JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — Jacksonville Beach event producers are demanding better communication from city officials over the proposed renovation plans of Latham Plaza and Seawalk Pavilion.
The city held its first of two meetings Thursday night to discuss the future design with the public.
One of the biggest questions proposed: Will Latham Plaza be used as a more of a park space rather than an event space? The city hopes to install numerous art features, but event producers say those things could interfere with the event space, and say they don't feel they had much input in the design process.
"The event producers who are in here right now are the most important event producers in Jacksonville Beach," 904 PopUp Organizer Mark Braddock said.
The Jacksonville Beach council chambers filled with frustration Thursday night. Event organizers and city employees went back and forth about the proposed redesign plans for Latham Plaza and Seawalk Pavilion.
"This new plan we won't be able to have an event in this space. It won't hold the capacity we need it to hold it won't have the infrastructure we need," a Beach Oktoberfest organizer said.
The plans propose adding trees, water features, sculptures, artwork, more shade and seating areas to Latham Plaza. Seawalk Pavilion will become terraced, creating more seating and a better view of the surrounding area.
Niko Costas helps organize Florida Fin Fest and Super Girl Surf Pro Series events in Jacksonville Beach. He says the added elements will negatively affect the space for those events.
"They just needed to take those into considerations as trip and fall, you know, things that become hazardous to attendees, once we get into, you know, a scenario where there's a lot of people in the park," Costas said.
Deck the Chairs Founder Curtis Loftus agrees. He says events also bring in their own tents, vendors, and decorations.
"What I saw was just not enough walkspace. I'm just looking at how Deck the Chairs with potentially a couple 1000 people in that park walking in the space, how they get around, is handicap accessible," Deck the Chairs founder Curtis Loftus said.
Jacksonville Beaches Community Redevelopment Agency Staff Member Taylor Mobs says the city will work on improving its communication with the public.
"The goal here is not to eliminate any events or to target necessarily one specific thing it is to really activate the space seven days a week. Presented tonight was some data that shows the space is really only utilized 10% of the year. And we would like to see that number go up while still accommodating our major festivals, but see a space that people feel comfortable going to the other days of the week," Community Redevelopment Agency Staff Member Taylor Mobs said.
"Its your job to take what we have and grow from there not to take the only place we have to do big things and fill it up with seats and beauty that is beautiful you did a great job but that's not what we want I don't think," a Jacksonville Beach resident said.
In response to the community's feedback on the proposed plans, Mobs says staff is planning on taking the community's input back to the drawing board.
"We can work together on this let's bury the hatchet and move forward and let's figure out where we want to go," another organizer added.
The next community meeting for feedback is on June 27 at 5:30 p.m. Then, the team will review the feedback they got from the public and decide what changes can be made to the future design of Latham Plaza and SeaWalk Pavilion.