What the city could do for Springfield.

[sheclown]

After having lived through a decade of federal money abuse in the form of unethical demolitions -- a fight to removed ash pollutants and tags on property record cards -- and the latest blight initiative debacle, one should ask "what can the city DO for Springfield"

In the late 1990s, the city committed a good bit of money to Springfield in the form of the auction of condemned properties.  Strider knows all about this as he participated in the program and bought a house on Pearl Street.  The city provided funding for the purchase and rehab of the properties. Some of the people who were involved in the original auction are still with the city, Daryl Griffin for one.

In the early 2000s, the city aimed money at Springfield in the form of CDBG money for facade grants and SHARP grants.  The facade grants allocated $25,000 for the exterior work on the houses.  Many houses received some repairs and a new paint job as a result of this program. 

The SHARP program set aside money for rehab loans (I think it was stop-gap money because banks would not lend enough money on Springfield houses to cover the difference between renovation costs and final appraisal amounts).  This fund rehabbed many houses in the neighborhood.

Then in the mid 2000s, the vibe for preservation changed from helping get these houses fixed up to pushing the owners to do it and punishment was added into the formula in the form of ROLLING FINES.

The effect of the rolling fines has been to poison the title of these houses to the point where instead of offering incentives to urban pioneers to move into the neighborhood and restore, they are now blocked by a web of red tape and title issues too capricious and arbitrary to bank on.

The rolling fines have to go.  Short of that, a ordinance needs to be in place which concretely maps the way through the rolling fine maze and removes the capricious nature.  And it needs to be an ordinance, written clearly and not left to interpretation so that new owners need not beg or kiss the ring of the chief of code compliance.

The city needs to commit federal funds to rehab -- we need facade grants again.  These grants should not only be for non-profits to purchase and restore, but for homeowners in the neighborhood who need help maintaining their properties.  Everybody wins when this happens.  An eligible use for CDBG money is historic preservation.

The city needs to put its property in the hands of someone who will use it.  9th and Main needs to be up and running.  The city needs to lease it cheaply or give it away.  Something to get it in use.

The city needs to treat historic districts differently with code enforcement action.  The building inspection department does.  There are historic building codes -- there ought to be historic code compliance codes.  Some areas should be:

Longer open permitting on job sites,

Lesser condemnation standards (or at least someone who understands the composition of historic houses and can report intelligently on them). 

A more detailed condemnation report ( no more "entire structure" as an easy method to write up the report.) These reports should be educational in nature. 

If the city is indeed tired of listening to "squeaky wheels" -- it needs to grease the spokes a bit.  Let's change the nature of preservation in Springfield by addressing the policies which hamper it.

[mtraininjax]

sheclown - Right on! I agree. It would be great for the city to remove the punitive actions because they just don't work. I'd also like to see federal funding to help with commercial development along Main Street. If you can get Main Street going again, the community will use it, and build a stronger residential area as a result too.

[sheclown]

sheclown - Right on! I agree. It would be great for the city to remove the punitive actions because they just don't work. I'd also like to see federal funding to help with commercial development along Main Street. If you can get Main Street going again, the community will use it, and build a stronger residential area as a result too.

Absolutely.  Main Street needs a huge helping hand.  I would like to learn more about funds and programs available -- I know they are out there.

[strider]

I would add to that the fact that the federal programs like NSP covered larger areas than just Historic Springfield.  It might also be worthwhile to mention that while even in Historic Springfield there are many property owners who are low enough on the economic scales to more than qualify for any of the program's income requirements, by including the surrounding areas with houses older than fifty years for those programs Jacksonville could  lift up the entire urban core not just improve Historic Springfield.  That would be actually accomplishing the true goals of those Federal programs.  Now wouldn't that be a novel idea, Jacksonville using its Federal funds in the way intended. 

[sheclown]

You are absolutely right, Strider.

[strider]

Here's another idea.  I do not believe that the city will do away with punitive measures against home owners.  The lawmakers  see a need to punish those that do not follow their rules.  Heck, even neighbors feel the same way.  However, rather than rolling fines that lead to this same tainted path for everyone, there needs to be several common sense paths.

Yes, go out and identify problems and issues.  But it must be recognized that it is not only the general public that needs to be protected, it is also the home owners as well. Once the issues are identified, why those issues exist needs to be identified as well.

If it is a low income situation where the home owner simply cannot afford to do the repairs, it needs to be recognized that the community is not well served by kicking that person from their home and having an abandoned, tainted house.  It is best served by getting that home owner into an accelerated help program, utilizing some of those millions of federal funds and getting the house back into shape.  And yes, even the property tax situation should be looked at to insure someone else doesn't benefit from the work.  As the work will increase the value of the house, liens can certainly be put into place so that if the house is sold within say ten years, those repair funds or some prorated amount must be paid back to a community fund to continue the good works. 

The other side of it is those houses owned and not cared for by investors and banks that could take care of the issues but do not.  Those cases, as can be seen today, are made worse for the community by the current rolling fine situation and so those houses need to be on a fast track to new ownership.  Take the house, mothball them and then either give the house or sell it cheap to a new owner with the funds to immediately rehab it.  Houses currently condemned need to be given away after they are mothballed (stabilized) but perhaps the costs involved are put into a lien that again is tied to living in the house for ten years and/ or prorated if sold prior to that. 

Even investors could be allowed to part take of this.  They would simply pay the costs up front to get the houses or, in the case of owning a house they could not afford to maintain properly, a lien that is not prorated and never sunsets but will eventually be paid back upon the sale of the house.

Much of this has been done by the city in the past.  It just needs to be tied to Code Compliance so that Code Compliance becomes a city department that helps rather than hinders the public it services. While it should work in most of the city's needy communities, the Historic District of Springfield would make a great test area.

[Ocklawaha]

...Or it could simply bring back the city builder!











But the city has no will, nor any guiding intelligence to do the right thing. Turning our backs on the very mode and system that created our historic neighborhoods we damn the history. Damn the positive data. Damn the opportunity. Damn the people. We will instead, hang our hats and our future on the latest gimmick, people-movers, monorails, PCT trolley's, BRT and hanging baskets whilst telling the public; "Rail is not a good fit in Jacksonville!" 

[strider]

Yes, OCK, street car (fixed rail) would be a great plus.  But it is simply part of the fix of the urban core. We need to start with the easy ones, show that people want the urban core and then perhaps the developers that often seem to dictate to city council may want to make money here and allow things to actually progress.

[Adam12]

I think implementing the mobility plan/fee as it was intended would also help. That way, at least Springfield (and other close-in neighborhoods) could get some infrastructure improvements out of the developments being done elsewhere. And make way for the street car! lol. But taking care of the little things Stephen mentioned simply cannot be understated. Cleaning up alleys and putting out trash cans are relatively easy, so there is no excuse to not square those away.

[Ocklawaha]

Yes, OCK, street car (fixed rail) would be a great plus.  But it is simply part of the fix of the urban core. We need to start with the easy ones, show that people want the urban core and then perhaps the developers that often seem to dictate to city council may want to make money here and allow things to actually progress.

This is true, you'll need several things to make the neighborhood become stable, then thriving and then a destination. Streetcar, limited parking, excellent pedestrian amenities and development incentives.

Historically streetcars led development and I believe they could lead in redevelopment. Not something nice to add later to the mix, the streetcar can deliver Springfield, Durkeeville, Brooklyn, Five Points and Riverside to the party.

[tufsu1]

The lawmakers  see a need to punish those that do not follow their rules. 

I believe WE elect the lawmakers...as such they are OUR rules.

[strider]

Yes, OCK, street car (fixed rail) would be a great plus.  But it is simply part of the fix of the urban core. We need to start with the easy ones, show that people want the urban core and then perhaps the developers that often seem to dictate to city council may want to make money here and allow things to actually progress.

This is true, you'll need several things to make the neighborhood become stable, then thriving and then a destination. Streetcar, limited parking, excellent pedestrian amenities and development incentives.

Historically streetcars led development and I believe they could lead in redevelopment. Not something nice to add later to the mix, the streetcar can deliver Springfield, Durkeeville, Brooklyn, Five Points and Riverside to the party.

I completely agree with that. I have even talked to well educated planning types that have said street car to an area like Springfield first makes the most sense because it needs the development while places like Riverside is doing fine as it is.  And yet, wanna bet where street car will go first if it is indeed brought back to Jacksonville?

Anyway, stopping and/ or changing MCC's role in the destruction of the urban core is an easy fix and needs to happen if anyone is going to believe the areas like Springfield are worth sending streetcar to. 

[Ocklawaha]

One of the most viable, easily done and perhaps cheapest 'rapid streetcar' (a rather light-rail like hybrid using light-rail style construction (lite) and streetcars) is the route I called "The Electric 7."  Running from Beaver Street/Duval @ the Arena Parking Garage, straight north along the old F&J (Southern / Seaboard Air Line Railroad grades) skirting A.P.Randolph area, through Springfield Yard, under 21st and setting an angle to Gateway Mall alongside the bike path. I would risk my reputation that this line without elaborate furnishing could be brought in cheaper then any other current project in the country. The result would be TRUE rapid transit from the northside to the stadium district. The catch would be the largely Black ridership, probably meaning hell would freeze over before the COJ would approach this. NAT at JTA won't even meet with me about this and yes COJ, I have repeatedly requested such.

As for Main Street, you are right, Riverside would come first. This is not an indictment of Springfield, but reasoning that the first traditional 'in street' streetcar needs to be highly successful in every way in order to fuel future line construction. A Springfield line that didn't end at UF would initially struggle more for riders then a line connecting The Landing, Hyatt, Performing Arts Center, YMCA, Riverside Marketplace, Fresh Market, Publix, 5-Points, Park & King etc.

Once well anchored in Riverside, a northerly extension to UF would be a no brainer but the COJ isn't paying attention, there is no will to do the right thing, no leadership at all, and JTA continues to make stupid statements like; "Rail isn't a good fit in Jacksonville." Never mind that the City was built on rails.

[JaxJagsFan69]

I've always wondered why the creek and parks are not cleaned up and the city start hosting different events there.  If you make the park more top-of-mind for people for events, then I would think that they would go there even when events aren't going on.

Another thing it that although Main street could be cleaned up a block at a time, what about what lies behind Main street?  You can make the main road pretty as it can be, but if the supporting neighborhoods don't care or are left to degrade then why even bother.

I really like the suggestion of either cheaply leasing or giving away the city-owned buildings along Main to be re-developed into something. I think that if the city had a program where it gave an extremely low rent in exchange for the clean-up and renovation of the property, then business would be more apt to go into that area.

Just sayin.'

[duvaldude08]

I ride through springfield this weekend and some of the areas are still a mess. Lots of trash everywhere in particular. I dont know whats so hard about the city picking up trash. Im really tempted to start keeping trash bags in my car and clean up stuff as I see it. Im tired of looking at the crap.