Salvaging the Main Street Pocket Park

[gatorback]

Spend the night at the Salvation Army stephen, and let us let us know how the homeless feel because until you've spent the night in their slippers, you have no idea what it is to be homeless.

[gatorback]

Not every homeless person wants to stay there as you are very aware of.  At least the park gives them a little bit safer place.  Just talked to 3 homeless tonight.  Each day is a challenge and that night is just one aspect of their life my friend.

[gatorback]

Okay, fine, why stop at that park, or my apartment, let's undo some of Theodore Roosevelt's achievements as well.  Ex conservation.  Forget the national forests in the West, screw the reserved lands for public use, and all he fostered as far as irrigation projects go.  Let's just go there now Stephen.

[gatorback]

It's a nice park.  People would give their first born to have a nice place as that.  What's the bottom line per capita for that park.  A buck?  What's that over 20 years?  A nickle. 

[tufsu1]

Stephen...when was the last time you were in that park....they installed doggie clean-up bags several months ago and its been much better ever since!

[thelakelander]

I would post images I took this past Saturday, but I don't think its good to put them online.  Let's just say looks can be deceiving up close.  If you're visiting the space, just watch where you're walking and avoid the dark green patches of grass because they are a little more fertilized than the others.

While I still believe it was a bad idea of putting a park in this location and the spending $700k on it, its there now and I would hope the city can find a way to make it attract a multitude of people to really use and enjoy it.  At this point, its just scenery for cars driving down Main and an outdoor bathroom from dogs and residents that don't use the doggie clean-up bags.  Whether its becomes a picnic area with benches, pavilions and tot lots, a sculpture garden, farmers/vendor's market or a dog park, we need to find a way to get better use out of our investment.

[heights unknown]

I would say get rid of it and build something else that can be of better public use on that piece of property; movie theater, park with sculpture and statues, etc., anything but a doggie pocket park.  Our city leaders don't know how to be creative it seems.

Heights Unknown

[thelakelander]

Its official.  The city now considers this space complete.

Mayor John Peyton was able to get the weather to cooperate Thursday afternoon and officially opened Main Street Park across from the Library. City Council member Don Redman, Carol Worsham of HDR (the designers of the park), Peyton, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton, Roslyn Mixon-Phillips, director of the City's Recreation and Community Services Department and JEDC Deputy Executive Director Paul Crawford, of JEDC cut the ribbon the park. The project included converting a parking lot and features a series of grass terraces lined with oak trees and date palms.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=50277

[copperfiend]

Check out the Main St Park on the Street View of Google Earth.

[blizz01]

I read last week that MOCA was involved in possibly getting a sculpture moved there - is that correct?  Of course, that may just be like putting lipstick on a pig at this point........

[blizz01]

Here's that story:

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=50230&text=sculpture

I assume it's the same place.

[thelakelander]

Yes, the old sculpture that was in front of the 550 Building on Water Street, will be relocated to the empty brick space in the pocket park. I guess its better than nothing.  Its interesting to compare this space with Memorial Park in Riverside.  I'm sure the excuses will role in but we would benefit by taking a few lessons from the park planners of the early 20th century.

[gatorback]

I worked at the 550 Water Street building for 7 years.  God, I hated looking at that sculpter every day.  I'd rather see the homeless then that old thing.

[zoo]

do you think the grass sections are 39' wide? i'm thinking about bringing out some poles and a net and setting up a volleyball game during a weekday lunch (if the dog mess isn't too bad)! anyone interested, pm me.

[thelakelander]

It wouldn't hurt, but you will need to go around with a pooper scooper first.