Jacksonville calls itself a city on the move. What's currently on the move in the River City by the sea is business. Jacksonville straddles a bend in the St. Johns River and has been the site of numerous lumber mills. During World War II, the city was home to a bustling naval base. In the late '50s, the riverfront area went into a slumber and in 1967, Jacksonville area residents voted to consolidate the city and the surrounding county into one countywide government.

      When the NFL franchise Jackson-ville Jaguars came to the city in 1995, city leaders were determined to awaken the local business community and put Jacksonville on the world stage. In September of last year, Jacksonville citizens took a big step into the future by passing the Better Jacksonville Plan. The plan is a half-cent local sales tax to fund critical improvements throughout the city of Jacksonville.
      "Just as companies carefully contemplate development, expansion and the concurrent need for capital," said Jacksonville Mayor John A. Delaney last summer," cities must also decide if and how they want to invest in their future."
      Investment in economic growth is foremost in the minds of city leaders, and $1.5 billion of the $2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan is being set aside for infrastructure improvements in countywide roads, overpasses, major thoroughfares and intersections. Funds will be allocated for a new library, county courthouse and sports facility. The plan also calls for $25 million to create jobs in targeted areas north and west of the St. Johns River. "Without question, Jacksonville's most critical need is effective growth management," adds Delaney. "Quite simply, our city must grow smarter."
      Business leaders are on board and plans are in the works to polish one of the city's greatest assets, the old shipyard area and riverwalk. The area fronts a wide bend of the St. Johns near the current Alltel Stadium, and $900 million would be spent to convert the site into a park, homes, condos, boat slips, and commercial office and retail space over the next 10 to 12 years. It is the largest private development in the city's history. TriLegacy Group LLC, owned by the local Spence family, is spearheading the development.
      City officials are ecstatic about the plan, predicting it will be a boon to downtown redevelopment. Jackson-ville is committing $75 million to the project in public assistance. "It will be unbelievable," says Mike Weinstein, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Council. Jacksonville will play host to the 2005 Super Bowl and city officials hope plans for the "billion-dollar mile" are well under way by then.
      The Spence family will also develop the 8,312-acre (3,366 hectares) old combat jet Naval base, Cecil Field. The $1.5 billion plan will renovate the base into a development for industrial, residential, retail and office and aviation uses. Officials estimate the Cecil Field project could generate 8,170 jobs when complete. The project will also position Jacksonville as a regional aviation center. "That's a perfect niche for Northwest Florida," says Wenstein. "Cecil Field offers us an opportunity to do that."
      City leaders are also courting high-tech companies, hoping that the quality of life and low-cost living will turn the Jacksonville area into a Silicon Beach. One local firm, ECI Telecom, says it has no problem luring high-tech help once they see Jacksonville. ECI is a division of an Israeli company specializing in worldwide digital communications and data transmissions. The company employs highly skilled engineering staff.
      "The quality of life here is pretty impressive," says Jim Simak, associate vice president and general manager for ECI Telecom. "We can bring someone in from New Jersey, and we have very little problems recruiting them. The city sells itself, and I certainly think they find a higher quality of life here," he adds.
      Parker Vision, a homegrown manufacturer of automated systems for television production and radio frequency transmission equipment, was founded in Jacksonville in 1989 and went public in 1993. The company has developed a relationship with the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and has established an internship program. Richard Sisisky, president and COO of Parker Vision, says the company still has minor problems finding engineers. "However, once we get them off the plane, it is a different story. The city is a great draw," he says. "There's a broad-based cultural background here and a wonderful, growing community."
      Sisisky is not the only local business leader who thinks the physical appeal of Jacksonville is unbeatable. Jack-sonville beaches are moments from the downtown area. The St. Johns River has multiple boat docks and restaurants. Downtown employees can literally walk out of their buildings and spend a lunch hour sailing. According to the Florida Association of Realtors, the median sales price of a home in Jacksonville in May was $111,000.
      In June, Alpro announced it would build two new $30 million facilities in the city. One will be a distribution warehouse, and the other is a food manufacturing facility. Company officials will employ 159 workers at both sites. AmeriCredit Financial Services will open a new $18 million office. The firm will employ 540 people.