Cassat Avenue property and business owners are a step closer to collectively pursuing a path to improve the 3.5-mile West Jacksonville corridor.
The next move: Possibly forming a business association to figure out how to improve safety, traffic, landscaping and job opportunities.
About 40 people, including 27 business-owner representatives, met last week with City Council member Warren Jones, who called the meeting after an initial October review of the issues.
"This is where the journey starts to make Cassat Avenue an attractive place to do business and to live," Jones told the group, which met at Duval Honda along Cassat Avenue.
Jones, who represents District 9, met last Wednesday with area owners in the next step of the "Cassat Avenue Improvement Project."
The next step now is to meet again early next year to pursue forming a business owners' or neighborhood association.
Alex Graham, vice chair of the Scott-McRae Group, which owns Duval Honda, said Jones spent a day visiting Cassat Avenue property owners before the meeting, which boosted attendance.
"It was encouraging and I think indicative of the sense of community that that could be an important building block for the area," Graham said.
He said the next step is to communicate with the property and business owners about formalizing the process of becoming a business owners' association or neighborhood association.
He expects the first official meeting of an organization would be in early January.
Last Wednesday, city, Florida Department of Transportation and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office representatives presented status reports of the area and options for assistance in economic development, road improvements and crime prevention.
One option is the business association. "It starts today if you want it to happen," Jones said.
Cassat Avenue runs from the Bi-Lo Winn-Dixie headquarters at Edgewood Avenue south to Blanding Boulevard.
It is lined with new and older businesses, including a row of auto dealerships. Neighborhoods connect to Cassat, including the Eureka Garden public housing community.
Business and property owners were specifically interested in crime-prevention and resolution efforts in light of the unsolved recent quadruple murder that took place off Randolph Street, less than a mile from the site of the meeting.
JSO officers could not comment on the active investigation, but explained that, in general, 75 to 85 percent of homicides are related to buying, selling or using drugs.
Graham said the organizers would communicate with the Sheriff's Office Zone 4/5 Sheriff's Advisory Council and the city's Zone 4/5 Citizens Planning Advisory Committee about the Cassat Avenue efforts.
Graham also wants to work with nonprofits that might help with aesthetics and neighborhood involvement, as well as with state representatives because of the involvement of the Florida Department of Transportation.
"Once we have a formalized group with a good communication network, we can begin to be more involved with the community and to develop our input for any future projects on Cassat that are already in the works or initiated by the group," Graham said.
He summarized the business owners' three main points:
• Develop a plan for possible improvements to Cassat Avenue, both short-term and long-term, for review and feedback.
• Provide an outlet for communication with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and other businesses about safety issues and ordinance/statute enforcement concerns that are specific to business owners.
• Establish stronger ties with the surrounding neighborhoods, including information about community events, job opportunities for local residents, safety and related topics.
And the group's biggest issues:
• Enhance aesthetics of the corridor.
• Road improvements for safety.
• Helping strengthen the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Assisting businesses in using incentives and tax credits that are available.
• Continuing to improve safety.