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CONVENTION CENTER TASK FORCEExecutive Summary: 11-28-07

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C la nz en etta " Mlc ke e" B ro wnJ Ca C ons ulta nt-T as k F orce P lan nerEmai l : cct [email protected]

C HARGE TO THE CONVENT ION C ENTER TASK FORCEJacksonville Mayor John Peyton asked the Jacksonville & the BeachesConvention and Visitors Bureau(CVB) to install a task force encompassing a wide spectrum of interests and expertise to recommend acourse of action for Jacksonville's convention center business. The Mayor requested that task forcedeliberations be open to the public and provide ample opportunities for the community to give input.Entering into this process, it was understood that the task force could emerge with one of the followingsuggestions: build a new center, expand the current facility, or maintain the status quo.

The Convention Center Task Force began meeting in January 2007. The group met 32 times insubcommittee and general meetings and over 95 task force and community members participatedthroughout the process. This was the first open community dialogue regarding the future of conventionbusiness InJacksonville.All participants were asked to share their opinions during meetings, via email, orby way of the task force web log. A written summary of each meeting was provided to the deliberatinggroup and posted to the web for all interested parties to review. The white papers developed at theconclusion of each subcommittee's deliberations were posted on the internet as well. With fewexceptions, each of the subcommittee and general task force meetings was covered by the local mediaincluding WJCT radio (89.9 FM), the Jacksonville BusinessJournal, and the Florida limes-Union. Webelieve this open process has sparked healthy debate in the community and increased interest in thefuture of convention businessand Jacksonville'sdowntown development.Jacksonviiie is well positioned for success as a convention city. At the start of this processtherewere skepticswho questioned whether or not Jacksonvillewas appealing enough to capture the attentionof meeting plannersand convention delegates.The destination appeal study conducted by GeraldMurphyand Associates (GMA) and the destination attractiveness study completed by Trends Analysis ProjectionsLLC (TAP) indicate that Jacksonville has numerous positive attributes that visitors find appealing oncethey visit the city, including proximity to the ocean, good local transportation, art, culture, and history,shopping opportunities, local festivals, professlonal sports, and interesting architecture. Jacksonville isalso considered a clean, moderately priced, attractive city with a great outdoor environment,friendly people, good sightseeing, and quality restaurants. As a convention destination,Jacksonville falls short due to the lack of convention center space, the absence of aheadquarter hotel next to the convention center, and the lack of various activities to engageconvention delegates. Among its peer cities, metropolitan statistical area cohort, andcompetitive set, Jacksonville offers the least amount of exhibit space in its conventioncenter.Despite being a Florida destination and increasingawareness about where Jacksonville is located due tothe Super Bowl and other sorts of national exposure, convention planners are still unfamiliar with thearea. Jacksonville is not the first city that comesto mind when people think of Florida. In comparisontoother Florida cities, Jacksonville lacks top-of-mind awareness. It is nearly impossible to compete withMiamiis chic reputation or Orlando's standing as one of the best known vacation destinations in the world.Still, the many attributes that Jacksonvilledoes possessand the distinction of being a Florida destinationwith good weather, golf, and beaches indicate that the community has much to offer. DowntownJacksonville is alsodistinguished by having the st. Johns River run through its middle.From consultant analyses, to an increase in the bed-tax revenue collected from year-to-year, to thecommunltvs ability to successfully host nationally recognizedevents, it is clear that Jacksonvillehasmany

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of the components in place to successfully compete for a greater share of convention business.Convention planners have expressed the need for a headquarters hotel and amenities that support aconvention delegate's wish to vacation in a desired locale. At present Jacksonvillehas a conventioncenterwith 78,500 square feet (SF) of exhibit space and a 966 room hotel; however these two facilities aremore than 1.5 miles apart. This is not the ideal packagethat conventionplanners are seeking,During. deliberations task force ..members learned that. other second tier. cities focus their efforts on.marketing their community's strengths and developing a strong convention center/hotel/amenitypackage. Indeed, during the Tampa site visit the group was impressedwith the city's convention centerdistrict and its marketing efforts. From videos to collateral pieces, Tampa is represented as a multi-faceted city surrounded by water, plentiful recreation, great food, abundant nlqhtllfe, and a variety ofthings to do. The city is also portrayed asa growing metropolis that is ethnically diverse,Court success by l11eeting market demands. According to ConveniionlSports; and LeisureInternational (CSL)Jacksonville can gain market share by first focusing on serving the regional market'sdemand for convention space and hotel rooms. Jacksonville is a well-liked destination among regionalgroups who have held meetings here in the past and is a well-known Florida destination throughout theSoutheast. CSLconcluded that a center with 2001000 square feet of exhibit space is not necessaryforJacksonville's convention business success today. As market demand grows1 so should Jacksonville'sconvention center.A look at the Hyatt RegencyRiverfront and the PrimeOsbornConventionCenter (POCC)In comparisontoJacksonville's competitive set supports the GMAand TAP report data, which indicate that Jacksonvillehastoo little exhibit space and too few hotel rooms to compete effectively for convention business. Despitethis below-average offering of exhibit space, the pace's 78,500 square feet exhibit hall can serve theneeds of 95 percent of the regional market and 65 percent of the national market. However, the pacchas not hosted any high impact events in at least three years. And the Hyatt can not host such eventsdue to the limited amount of contiguous exhibit space. In effect, the community has two conventioncompatible buildings in two non-complementary locations,

Competitive setaverages Prime Hyatt

Contiguous exhibit 1251000 SF 7 8,5 00 S F 1 5,30 0 S FspaceBallrooms 271700 SF c . 1 0,1 00 S F 2 8,00 0 S FMeeting space 261700 SF 29,300 SF 49,300 SFHQ hotel rooms 6 00 ro om s None 9 56 ro om s# of rooms within one- 21800 room s 354 room s 966 room shalf mile ofthe CenterSource: Conven ti on , Spo rt s, a nd Le isu re I nt er n at io nal . Fea si bi li ty S tudy for an Expanded/New Conven tio n Cen te r in Ja cksonv il le

No te : T he compe titi ve se t in d ude s 17Eas t coas t d ti es.Destination successis driven by the right mix of exhibit and meeting space, a headquarters hotel, and ahospitality infrastructure that gives convention delegates the opportunity to eat, shop, and be entertainedin close proximity to the convention center complex. Many communitles have embraced this concept bydeveloping convention center districts that provide maximum convenience for these business tourists.Such downtown areas are usually equally appealing to people who live and work downtown as well asleisure travelers and suburban residents.Jacksonville suffers as a convention destination because the convention center/hotel/amenity package isout-of-step with what the market demands. Tampa's convention center, for example, is within walking

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distance of three hotels (EmbassySuites, Marriott, and the Westin) and offers easy transportation to theChannelside Entertainment complex and historic Ybor City. The Tampa convention center is also nestledin a waterfront location near high-end residential development. What is strikingly different betweenJacksonville and many other cities is the lack of commitment over the last 20 years to capture conventionbusiness via urban planning followed by investment. Market demand and urban planning practices bothsuggest a set of conditions for maximum convention businesssuccess,which Jacksonville hasignored.It is important to note that while convention centers can helpto "jump start" an urban area by attractinginvestment and removing blight, these facilities are not always profit centers. To gain market share theconvention center enterprise must offer a quality product, the market for the product should be clear, themeans for informing the market about the product should be specific, and a method to keepthe markethappy must be employed consistently. To that end, Jacksonvllle'sconvention center enterprise must beprepared to antldpate market needs and be prepared to meet those needs via service and investment.In short, if we build it they will not come - unlessJacksonvilleaggressivelymarkets and promotes itselfas an appealing destination that offers a competitive convention package. Simply building a largerconvention center will not entice meeting planners into considering Jacksonville for more conventionbusiness. Even if Jacksonville builds a 500,000 square foot convention center with a 200,000 square footexhibit hall, the effort to serve the market would fall flat. Accordingto GMA, no more than 13 percent ofdelegations (900 members or less) would hold more meetings in Jacksonville if a larger, state-of-the-artconvention center were built; indicating that additional space alone will not make Jacksonvillea moreviable site. Successfulconvention cities have made the necessaryinvestments in infrastructure to supportconvention business and in their marketing efforts to ensure their location is well positioned within itscompetitive set of cities. The combination of meeting/exhibit space, lodging, amenities, and marketingJacksonville's unique identity are all necessaryto compete for a larger share of convention business.Likewise, according to CSLthe average number of attendees at a high-impact convention in a 200,000square foot exhibit hall is 3,500 people (2,750 in a 80,000-100,000 square foot exhibit hail),. If all ofthese delegates land in Jacksonville, the downtown neighborhood could' not accommodate theirhospitality needs:Where will they sleep?Where will they eat?Wherewill they be entertained? Right nowJacksonville does not have the hotel rooms, restaurants, or amenities to support such a crowd over 3-4days. Simply accommodating the 60 percent of delegates who will require overnight lodging suggeststhat Jacksonville needsat least 1,650 rooms within a one-half mile radius of the convention center.OVerthe long term a large scale convention center (500,000 square feet w i 200,000 square foot exhibithall) may be necessary to meet market demand for convention business in Jacksonville. As'illustratedabove, a large scale center would have to be accompanied by businesses that support tourism andconvention business.Without significant community investment supported by a track record that includesan increase In the number of conventions and an obvious improvement in downtown's character plus itspublic and hospitality infrastructure, the larger vision will not be realized.Face financial reality by maximizing the available funds. Jacksonville's success as a conventiondestination depends on three components; the size and flexibility of the c o n ve n ti on fa c ili ty (new orexpanded), a n a dja ce nt h ea dq ua rte rs h ote l, and a m e n itie s in c lo se p ro xim i ty to th e c o nv en tio n c en te r. Asevidenced by the POCC1 convention centers do not succeed as stand-alone entities. The Site SelectionSubcommittee considered eight potentlal sites in light of these components, in addition to significantdiscussion about the costs of construction, land, site preparation, and parking for a 500,000 square footconvention center in downtown Jacksonville. When the FinanceSubcommittee began deliberating later inthe process, no location had been selected, limiting the group's ability to determine how to pay for aparticular structure in a specific location. Therefore, the Finance Subcommittee agreed to change thediscussion paradigm by focusing on what the community could afford in the quest to improve localconvention businessprospects.

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The task force learned that the City of Jacksonvilledoes not have the ad valorem tax revenue necessaryto pay for or subsidize the component piecesneeded for convention businesssuccess.This is due in partto State of Florida mandated property tax cuts that left the City of Jacksonvillewith a $65 million budgetdeficit in 2007. It is also true that the City does not have a "trust fund" for downtown development orconvention center projects. At present there is only one source of funds dedicated to conventionbusiness; two of the six percent in taxes collected for tourist development (bed-tax). In 2009, the debton the pacc will be satisfied and the bed taxes collected for convention business will be available forother uses. In 2006,$15.6 mimonin bed-taxes were collected ($5.2 million for the convention centerdebt). In 2012 the CVBprojects that the total bed-tax collected will be $22 million without a new orimproved convention center. If that $5.2 million were leveraged in a bond issue today, it would yieldapproximately $50-$70 million dollars. The future of convention business in Jacksonville rests onprotecting the two penniesallocated for convention businessuses.It is possible that property tax revenueswill decrease even further in z o o a , making it highly unlikely thatthe City of Jacksonvi!!ewill be able to finance a convention center in the near term with any funds otherthan bed-tax revenues. Under such conditions the community must focus on a convention businesssolution that is both affordable and offers a certain financial return on investment. The Ideaof a salestaxincrease to fund the convention center was floated by the group, but in tight financial times, whencitizens are concerned about losing city services, it is a poor idea to request an increase in local taxes topurchase a convention center.Jacksonvi!!e has two short term options that can position this community to compete for conventionbusinesswith respect for budgetary restraints in a difficult financial climate. Jacksonvillecan re-enter andprofit from convention businesstoday by starting small and growing progressively larger as dictated bythe market. With a possible$50 to $70 million to spend, the task force and independent consultant CSLIdentified expanding and renovating the pacc or building a Hyatt-anchored convention center as the twobest options. Due to funding constraints, the 500,000 square foot center with an estimated cost of $200-$300 million, is not a viable option in the near term even though the larger center offers the potential forgreater economic return.

Expand and Renovate POCC Hyatt-anchored convention centerRenovate and upgrade the entire fa c ility . C onstruc t a 120 /000 s qu are fe et c on ve ntio n c en te ra djo in in g the Hya tt w ith a n 80100 0 s qu are fo ot e xh ib itha ll on the pa rk in g lo t sou th o f the cou rtho use .E xpa nd the e xhib it ha ll to a t lea st 100,000 squ are R ep air a nd /o r re pla ce p 11 in gs un de rn ea th th e p ark in gfee t. s tru c tu re to enab le the cons tru c tron o f a tw o-s to ryst ructure.Su bs id ize or ince nt a hea dqu arte rs ho te l w ith a t le as t R ep la ce the 500 pa rk in g spa ce s los t to the cou rthou sea 30,000 square foo t ba llroom due to constru c tron .E nc ou ra ge the d ev elo pm en t o f a m en itie s s urro un din gthe P OC C u sin g In ce ntiv es a nd /o r s ub sid ie s.

According to CSL, the pacc and Hyatt options produce approximately the same financial return oninvestment. Should the City of Jacksonville choose to invest in the infrastructure necessaryto supportconvention business basedon market demands, the community will reap the benefits of Increasedtaxrevenue, new jobs, growth in businessesthat support convention business, and more direct and indirectspending within new and existing businesses.This task force has based its conclusions on the possibility that all construction costs, subsldies,incentives, and site remediation would come from leveraging bed-tax revenue. Conslderlnq the

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Investment needed to make either site a viable short term solution, this task force believes that public-private partnerships and direct financial incentives such as tax breaks and sales tax refunds should befully utilized to support the development of the areas surrounding the POCCand/or the Hyatt accordingto the City's PublicInvestment Policy(PIP).Consider and address the long term affects of short term solutions. The task force reachedconsensusto forgo the large scalevision for now in favor of starting small because it is more pragmaticto begin with a smaller vision with the promise of and preparation for a larger vision. Expanding thepacc and building an adjacent headquarters hotel would achieve the packagethat 90 percent of meetingplanners require. Having these two pieces in place could spur private development of the amenitiesneeded to support convention business. This task fcirce also recommended that some of the bed-taxdollars be used to incent private development as well. An advantage of the POCClocation is the growthof hotels and amenities toward the downtown core, which can create a more cohesivetotal downtown,over time.BuildIng a convention center next to the Hyatt will also provide that package sought after by conventionplanners - a hotel and convention center in close proximity, The Hyatt has the advantage of being twoblocks from the Jacksonville Landing entertainment complex and a water taxi ride away from therestaurants and hotels on the Southbank. The Hyatt's location on the st. Johns River also providesvisitors with a sense-of-place that few other locations can provide, The most obvious benefit of the Hyattlocation is lts 966 hotel rooms and the alignment of economicdevelopment interests culminating with theplanned development of BayStreet as downtown Jacksonville'sprimary entertainment district.Both of these options (POCCand the Hyatt) provide the community with an opportunity to expand formaximum market penetration over the next 10 to 20 years,The large scale and more expensive vision forthe convention center is therefore possibleat either the pace or Hyatt locations.The reality is that unplanned and unanticipated growth may occur at either the w e s t end of downtown orwithin the downtown core over the next 5, 10, or 20 years. It is also impossible to predict what otherdowntown locations will attract localsand tourists, What we know today isthat Jacksonvillecan capitalizeon market demand to attract convention business and at the same time use tourism as a means ofrevitalizing and reconnecting downtown for locals.The significance of this discussion is tied to Jacksonville's ability to capitalize on and grow a "cleanindustry" (i.e. convention business) that brings people into the community to spend money and increasestax revenues. The antiCipated results in investing in convention businessare the creation of jobs anddevelopment of new businessesthat will contribute Similarlyto the local economy.The decision to build a new convention center at the Hyatt or renovate and expand the POCCmust bedone with consideration for IncreasingJacksonville'sconvention market share and the plan to revitalize allof downtown, not just one micro-community; i.e., LaVilla or E-Town. As convention business grows, sodoes tourism and visitor interest in exploring the entirety of downtown - not just the few blocks aroundthe Hyatt or the POCC.In the process of reawakening downtown for tourism, attention must be paid todowntown as a neighborhood where people of all socioeconomiclevels work, live, play, and visit.

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The POCC and Hya tt lo ca tio ns b o th have pos itive and nega tive a ttr ib u te s .P rim e O sb orn C on ve ntio n C en te r H ya tt R iv erfro nt C o nv en tio n C e nte r

Pos i t ives Mod e st e x p an s io n w ill m e e t th e s p ac e An 8 0,0 00 s qu a re f o o t e x hib it h a ll w lll m e e td em ands fo r m ore than 95% o f reg iona Ijs ta te the space dem ands fo r up to 95% o fm a rke t and 80% o f na tfona l reg iona l/s ta te m a rke t and 65% o f n a tio na lconvent lon/ t radeshow m arke t. conven tJon jtra deshowm a rke t. M o st i f n ot a ll o f th e c os ts c an b e a bs orb ed b y L e v e ra g e st he H ya tt 's e x is tin g mee t in g a n dle ve rag ing bed -ta x re venues . e xh ib it sp ace and o pe ra tio na l capab ilitie s . Ex c e lle n t p o te n tia l f or e x p a ns io n t o a n d L ik e t h e POCC , his Is a p u b lic ly o w n ed s ite .b e y o n d 500, 00 0 t ot al s q u ar e f ee t. Th is r iv e rf ro n t lo c a tio n is u n iq u e a n d W i th in D eve lo pe rin te re st in the a re a ha s In cre ase d w alk in g d is tan ce to re sta ura nts a nd re ta il.recent ly A c o nv e ntio n c e nte r n e ar th e H y att w o u ld L o ca ls c an e x pe c t a n In c re a se In d ow nto w n ta ke a dv an ta ge o f a n a re a t ha t a lre ad y h asam en itie s , n ew hosp ita lity jo bs a t va rio us com plem en ta ry a men itie s In p la ce .le v els , a n d a n o p po rtu n ity to d e ve lo p a Wi th in t he f ir st y e a r a ft er e x p a ns io n t heb lig hte d a re a th a t Is a n e n tra n ce to d ow nto w n . cen t e r I s p r o je c t ed to h os t 3 h ig h im p a ct T h e IT A Is in v es tin g $ 17 0 m illio n in a tr an s it e v en ts , w h i ch w o u ld b rin g 8 ,2 50 p e op le in too rie n ted deve lopm en t, no rth o f the POC C. the com mun ity and ove r $ 17 m illio n In d ire c t W ith in th e firs t y e ar a fte r e x pa n sio n t he c e nte r spend ing .Is p ro je cte d to h os t 3 h ig h im p ac t e v en ts ,w h ic h w o u ld b rin g 8 ,2 50 p e op le In to th ec ommu nity a n d o v er $ 17 m i llio n in d ir ec tspend ing .

Nega t i ves T he a re a h as n ot re ce iv ed m u ch p ub lic o r T h e c o sts t o re p air th e p ilin g s u n de r th ep riv a te in v es tm e n t in th e p a st 2 0 y e ar s. c o ur th o us e p a rk in g lo t to s u pp o rt a c e nte r T he su rround ing a rea can b e d esc rib ed a s a n a re unknow n and cou ld b e s ign ifican t.I ndus t ri a l o f f ic e pa r k . Ope ra tio n e x p e ns e swou ld b e n e e d e d t o The com mun ity cou ld lo se nea rly ha lf o f Its m anage the new conven tio n c en te r and thec o ns um e r s how s d u e to a n In c re a se in to ta l st i l l -open P rim e O s bo rn C iv ic C en te r.conven ti o n bus i ness . No ne t in c re a s e i n c o n ti gu o u s e x h lb it h a ll The Im pac t o f a J TA m u lti-m oda l c om p le x space .Imme d ia te ly a d ja c en t to th e POCCh a s n o t Ex p a n sio n c a pa c it y b e y o n d 500, 00 0 SF Isbeen fu lly a ssessed . no t like ly .

T he C e nte r m a y n ot s pu r d ev elo pm e n t o fn ew h ote ls o r th e re ve nu e th at c om e s w i thn ew ho te ls .

THE CONVENTION CENTER TASK FORCE REACHED CONSENSUS ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

Jacksonv ille shou ld ac tive ly engage in conven tio n b us iness and recom m ends tha t the City o fJacksonv ille shou ld ac t a cco rd ing ly . A fte r n ine m on ths o f d e lib e ra tio n s the ta sk fo rce ag reed tha tJack sonv ille shou ld in ves t in the in fra s tru c tu re necessa ry to secu re a g rea te r p o rtio n o f the conven tio nm arke t. T o do th is requ ires a la rge r cen te r and /o r a b e tte r package to sa tis fy m arke t d em ands . Hav ing ala rge r ce nte r w ill a llo w Ja ckso nv ille to co mp ete fo r la rg er co nve ntio ns an d e xe cu te m ultip le e ve nts w ith inits e xh ib it ha ll. The dec is ion to choose the P rim e Osbo rn renova tio n and expans ion op tion o r the Hya tt-a ncho re d ce nte r o ptio n, a pp ro pria te ly re sts w ith the C ity o f Ja ckso nv ille 's e le cte d o ffic ia ls . T he d ec is io nfo r one or the o the r shou ld b e g rounded on w ha t m akes the bes t e conom ic sense fo r the C ity , b ased onpub lic -p r iva te pa rtne rsh ip oppo rtun itie s , fo llow ed b y the op tio n tha t o ffe rs the m os t com m un Ity im pac t.C hoos ing the sho rt- te rm so lu tio n to "ge t in the g a m e " does no t p roh ib it e xpand ing to a la rge r s ca le6


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facility with up to 200,000 square feet of exhibit space over the next 10 years. In fact, further expansionis encouraged to meet the needs of the market.Jacksonville must take action now to enter the convention business; maintaining the statusquo is not an option. To that end the task force suggests three options, with two near-termopportunities that will lead to a stronger position in the convention center market. Options 1 and 2.assume a Phase I approach, followed bya PhaselIapproachthat embraces a largescale conventioncenter with 500,000 total square feet and up to 200,000 square feet of exhibit space should Jacksonville'smarket share of convention business increase. Option 1: Develop a Hyatt-anchored convention center capitalizing on conventionindustry strengths.

Build a 120,000 square foot convention center with up to 80,000 square feet ofexhibit hall spacein what is now thecourthouse parking lot. As market demand and funding sources increase, thiscenter can be expanded on the land currently occupied by the courthouse and the city hall annexas those structures are vacated and demolished.

Option 2: Renovate and expand the Prime Osborn Convention Center utilizing currentfacilities.Phase I: Redevelop the existing convention center facility modernizing the entire building andexpanding the exhibit hall up to 100,000 square feet. The overall success of this option is whollydependent on establishing complementary hospitality infrastructure around the POCe. Thislocation also offers the opportunity for expansion as market demand increases.

Option 3: Build a large scale convention center in a location still to be determined.This large scale center, as described above, can be built at either the Hyatt or POCClocations asweJJas other downtown locations as discussed by the Site Selection Subcommittee. With presentlimited funding, the City of Jacksonville will need to place bed-tax funds in a trust after 2009 orincrease/taxes fees to accommodate the cost of such a facility.

For Jacksonville to succeed as a convention destination requires, the City of Jacksonville must make a .commitment to strategically apply its resources to downtown development, promoting Jacksonville, andmaintaining the bed-tax revenues already allocated for the convention center as follows.

Aggressively encourage and pursue downtown development projects that make theentire core city a uniquely Jacksonville neighborhood that is active, connected, clean, livable,inclusive, interesting, and safe. To that end, the downtown will evolve into an area of interest forlocals, leisure travelers, and convention delegates.

Fund marketing efforts that tout Jacksonville's strengths as a destination for visitors. Theinvestment in the physical spaces needed to compete for convention business will not succeedwithout an investment in marketing. Based on the survey data from Trends Analysis Projections(TAP) and Gerald Murphy and Associates (GMA), Jacksonvrtle has an abundance of positiveattributes that must be communicated to meeting planners and convention delegates. Ultimatelysuccess will depend upon marketing the cornrnunltv's best attributes and a strong conventionpackage that must include sufficient exhibit space, a headquarters hotel, and amenitiessurrounding a convention facility.

Protect the two-pennies of bed tax dedicated to convention center business anddevelopment. At present, Jacksonville has one source of funds dedicated to convention business.When those funds satisfy the last debt payment on the poce in 2.009-2010, these funds must notbe used for any other tourist development purposes. Success as a convention destinationdepends on investing those newly freed funds to either build a new facility or renovate andexpand the existing center.

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This listincludes anyone who signed the roster as a participant and is so noted in themeeting summaries. .CCTF STEERINGCOMMITTEEM.G. Orender, CCTF ChairCharles Appleby, Site Selection Subcommittee ChairRon Barton, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Ex-OfficioKelly Madden, BusinessDemand Subcommittee ChairDon McClure, Facility Operations Subcommittee ChairJohn Reyes,Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Visit Jacksonville), Ex-OfficioRon Townsend, Community ROJSubcommittee ChairPhilTufano, Market Support and lnfrastrudure Subcommittee ChairMark Wood, Finance Subcommittee ChairCONVENT ION CENTERTASK FORCEM.G. Orender (CCTFChair)Tony AllegrettiCharles ApplebyRon BartonDanny BerenbergThomas BonnerBrad BraddockRobert ChampionChristin ComstockJack DiamondJuan DiazPam Edwards-RoineRandy EvansBruce FergusonRandy GoodwinJohn HaleyDonald HarrisBob Johnson

COMMUNITY PARTIC IPANTSChristian BakerThomas BakerDamon BellSue BennettMelody BishopLarry BrakePaul BuffJustin ClarkPaul CrawfordJanice DaileyPamela ElmsZoe Faircloth

KishKanjiMillie KanyarTerry LorinceBruce MacKenzieKelly MaddenJerry MallotPaul MasonAlbert MarchantGreg MatovinaDon McClureMike MillerMickey MillerMedardo MonzonMichael MunzJim OvertonTony OrsiniTed PappasDennis Pate

R.L.GundyAmy HarrellAnnette HastingsAngela JohnsonChris JonesCarlton JonesDan KingAngela KurczewskiKatie KuryckiLaura laneBob libbyEric Lindstrom

David PottsFred PozinJim PritchardJohn ReyesA.D. RobertsIsaiah RumlinMadeline Scales-TaylorToney SieimanMichael stewartScott StuckeyRon TownsendArnold TrittPhilTufanoAnne UrbanTriVuMark WoodRobert White

Joan Mobleylawrence MuhammadPeter O'BrienWendy PriesandDavid ReeseBernard SantiagoKathleen SingletonDianne SmithBillSulzbacherClement TerradeDeborah ThompsonAnthony Williams


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Julia GastGary GotlingCarrie McLarenBard McLeod Tony Wynn

MEDIA PARTIC IPANTSKaren Brune Mathis (Florida Times-Union]UzFalsigJFlorida TImes-Union]Scott Kim {WJCT- 89.9]Alison Trinidad (Florida Times-Union)Rachel Witkowski (Jacksonville BusinessJournal)STAFFClanzenetta IIMickee" Brown, Jacksonville Community Council. Inc., ConsultantSkip Cramer, Jacksonville Community Council, lnc., Executive Director & FacilitatorJohn Reyes, Convention and Visitors Bureau, PresidentLyndsay Rossman, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Director of CorporateCommunicationsShirley Smith, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vice President of SalesNicole Trueblood. Convention and VisitorsBureau, Partner Development/EventsCoordinatorLarry Walter, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vice President of MarketingBen Warner. Jacksonville Community Council, lnc., Deputy Director & Facilitator


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CCIi t i ze n s b u ild in g .a b e t te r c o m m u m tyPRESIDENTH e l en D . Ja c ks onPRESIDENT-ELECTA . Q u in to n W h it e J r.SECRETARY/TREASURERRo na l d A . Au t re yVICE PRESIOEf lTSChrlstfne C. ArabEdward F . R . H e a r l eP a t r t c l a HoganC a rl a Ma r l ie rB r y a n t R o ll in sJCCI FORWARD LIAISONAl li so n K o rm anB OIIRD M E M B ER SDav Id D . B a lzD an a F e rr e ll B l rc h ne ldM i c h a e l T_B o y la nSleven A . CohenM i c h a e l C o nn o l lyAdrienne L C on ra dSa ll y H . Do u gl a ssA l la n T . G e i g e rJ o hn H l ra b ay a sh lC ar o l J . H l ad k lB r e n d a P ri e st l y J a c k s o nWi l l i am C. Mason IIIR ud o lp h W . M cK i ss ic k J r .M i ch ae l M u n zM a rsh aG . O li ve rJud i th C. RodriguezP a tr i ci a G i l lum S am sM a r y E ll e n Sm it hD or c as T an n erMar th a Vald esPe ll ! n oT ho m as M . V an B e rk elRichard N. Web e rJ am e s A. Wil l i amsEXECUTIVE D IT 'I EC TORCharles R . " Sk ip C ram e rPAST PRESIDENTSJ . J . Dan i e lJ ac k H . C ha m be rsY an k D . C ab le J r .R ob e rt D .D a v isG e o rg e W . C or ri c kH ow a r d R . Greens teInJ ac qu el yn D . B a le sD av id M . H i ck sJ am e s c . Rln amanK e nn et h W . 8 1e rm a nnJ . Sh ep ar d B r ya n J r .J u ll el le W o o d ru ff M a s onl u c y D . H a dlC ha r le s P . H a y e s J r .S te v e P a jc l cTracey I.A r pe n J r.G u y M a rv in IIILu th e r Q u a r le s IIIW.O. B i r ch f ie l dM i ch ae l j . KernWi l l iam E .S ch e uA fe sa A d am sW i l l iam D . B r i nl o nSherrv Bu rn sSu e K . ButtsE dg a r M a t hi s S r.D av id M . F o st erJ oh n R . C o bbG e ra ld W . W e e do nM a r y E ll en Sm it hA l la n T . G e i g e r

December 13, 2007The Honorable John PeytonMayor of Jacksonville117 West Duval Street, Suite 400Jacksonville, FL 32202

Dear Mayor Peyton:Last fall you requested that I preside over a task force to study and recommend acourse of action for Jacksonville's convention business. The task force was to includea wide spectrum of interests and expertise, conduct its business with full public access,and include opportunities for community input throughout the deliberative process. Iam pleased to report that the Convention Center Task Force has successfullycompleted this charter and presents the attached report for appropriate action by theCity of Jacksonville. Copies of this report will be provided to the President of the CityCouncil and to Visit Jacksonville (formerly the Convention and Visitors Bureau).The Convention Center Task Force reached consensus on tile following points:

Jacksonville must begin action now to get more actively engaged ill tileconvention business. The status quo is not an option. Recommending a specific site to the City at this time is not appropriate, assignificant changes may occur between now and when convention centerfunding is available. Instead, the Task Force presents the City alternatives thatinclude specific opportunities to get into the convention business in the nearterm while recognizing the need to sustain the vision of a truly state of the ar t ,larger convention center complex that would showcase our City's assets.

The Convention Development Bed Tax dollars coming available with theretirement of the Convention Center bond debt are the only dedicated fundingsource available and must be protected and directed to support conventionbusiness expansion. We must aggressively encourage and pursue downtown development projectsthat make the entire core city an active, connected, livable, interestingneighborhood attractive to locals, leisure travelers, and convention delegates.

If we build it they will not come - unless we have not only an attractiveconvention package with destination appeal but the necessary investment inmarketing to promote our convention capacity.

J[{CI{SOf\lV!!..lE COMMUNITY c o u a c n, INC. p ,~., , ft2434 A tl an ti c Bo u le v a rd I Jacksonvi ll e , F lo ri da 32207 I 904-396-3052 I Fax 904-398-1469 I www. jcd.o rg I [email protected] rg " , . " , & ; : : J e
http://www.jcd.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.jcd.org/


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The two near-term convention center development opportunities focused on small scaledevelopment at the Prime Osborn and the site east of the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk. Theadvantages, disadvantages and considerations associated with these sites are outlined in thereport that follows. Neither o f these options precludesplaiiningand pmsuiiig the larger Vision ofa 500,000 to 600,000 square foot convention complex. Indeed, future expansion must be part ofthe near-term planning. This can include expansion at either of the two sites mentioned or thedevelopment of promising future locations on the Southbank or Sports Complex area.In closing, I would like to commend to you the transparent public process used by the Task Forcethroughout its deliberations. The open community dialogue encouraged a number of privateindividuals and companies to approach the task force with ideas on how they could get involved.This suggests that the process was very good for getting private investment, at least conceptually,into the picture, which may be a key ingredient for success. Transparency also helped revealrelevant and important information to the Task Force that otherwise might not have beendiscovered.Thank you on behalf of the Convention Center Task Force for the opportunity to develop andshare this assessment of Jacksonville's future in the convention business. It has been a privilegeto serve our community.

Chair, Convention Center Task Force

AttachmentsCc/enc1: JEDC

Tourist Development CouncilVisit Jacksonville

07 convention center

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