JACKSONVILLE Fla. -- Mayor Alvin Brown signed his latest solution to downtown development into action Monday afternoon
With the stroke of a pen, nine unpaid volunteers became Jacksonville's newest idea to pump life into the heart of the City; the Downtown Investment Authority.
"Today we are taking another important step toward making Jacksonville the most vibrant and competitive city it can be," said Mayor Brown.
The DIA consists of downtown architects, attorneys, managers and CEOs selected by the Mayor and City Council President, Bill Bishop. Mayor Brown has charged all of them with carrying out an action plan for downtown revitalization.
So what makes this team any different than revitalization plans of the past?
"Well I think there are a lot of good things into play and I think this is going to give us an opportunity to accelerate those opportunities we have," said Mayor Brown. "I think with all of us working together we'll have some good things to announce hopefully next year at this time."
"I think we got so many bones that we have right now; we have so much resource that we got to get through," said newly appointed DIA Board Chairman, Donald Harris. "We want to bring in business, we want to make it more of a destination and not like we haven't tried but we have to be more focused."
Harris knows a thing or two about business. He's the general manager of the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk Hotel. His first mission with the board is to find the group a President and CEO.
The board will hold their first meeting Wednesday at 2 p.m.
