Historic Districts: What's the point?

[iloveionia]

Fix the boarded up homes and you will stop being the butt of all the jokes and they will move their jokes onto Paxon.

agree.
you contradict yourself however as you are a vocal proponent against mothballing.
Mothballing is a first step in "fix the boarded homes."

[mtraininjax]

you contradict yourself however as you are a vocal proponent against mothballing.
Mothballing is a first step in "fix the boarded homes."

I disagree. How many mothballed homes do you see in Riverside, Avondale, San Marco, Ortega? Granted there are some in Avondale along Cherry Street, yeah, I know Cherry in the heart of the burgeoning Park Street Gastropub explosion! (Opportunity for someone!) Some others on Forbes too, but most lots are owned or being built on, the land is that valuable!

Mothballing is for lazy owners, plain and simple. Fix the house or get rid of it to someone who will fix it. If the area is hot enough and enough value, someone will fix it and use it for rental or sale. The problem in Springfield there is not enough "high value" except some of the main core streets like Laura and around Laura. There are some nice newer homes on Market, but there are so many empty lots in and around houses, these empty lots, to me, also count as mothballed sites.

Springfield has so many social and economic issues, where to start to discuss and try and fix. The bottom line is the value of property in Springfield is less than the other Historic Districts and few new home buyers want to buy something that is perceived to be less valuable than a house in the other districts.

[mtraininjax]

thirty years ago there were quite a few, mtrain.

Living in the past is a dull and lonely business....

[mtraininjax]

no it isn't.  And being aware of how things actually work often goes a long way towards understanding the future, you know.

Yes it is, we are not going to agree, so what's new. Looking back just shows you where you have been. It does not stop us from making the same mistakes over and over and over. Community mistakes are made daily, by new people who are not familiar with the mistakes made by their predecessors.

Why do you think we have such a blase attitude toward every "this will revitalize downtown" story that gets posted? We've heard the same music for 30 years.

But, let's say you are right, not admitting it of course, then if Dr. Wood started RAP 30 years ago to prevent the decay and demolition of buildings in Riverside and Avondale, where have the leaders of Springfield been all those 30 years, have they not learned and watched what Riverside and Avondale have accomplished? To me, they have not learned a thing, proving my point to look ahead, not behind. Where is the Dr. Wood of Springfield?

[mtraininjax]

Stephen, I appreciate the insight with regard to all the people involved in Springfield, but who will emerge as the real lightening rod? Who will spearhead the change in Springfield, so that we read about them here on MJ? Wood has become a great leader of Riverside Avondale, I know there are others, but still, he has taken the bull by the horn and pushed.

Springfield needs someone in the same, someone who can wrap the cloth of Springfield and become the voice of Springfield. For a time, I thought of Louise as the voice of Springfield. Carmen looks good at RAP on her own, and she has assistance from Dr. Wood.

[Debbie Thompson]

If Springfield were on the river, any part of it, the values of the properties would be much higher. I know Springfield considers itself a sprawling area, but to me, REAL Springfield is Main to 1st, to the creek and then to 8th Street. I don't consider the East Springfield area as real Springfield...

Really, mtrain?  So apparently, while we have lived in Historic Springfield for 8+ years, according to you, we only spent 2 or so of those years in "REAL Springfield."  Having lived north of 8th Street in the NW quadrant from 2007 until 2013, we now apparently really moved to the boonies, in the NE quadrant, north of 8th, which apparently doesn't count at all since it's on the east side of Main Street.

Really, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.  The east side of Springfield is just as nice as the west side of Springfield.

And since the thread has moved on from that subject...who is the "Dr. Wood" of Springfield?  There isn't one. Why does there need to be?  Wayne Wood didn't do it on his own, as Stephen pointed out.  Small groups of dedicated people are working their hearts out to preserve the old homes.  So stop running down the neighborhood and get on board. 0

I lived in Riverside when it was pretty much a dump, and worked in San Marco when it was ditto.  St. Vincent's Hospital, Riverside Hospital, and Baptist Hospital were buying up houses to demolish them and build parking lots and new buildings.  Lots of old homes were falling apart.  My husband and I tried to buy a house on Stockton Street in 1973, but couldn't because the plaster was all falling off the walls and we couldn't go FHA.  That was the case in most of Riverside.  Few homes over there qualified for FHA then because they weren't in good enough shape, and we didn't have a big down payment.

Just because Springfield had a larger battle to fight, and has unfortunately had to fight the battle within at times, doesn't mean we can't win in the end.

[thelakelander]

For a time, I thought of Louise as the voice of Springfield.

Wow!

[mtraininjax]

Really, mtrain?  So apparently, while we have lived in Historic Springfield for 8+ years, according to you, we only spent 2 or so of those years in "REAL Springfield."  Having lived north of 8th Street in the NW quadrant from 2007 until 2013, we now apparently really moved to the boonies, in the NE quadrant, north of 8th, which apparently doesn't count at all since it's on the east side of Main Street.

Debbie, Its my opinion, I had family buy property on Liberty Street back in the 80s and the place really has not changed much. A friend sold a house on Market Street recently, it was a new house made by Lifestyles, but it was a new house, when there are so many empty lots yet to build on. There is a LOT of opportunity all over Springfield, my point was the best old parts are west of Main Street, my opinion only.

Really, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.  The east side of Springfield is just as nice as the west side of Springfield.

I disagree! Shocking, I know.

And since the thread has moved on from that subject...who is the "Dr. Wood" of Springfield?  There isn't one. Why does there need to be?  Wayne Wood didn't do it on his own, as Stephen pointed out.  Small groups of dedicated people are working their hearts out to preserve the old homes.  So stop running down the neighborhood and get on board. 0

I sincerely hope you and the small groups are able to save Springfield and rebuild it into what it was at the turn of the 19th century. However, we are not in the 19th century anymore. I find it interesting when Dr. Wood is quoted in the Times Union and "right or wrong" he speaks for the citizens of Avondale. I don't know who speaks for Springfield, but if there are many dedicated people speaking for Springfield, great, you have more voices!

I lived in Riverside when it was pretty much a dump, and worked in San Marco when it was ditto.  St. Vincent's Hospital, Riverside Hospital, and Baptist Hospital were buying up houses to demolish them and build parking lots and new buildings.

Riverside has parts that are still a dump, no kidding. Some parts of Post Street are amazing and then there are "historic" homes that are in very bad shape. But for all the dumpy parts, Riverside must be doing something right with the new Beacon project. San Marco seems to have rebounded, was nice to see investors paying over 50 million in cash for the Strand. Hospitals will always be buying up properties around their area, Memorial has done the same thing in demolishing houses around its area. To compete with Baptist, its either grow or go the way of Jacksonville General....

I hope Springfield comes back, it will be great for the citizens and those who live there. It would be a great story for urban areas around the country. Don't stop fighting!