Frank Denton: A new look at Hemming Plaza's 'residents'

[mtraininjax]

Stephen - Why not expand the offering and mandate that the people taking care of Hemming, also take care of ALL the parks downtown? Why not take care of the pocket parks? Otherwise do we segment who takes care of which park? You know this will lead to finger pointing later on,  and the proverbial "Its not my job" from people.

if we're throwing around money like a prom queen's virginity, let's spread the wealth and add the other parks and put these supposed Park Superheroes, fix them all?!

[AuditoreEnterprise]

Well because there arent any real planners on that committee that understand the connection between recreation, commercial activity, planned use, (both active and passive) and how to make them interact, I suppose the short answer would be.

Whenever you are put in the position of reacting to something, its pretty much a total failure of planning in the first place, and none of the proposed 'fixes's for hemming park fix the underlying issues that it has, which are downtown and social issues, not park management or programing issues.

Before Terry Lorrince got a job, with---- the as yet to be formed --DVI, Lisa Rinaman Bobbi McGinnes, Jane Craven, Ryan Rumell, the River City Band organization, and the Downtown Council all collaborated on a similar project that was undertaken by those of us who lived around or had organizations along that park.  If we had known then what we know now, we would have done some things very differently.  It was a good practice run, and it gave me a four d model of the process, but it wasnt until I got to Main street that I could finally see the process for what it was.

This comes of having a reckless politician combine with a classist pasta maker to fund well meaning but underequipped do gooders.

Its best to let the project limit itself to Hemming Park, let the blue ribbon festoon itself with congratulations for a couple of years (god knows we did) and limit the distraction to a single park in the downtown rather than infecting all of them with the typical aesthetics conversations that magnetize the attention but dont really create the stepping stones of progress.

And I don't mean this as a criticism of the project or of anyone involved with it, just as an analysis.

But the things that they ARENT including as projects are the roadmap that you can guide the effectiveness of its effect.

+1

[thelakelander]

This convo leaves me wondering about something.  There was a big to do about Mayor Alvin Brown opening a drop in day center where homeless could go to shower, launder clothes etc.  After the big splash announcement, nothing more as to whether or not the day center is working.  Anyone have an update?

Most people in the park aren't homeless.  They are residents enjoying the space.  Unfortunately, they aren't the demographic that some want to see enjoying the park.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

I'm not sure who these train kids are. Are they runnaways?  If so, it must be something new that they hop on trains. But that's just a matter of symantics.

Homeless people rarely add to the arts in any creative community. Sure there maybe a couple out of the thousands or maybe a photographer snaps artisic shots of homeless people but ArtWalk is not a success because of the homeless downtown.

Hemming Plaza seems to have evolved into a homeless ghetto. They do not add to the vibrancy of downtown or give off an air of edgieness. For the most part, these are not the types who roam from town to town with musical instraments singing songs and smoking pot.

Greatful Deadheads these homeless people are not,

I know that it's frustrating that the powers that be have ruined our downtown but we must do what we can do. It'll take a thousand little problems to solve and the homeless are a problem to be solved.

San Marco Square is a short walk from Hemming Plaza and part of the urban core, yet, they don't have a massive amount of homeless people hanging about.  Why is this?   It's because the people of San Marco do not tolorate their public square and sidewalks to be a haven for the homeless. 

We citizens of Jacksonville allow our front livingroom / Hemming Plaza to apparently be the day group home of our homeless.  If we allow this to continue, then we all are at fault for allowing them overwelme our public square. 

Hemming Plaza should be Jacksonville's calling card, not our embarrasment and place where young mothers with baby strollers and senior citizens are afraid to tread.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

I was downtown one very cold and damp winter's evening in February. Hemming Plaza was completely empty except for me.

I looked around and saw a beautiful Confederate monument, a fountain, peaceful music coming from several speaks in the bushes.  The park has mostly nice landscaping with plenty of tree shade cover.

City Hall looks beautiful & that other building being refurbished, MOMA and the public library. A museum store and restaurant right on the park. A very clean looking abandoned church and access to the monorail.

Hemming Plaza has all the hallmarks of a great urban pocket park in the heart of downtown. The rain mostly (mostly) washed away the lingering stench of a full day of homeless people loafing about. The fountain water would probably make somebody sick if they drank it, who knows what gets put or washed in that water during the day).

Once the Barnet Bank Building and the Laura Street trio among other buildings gets restored/adaptive reuses into condos, offices, restaurants/bars and perhaps a boutique hotel will bring those over flow of people onto Hemming Plaza unless they are afraid of the homeless people or even when liberal do-gooder guilt can't stop the overwhelming stench of the homeless people so they leave the park which only reinforces the air of an unsafe and undesirable public space.

[IrvAdams]

I walked through Hemming Park one weekend with my wife and we stopped to watch a chess game that a group of people were engaged in. Not sure if they were locals, homeless, transient or what, but they were entertaining. They challenged me to a game but I didn't want to commit the time that day.

I wonder what they think should be done about their meeting place?

[mtraininjax]

Once the Barnet Bank Building and the Laura Street trio among other buildings gets restored/adaptive reuses into condos, offices, restaurants/bars and perhaps a boutique hotel

We won't be holding our breath. We were sold a box of rocks by Cameron Kuhn who walked in and said, "Smiles, everyone, Smiles, welcome to fantasy island" and then he proceeded to pull out of Jacksonville and downtown has yet to recover from his snake oil salesmanship.

[thelakelander]

^Kuhn flew in on a helicopter. After losing his shirt, he hitchhiked back to Orlando...

[sheclown]

I walked through Hemming Park one weekend with my wife and we stopped to watch a chess game that a group of people were engaged in. Not sure if they were locals, homeless, transient or what, but they were entertaining. They challenged me to a game but I didn't want to commit the time that day.

I wonder what they think should be done about their meeting place?

yup

[mtraininjax]

^Kuhn flew in on a helicopter. After losing his shirt, he hitchhiked back to Orlando...

yup - Colts did the same thing before the Jags, Tea Men and Bulls.

We should ban helicopters from downtown, most of the time its the JSO search light looking for bad people anyway!