Letter to the Editor – Jacksonville Review September 2025

From Mike and Laurie Thornton, Jacksonville Residents & Business Owners

We’ve heard the conversation around the proposed North 3rd Street pedestrian plaza, and we want to add our enthusiastic support for this vision. As longtime Jacksonville residents and active participants in downtown life, we believe a thoughtfully designed plaza would offer enormous benefits to our community, our local businesses, and our sense of place.

Recently, we snapped this photo of visitors seated on one of the few benches along California Street. The view? The side of a parked car. This is a very common site on California Street. While our town’s charm is undeniable, this scene highlights a missed opportunity—shouldn’t the heart of Jacksonville invite people to linger, socialize, and connect with both the community and our beautiful surroundings, rather than be defined by vehicles?

A Plaza Brings People Together—Every vibrant small town has a place where people gather, whether for an event, a coffee, or just to sit and people-watch. A pedestrian plaza would create that space—a welcoming spot for friends to meet, families to enjoy an ice cream, a place to rest in the shade while observing people and the activities happening in downtown, and a space for visitors to experience Jacksonville’s character beyond just driving through. Rather than deterring foot traffic, plazas everywhere are proven to increase activity and encourage people to stay, connect, explore, and support nearby businesses. Historic towns across the globe enjoy vibrant pedestrian plazas that create a sense of place and unity for locals and visitors alike.

Supporting Local Business and Community Life—Studies and success stories from other towns show that well-designed plazas actually draw more customers downtown, not fewer. People come for the experience—and while events are wonderful, a plaza would provide a daily invitation for activity: pop-up art, outdoor dining, music, and community celebrations. It could become the backdrop for farmers’ markets, holiday festivities, a place to meet and sit in the shade, or simply a place for kids to play while one parent shops.

A Better Balance for Everyone—and Even More Parking—One of the most practical aspects of the plaza project is that it creates an opportunity to improve the efficiency of on-street parking within a few blocks of California Street. By clearly marking and organizing the available spaces, the City could actually increase the total number of parking spots nearby, not reduce them. Many towns have found that smart parking design—combined with signage and wayfinding—results in more available parking and less confusion for both residents and visitors.

Preserving and Showcasing Jacksonville’s Unique Story—Our history is the foundation for everything we do, and a plaza can honor that heritage by incorporating interpretive signage, historical features, and local design. Let’s use this opportunity to tell Jacksonville’s story in a way that feels alive—not as a relic, but as a living, welcoming community where our history and our future come together.

Let’s Dream a Little—Picture families and Britt concertgoers gathering in the plaza before an evening show; neighbors meeting for coffee outdoors on a sunny day; local musicians sharing their talents in a spot made for community. Instead of a view of parked cars, we could offer visitors and locals a true “sense of place” that makes Jacksonville even more special.

We urge our city leaders, business owners, and fellow residents to keep an open mind and continue the conversation. Let’s look at the many ways a plaza could be tailored to meet our community’s needs—while preserving what we all love about Jacksonville.

Let’s create a place people remember—not just drive through.

Sincerely,

Mike and Laurie Thornton

Jacksonville Residents

and Business Owners