Yesterday, Mayor Peyton outlined his plans for his final 18 months in office – all of which revolve around Jacksonville’s recovery from the recession. He said Jacksonville can recover more quickly than peer cities by overcoming obstacles and exploiting opportunities, better positioning Jax for growth and expansion.  We have to play our strengths to the utmost!

A few of the strengths he identified include:

Healthcare – 1 in 6 Duval County residents work in healthcare.  We are also home to the nation’s 4th largest regional medical school campus and every medical student at the University of Florida rotates through the Shands downtown campus.  In 2011, a $40 million VA clinic will be added to the Shands campus.  The mayor wants to continue to grow this sector and become a bigger leader in the industry.

Military – Jacksonville is home to the 3rd largest Navy population in the country and is excited about the anticipated arrival of a nuclear carrier in Mayport.  This will benefit shipbuilders, craftsmen and other small businesses that rely on the military.  Jacksonville is also well positioned for other things as the Navy looks to diversify its presence along the East Coast.

Jaguars – The revival of Touchdown Jacksonville is proving to be successful as ticket sales to date have outpaced those of last year.  The mayor was adamant that Jacksonville will not lose this NFL team, the jobs it provides, the attention it brings to Jacksonville and the economic impact it provides to our city.  He encourages everyone to get involved in this intiative by going to www.MyTeamTeal.com. 

He also touched on the growth of Cecil Field and JAXPORT being poised to become a leader in international trade.

His big push for the remainder of his term will be the revitalization of downtown.  His goals include:

• Creating less expensive housing to have at least 10,000 residents living downtown
• Building the number of retail/companies located in the urban core
• Working on the convention center and getting it equipped with the must-haves for additional hosting opportunities, including a flagship hotel, an entertainment district and a large exhibit space
• Improving downtown walkability along the Bay and Laura Street corridors
• Opening a daily resource center at the Sulzbacher Center to provide job training, healthcare, bathrooms and laundry facilities to the homeless to relieve the burden on Hemming Plaza

The bottom line is that Jacksonville has a strong and diversified economy and we’re going to capitalize on it.  Hang on Jacksonville, this is going to be good!