What started as an idea that lasted for a few hours four years ago will in two weeks be a permanent fixture and a new Downtown amenity.
With funding from the Urban Land Institute North Florida and Downtown Vision Inc., the first long-term installation of the Public Parklet Program is set to debut Sept. 16 on West Adams Street.
A parklet is a small public space constructed on no more than two on-street parking places.
They extend the sidewalk to provide a place for seating, bike racks, art and other improvements that enhance the pedestrian experience.
The concept has proven to increase street activity and bolster revenue for nearby businesses in other cities, such as San Francisco, Philadelphia and Charlotte.
The first parklet under the Downtown program will be adjacent to The Brick Coffee House on the Adams Street side of the Ed Ball Building, between Hogan and Julia streets.
Also on Sept. 16, temporary parklets will pop up throughout Downtown.
Wine Decadence and Zodiac Bar & Grill plan one-day installations along West Adams Street and three will be installed along Ocean Street in The Elbow.
Laura Street will have six one-day parklets, from Peterbrooke Chocolatier near Wells Fargo Center to Monroe Street. Other sponsors are Visit Jacksonville, the National Park Service and Mocha Miski.
A study conducted by the University City District in Philadelphia in 2015 — two years after that urban neighborhood’s first parklet was installed — determined the features “have been remarkably successful at attracting users since the day they were installed.”
The study focused on six locations adjacent to food-service businesses. Owners reported that within two weeks of installation, their business increased by an average of 20 percent.
The parklets attracted not only customers, but also pedestrians who were looking for a place to read, sit down and use an electronic device or simply talk to people on the street.
The study concluded “well-placed parklets can attract huge and diverse crowds, animating sidewalks and bolstering neighborhood businesses.”
The first phase of Downtown’s parklet program is funded by a $15,000 Innovation Grant for Building Healthy Places awarded to ULI North Florida, matched by $15,000 from Downtown Vision.
The program is administered by the Downtown Investment Authority, which will review and approve applications, then guide potential parklet hosts through the permitting, design and construction process.
Through combined efforts of the city’s public works and planning departments and consultants, a comprehensive “how-to” manual was written that takes a potential parklet participant step-by-step from possibility to grand opening.
The manual includes background information on the concept and data about location criteria, design and permits required from the city.
Jack Shad, former chief of city public parking and a consultant who helped develop the manual, said design and safety standards meet or exceed those adopted by the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
Since the base must be installed flush with the sidewalk, parklets comply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“It has been a great education process for everyone,” said Jake Gordon, CEO of Downtown Vision.
He said so far, people fall into two groups when they hear that parklets are coming Downtown. Their response depends on whether they’ve lived in or visited a city that has replaced a few parking spaces with a public amenity.
“They either ask ‘what is a parklet’ or they want to know why it took Jacksonville so long to have parklets,” he said.
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