 They hired RTKL Associates Inc., planning consultants from Baltimore, Maryland to study Jacksonville's situation.Their recommendations were incorporated into the "1971 Downtown Master Plan", using the idea of creating a Pedestrian mall surrounded by a transportation loop and abundant free parking.Another plan component was a group of elevated walkways that would permit shoppers to avoid traffic while moving from the retail core to the riverfront, which would contain a park, convention center including hotel, an exhibition center, Sears Department Store, and a high-rise containing financial offices.