Vince Cavin Chosen as Hemming Park Executive Director

[fieldafm]

Field - How do you "get something going on at the Main Street park" from this?

I really don't know how to answer this, because you clearly didn't read either link that was provided to you.

[Overstreet]

Once again history may be repeating itsself. Back when the Landing was opening they had just completed a refurbishing of Hemming. It was to be the other end of the revitalization. I know this cause we  hired the paver contractor. It faultered shortly afterward. The busses tore up the clay pavers they specified. The Landing stole all the lunch crowd away from the businesses. The homeless moved back in. After all they are downtown residents.

It's not Hemming that's broke, it's downtown. 

[KenFSU]

Once again history may be repeating itsself. Back when the Landing was opening they had just completed a refurbishing of Hemming. It was to be the other end of the revitalization. I know this cause we  hired the paver contractor. It faultered shortly afterward. The busses tore up the clay pavers they specified. The Landing stole all the lunch crowd away from the businesses. The homeless moved back in. After all they are downtown residents.

It's not Hemming that's broke, it's downtown.

"It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished." - William H. Whyte

Hemming Plaza/Park is downtown's foundation. The 1970s paver conversion was the tragic, doomed result of a failed master plan, predicated on downtown department stores that were shuttered by 1987. It's stunning that we were able to so badly screw up such a simple public square, but it's truly mind-boggling that we've allowed it to remain as such for 40 years. I see this new development as history correcting itself, rather than repeating itself.

Hemming Plaza has become symbolic of downtown Jacksonville's poor reputation. Clean it up, provide clear sight lines across the park, add security, food vendors, and year-round programming, staff a maintenance crew to keep it clean and green, and you've got yourself one hell of a space. Make Hemming Plaza an attractive place to be, and you're going to see surrounding business boom and blossom outward. I honestly believe that Hemming, the Trio, and the Landing are the three projects with the potential to create the synergy necessary to light a fire under downtown development. Way more than the Shipyards, or the USS Adams, etc.

I don't buy parking as the problem either. Create a space that people want to spend time in, and they will find a way to get there. Hemming's true vibrancy though isn't going to come from attracting Moms from the southside, it's going to come from presenting an inviting place for downtown's tens of thousands of office workers to congregate in the morning, during lunch, for meetings, or after hours. It's going to come from library patrons, and museum visitors, and tourists.

I've been reading up on Friends of Hemming Plaza, and I am convinced that they know what they are doing. I keep going back to the Bryant Park comparison, not because (as someone suggested previously) I think Jacksonville needs to try to be like New York, but because it's a nearly perfect comparison, and because the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation revolutionized a similar blighted city square not by spending a billion dollars, but by doing a lot of very little, very inexpensive things properly that, when taken together, added up to far more than the sum of their parts. It wasn't pie-in-the-sky nonsense, but a series of deliberate, brilliantly simple choices executed with the input of very smart people like William Whyte, James Q. Wilson, and George L. Kelling. From what I've read of Friends of Hemming Plaza, they genuinely seem to get it.

Really excited to see what the future holds for Hemming.

[ssky]

I don't buy parking as the problem either. Create a space that people want to spend time in, and they will find a way to get there. Hemming's true vibrancy though isn't going to come from attracting Moms from the southside, it's going to come from presenting an inviting place for downtown's tens of thousands of office workers to congregate in the morning, during lunch, for meetings, or after hours. It's going to come from library patrons, and museum visitors, and tourists.

I've been reading up on Friends of Hemming Plaza, and I am convinced that they know what they are doing. I keep going back to the Bryant Park comparison, not because (as someone suggested previously) I think Jacksonville needs to try to be like New York, but because it's a nearly perfect comparison, and because the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation revolutionized a similar blighted city square not by spending a billion dollars, but by doing a lot of very little, very inexpensive things properly that, when taken together, added up to far more than the sum of their parts. It wasn't pie-in-the-sky nonsense, but a series of deliberate, brilliantly simple choices executed with the input of very smart people like William Whyte, James Q. Wilson, and George L. Kelling. From what I've read of Friends of Hemming Plaza, they genuinely seem to get it.

Really excited to see what the future holds for Hemming.

Are we talking about the same Hemming Park that I live two blocks from, where it's as hot as Hell on Steroids most of the year? I just want to be sure I'm not missing something because, at least in my experience, nobody in their right mind wants to congregate, much less eat or try to hold a meeting, in that heat, especially dressed in business clothes.

Several years ago, in April, I held an important media conference downtown not far from Hemming Park. Due to circumstances, it had to be held outside. Again, this was in April. We had a large canopy and huge fans and people were still soaked in perspiration before the thing even kicked off.  It was awful, and I never did it that way again.

My point is: that was a press event; people had to come.  But why would anybody voluntarily hang out in 100 degree heat and humidity while dressed in a suit? I think we are deluding ourselves into believing we have a climate similar to other cities we aspire to emulate. We don't. We have summer 10 months out of twelve.

I'm not being snarky. I'm just amazed how easily we seem to forget exactly how freaking hot it is down here. And before anybody brings up Jazz Fest, Art Walk or One Spark, please remember that I am not talking about milling around dressed in shorts and flip flops and drinking cold beverages. I am talking about a business day, dressed in a business suit, usually rushing from one air conditioned space to the next, and I just don't see this particular vision of Hemming happening. It's kind of like the ice skating picture from Bryant Park that has popped up a couple of times...I wish we could have that here, but I am certainly not holding my breath.

[thelakelander]

^Why must everyone be dressed in suits? If the space is truly vibrant, it should be able to attract several segments of the local population throughout the day. Maybe it is too hot in the middle of the day to hang out in the park in a suit. However, that doesn't mean it can't be filled during that time slot with children and stay-at-home moms enjoying kiddie friendly amenities (if we had some there), during their field trips to the library and two museums facing it.

As for decent downtown public spaces in the south, look no further than places like Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, downtown Hollywood, Winter Park, etc. Oh, and there's a seasonal ice skating rink in one of downtown Tampa's parks. It gets as hot as hades in all of those places too, yet they've found a way to do the things you mention are impossible to implement in Jax.



All I'm really trying to say is we can do just about anything we want, if we're willing to make a real effort at doing the things it takes to truly succeed.

[IrvAdams]

^^100%

It amazes me to see the old pictures of Jax showing men in suits and hats hanging out downtown in the blazing sun. I guess we're so accustomed to air conditioning we don't adapt well anymore.

I would bet grass would be a much cooler surface overall than brick or concrete. That would help.

[thelakelander]

Although it is as hot as hell during most of the year here, we've become a nation of wussies. I figured that out during a trip to a New Orleans area plantation, when I was told the slave cabin tours were canceled during the summer because it was too hot.

But getting back to Jacksonville, we can better design our community for the environment we're in.  We can start by actually putting up shade trees and awnings over sidewalks.....just like we did before the invention of air conditioning.

[Tacachale]

^Why must everyone be dressed in suits? If the space is truly vibrant, it should be able to attract several segments of the local population throughout the day. Maybe it is too hot in the middle of the day to hang out in the park in a suit. However, that doesn't mean it can't be filled during that time slot with children and stay-at-home moms enjoying kiddie friendly amenities (if we had some there), during their field trips to the library and two museums facing it.

Seriously. Who even wears a suit to work anymore?

[ssky]

Seriously. Who even wears a suit to work anymore?

Seriously? 

[Tacachale]

Yeah, seriously. The majority of men and women I know don't have to wear suits at work.

[tufsu1]

Although it is as hot as hell during most of the year here, we've become a nation of wussies.

have you been listening to Governor Ed Rendell talk by any chance?

[thelakelander]

Perhaps.....Between Ed Rendell and Brent Toderian, I have a few extra quotes to add to my arsenal.

[KenFSU]

A couple of more random thoughts:

1) Would love to see the old Snyder Memorial Church worked into FOHP's or the city's plans for Hemming. Such a cool building. Would make a really cool little pub or bar right on the park.

2) Pretty unrealistic I'm sure, but it would be great to see ground-level retail in the St. James Building fronting Hemming.

[KenFSU]

Snyder is within the SPARK district, and our committee will be taking up the issue!

FANTASTIC news!

Can't wait to see what you guys have in store

[johnnyliar]

Snyder is within the SPARK district, and our committee will be taking up the issue!

Awesome! I seriously love that building. Playing and seeing bands play in it during One Spark was a highlight!
Any idea if there is a live music aspect being considered for the space?