring the following:
Project Area Requirements (Hotel and Public Convention Space)
Food & Beverage (including a full-service restaurant)
Recreation
Retail Function Space (e.g., wedding receptions, banquets etc.)
Full-Service Hotel (minimum - 350 rooms)
Public Exhibit Hall (minimum - 200,000 square feet)
Ballroom (minimum - 40,000 square feet)
Meeting / Breakout rooms (minimum – 45 rooms)
Transient Boat slips (optional)
Parking Garage Hotel Parking Spaces (minimum 400 spaces)
Convention Center Parking Spaces (minimum 1,300 spaces)
The projected local and out of town visitors would spend $80 million a year and $162 million in direct and indirect spending, according to this report.
DeSanto says if the convention center is built, the economic impact for Olio could be huge. But until another issue is solved, the new facilities won’t matter.
“Attractions, whether its shopping, movie theaters or bowling alleys. Anything that draws traffic to a location is what it needs," he said.
Still, DeSanto has a guess at when the center will open.
“Not in my foreseeable future.”