Carlucci calls for public workshop on Landing

City Council member-elect Matt Carlucci made a pitch Wednesday for the city to use a charrette-style workshop for residents to brainstorm ideas about the future use of the Jacksonville Landing, saying interest is high in what comes next and there should be upfront buy-in from the public.

Carlucci even found a new way to describe the importance of the Landing's location on the downtown riverfront.

"It's a beloved piece of property," Carlucci told the Downtown Investment Authority board at its monthly meeting. "Even if it's not a currently viable piece of property, so many people want to have a say in its future. The Landing, to so many people, is like the centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table."

Carlucci won't take office until July 1, but the future of the land occupied by the Landing is likely to be one of the biggest decisions for the next City Council.

Others have called the location on the downtown riverfront the home plate, front porch and front lawn of the city.

Mayor Lenny Curry has said there will be a "community discussion" about the site, which the city is in the process of obtaining from the Sleiman family in legal settlement over control of the riverfront land.

Curry favors demolishing the mall, which fell on hard times since its opening in 1987. He put forward a concept last year that showed the bulk of the property would be green space and two new buildings for a mix of uses would be built on the side of the property farthest from the St. Johns River.

Jacksonville Landing Investments still controls the Landing, but after the city gains possession of the site and before demolition occurs, the city will provide an opportunity for public discussion about comes next on the land, said city spokeswoman Nikki Kimbleton.

She said the city will have more information about the format of that community discussion when that time draws nearer.

Carlucci told the DIA board he plans to meet with Curry to suggest a charrette, which involves hiring a trained facilitator. Participants break into small groups and their ideas are pulled together, resulting in recommendations on a design solution. He said that would encourage community buy-in at the "front end."

"This is one of our great chances to reach for excellence at that property, whatever it might become," he said during the public comment section of the DIA board meeting.

The city used charrette workshops four years ago when Alvin Brown was mayor and he supported demolishing the Landing. Those workshops resulted in a concept for an apartment building on half of the property and park space on the other side, with the potential for a museum or hotel as a second building.

City Council member Lori Boyer, who is the council liaison to the DIA, said after the meeting that a decision on redevelopment should look at how the site fits into the rest of downtown. She said a park could serve downtown the same way Memorial Park is a popular gathering place for the Riverside neighborhood.

Boyer also said Wednesday she remains interested in becoming the next CEO of the DIA, notwithstanding an advisory opinion issued last Friday by the Florida Commission on Ethics that says council members who move over to jobs in the executive branch at Jacksonville City Hall cannot represent their agency or department in interactions with the City Council for two years.

Boyer said the restriction "would be a handicap, no question about it," but she said, "I think there are a lot of things I bring to the table."

She said when she interviewed Monday for the position, she talked about how to create a "firewall" between her and City Council if she were to become CEO. She said that could involve other staff members appearing before council members on behalf of the agency.

The next step in the board's national search for a CEO will be to release a list of finalists.