Code Enforcement Demolitions are set to begin (Blight initiative)

[thelakelander]

If you want to see a rough neighborhood, I could show you a few. This section of New Springfield actually has enough going for it, for a quick turnaround.....if that's the ultimate goal.

[jaxjaguar]

When these houses start to be leveled, will current regulations allow home owners to bring in more "modern" designed houses? I'd love to see  Springfield pull off what Riverside can't... A good mixed of old refurbished and new modern style.

[sheclown]

I love when newbies talk for "the whole neighborhood". It's awesome

[thelakelander]

When these houses start to be leveled, will current regulations allow home owners to bring in more "modern" designed houses? I'd love to see  Springfield pull off what Riverside can't... A good mixed of old refurbished and new modern style.

Technically, the home on the demo list is in New Springfield. New Springfield is "across the tracks" from the identified official "historic district". You don't need a COA to build in New Springfield. However, the market isn't one where you're going to see people putting up mcmansions either. Any newly created vacant lot will end up sitting like the vacant lots already scattered around the neighborhood.

[NaldoAveKnight]

Anyone wearing rose colored glasses regarding the progress of Springfield needs to talk to Jacksonville natives on how many failed attempts there's been over the decades on trying to revamp Springfield into a viable neighborhood.  The usual cycle for Springfield is a bunch of young people, dreamers, and out of state investors roll in every 10 years and try to make a go of it.  I know because I was involved in the failed attempt circa 2002-2005.  Back then the mayor and city commission promised us infrastructure improvements and zoning overlays for mixed use development.  Nothing crazy like Five Points and Riverside, just normal city stuff.  Meanwhile folks like Dusty Simmons were burning down renovated houses and freaking out the folks that had their life savings tied up in these 'historic' money pits.  Suffice it to say everyone that could bail out did and cut their losses.  Now there's a new generation of dreamers and Dusty Simmons is sitting behind bars.  Lets support these folks in any way possible so Springfield can turn the corner and leave it's checkered past behind.  If some asbestos laden, crumbling, termite ridden, mold filled house needs to be torn down so a nice house can be built with air conditioning and proper wiring then so be it.  I love how folks out on boats talk for gritty urban pioneers trying to build a neighborhood.

[thelakelander]

Lol. You're on Pluto with this one. There's no SRG coming to build in New Springfield. In fact, there's no replacement for most of what's shown on this list citywide. Just weeds and liens that cost more than the property is worth.

[sheclown]

This dreamer owns a house a couple of blocks from the one pictured. New Springfield has gorgeous homes

[sheclown]

1211 West 9th Street (RE# 053500-0000), 1939

This house is cute!  It is located in a great block in Durkeeville.

[strider]

Anyone wearing rose colored glasses regarding the progress of Springfield needs to talk to Jacksonville natives on how many failed attempts there's been over the decades on trying to revamp Springfield into a viable neighborhood.  The usual cycle for Springfield is a bunch of young people, dreamers, and out of state investors roll in every 10 years and try to make a go of it.  I know because I was involved in the failed attempt circa 2002-2005.  Back then the mayor and city commission promised us infrastructure improvements and zoning overlays for mixed use development.  Nothing crazy like Five Points and Riverside, just normal city stuff.  Meanwhile folks like Dusty Simmons were burning down renovated houses and freaking out the folks that had their life savings tied up in these 'historic' money pits.  Suffice it to say everyone that could bail out did and cut their losses.  Now there's a new generation of dreamers and Dusty Simmons is sitting behind bars.  Lets support these folks in any way possible so Springfield can turn the corner and leave it's checkered past behind.  If some asbestos laden, crumbling, termite ridden, mold filled house needs to be torn down so a nice house can be built with air conditioning and proper wiring then so be it.  I love how folks out on boats talk for gritty urban pioneers trying to build a neighborhood.

Yes, all of the urban Core has struggled in the same way that Springfield has struggled.  The difference is the area most simply call Springfield is actually a Historic District so people with more financial means than the average Urbanite takes more interest in the District.  And if you got in during 2002 and got out in 2005, you did OK because the crash happened after 2005. For the entire country.  As to what the city promised, yes, we were all promised new infrastructure which only sort of happened though what did happen was a decade late. We did get the zoning overlay – in 2000 actually.  Thanks for recognizing that the overlay is for things like allowing mixed use development rather than controlling use. Many do not.  Dusty was actually a much smaller issue that most believe.  SPAR's and SRG's active campaign to tear down houses and move out the poor did much more damage to the community during that decade.  And the original plaster and old heart pine wood actually resists mold.  And while I have posted from the boat before, these days I'm in the trenches working hard to turn some of those "asbestos laden, crumbling, termite ridden and mold filed" houses into beautiful homes for some of the new families moving into to the Urban Core.

What amazes me is that everyone seems to forget why a Historic District is made a Historic District.  It  is the very houses some seem to wish torn down. The houses themselves are the only assets that matter.  Take enough of them away and the area may as well be stripped of it's historic designation.

And talking about the plight of Historic Springfield is important as we struggle to get the hundreds of existing empty lots filled in the more desirable Historic District,  how can we ever expect to to fill the thousands of empty lots we will have in the Urban Core as a result of the current Blight Bill and the policies set by this Mayoral administration?

[NaldoAveKnight]

Anyone wearing rose colored glasses regarding the progress of Springfield needs to talk to Jacksonville natives on how many failed attempts there's been over the decades on trying to revamp Springfield into a viable neighborhood.  The usual cycle for Springfield is a bunch of young people, dreamers, and out of state investors roll in every 10 years and try to make a go of it.  I know because I was involved in the failed attempt circa 2002-2005.  Back then the mayor and city commission promised us infrastructure improvements and zoning overlays for mixed use development.  Nothing crazy like Five Points and Riverside, just normal city stuff.  Meanwhile folks like Dusty Simmons were burning down renovated houses and freaking out the folks that had their life savings tied up in these 'historic' money pits.  Suffice it to say everyone that could bail out did and cut their losses.  Now there's a new generation of dreamers and Dusty Simmons is sitting behind bars.  Lets support these folks in any way possible so Springfield can turn the corner and leave it's checkered past behind.  If some asbestos laden, crumbling, termite ridden, mold filled house needs to be torn down so a nice house can be built with air conditioning and proper wiring then so be it.  I love how folks out on boats talk for gritty urban pioneers trying to build a neighborhood.

Yes, all of the urban Core has struggled in the same way that Springfield has struggled.  The difference is the area most simply call Springfield is actually a Historic District so people with more financial means than the average Urbanite takes more interest in the District.  And if you got in during 2002 and got out in 2005, you did OK because the crash happened after 2005. For the entire country.  As to what the city promised, yes, we were all promised new infrastructure which only sort of happened though what did happen was a decade late. We did get the zoning overlay – in 2000 actually.  Thanks for recognizing that the overlay is for things like allowing mixed use development rather than controlling use. Many do not.  Dusty was actually a much smaller issue that most believe.  SPAR's and SRG's active campaign to tear down houses and move out the poor did much more damage to the community during that decade.  And the original plaster and old heart pine wood actually resists mold.  And while I have posted from the boat before, these days I'm in the trenches working hard to turn some of those "asbestos laden, crumbling, termite ridden and mold filed" houses into beautiful homes for some of the new families moving into to the Urban Core.

What amazes me is that everyone seems to forget why a Historic District is made a Historic District.  It  is the very houses some seem to wish torn down. The houses themselves are the only assets that matter.  Take enough of them away and the area may as well be stripped of it's historic designation.

And talking about the plight of Historic Springfield is important as we struggle to get the hundreds of existing empty lots filled in the more desirable Historic District,  how can we ever expect to to fill the thousands of empty lots we will have in the Urban Core as a result of the current Blight Bill and the policies set by this Mayoral administration?

I guess I've been away from Springfield long enough that I've almost forgotten about the epic SRG/SPAR vs everyone else wars.  While SRG's footprint was large there was a lot of smaller groups that were 'fighting the good fight' during the early 2000's.  Anything that's related to removing blight shouldn't be associated with SRG, they were just a flash in the pan, albeit a large and bright flash.  There's a lot of independent rehabbers in Jacksonville that would come in and fix up the existing historic houses while keeping with the vibe of the area if they knew their efforts would be rewarded.  Most of these homes that are slated for destruction should/could be fixed up, however, nobody has stepped up and taken on the responsibility. 

[NaldoAveKnight]

Anyone wearing rose colored glasses regarding the progress of Springfield needs to talk to Jacksonville natives on how many failed attempts there's been over the decades on trying to revamp Springfield into a viable neighborhood.  The usual cycle for Springfield is a bunch of young people, dreamers, and out of state investors roll in every 10 years and try to make a go of it.  I know because I was involved in the failed attempt circa 2002-2005.  Back then the mayor and city commission promised us infrastructure improvements and zoning overlays for mixed use development.  Nothing crazy like Five Points and Riverside, just normal city stuff.  Meanwhile folks like Dusty Simmons were burning down renovated houses and freaking out the folks that had their life savings tied up in these 'historic' money pits.  Suffice it to say everyone that could bail out did and cut their losses.  Now there's a new generation of dreamers and Dusty Simmons is sitting behind bars.  Lets support these folks in any way possible so Springfield can turn the corner and leave it's checkered past behind.  If some asbestos laden, crumbling, termite ridden, mold filled house needs to be torn down so a nice house can be built with air conditioning and proper wiring then so be it.  I love how folks out on boats talk for gritty urban pioneers trying to build a neighborhood.

There was no direct evidence that tied Dusty to the arsons (which continued after she went to jail for them)
Only the unsubstantiated accusation on the part of Louise DeSpain.
Otherwise, your post seems a little bananas.

So Dusty Simmons is innocent?  All three arson arrests were bogus?  I was living in Springfield at the time.  There was open war between the drug dealers and hookers with the doe-eyed newcomers.  The newcomers were using the police and the drug dealers and hookers were using knifes, guns, and fire bombing houses that weren't up to the 'neighborhood standard'.  I was chased on several occasions by random groups of thugs late at night.  I saw one guy get stabbed in broad daylight.  I witnessed a drive-by shooting with guys leaning out a car window with AK-47s blazing on a known drug house, probably rivals fighting over turf.  That was real, circa 2002-2004. 

[02roadking]

 "There's a lot of independent rehabbers in Jacksonville that would come in and fix up the existing historic houses while keeping with the vibe of the area if they knew their efforts would be rewarded."

What is this reward you speak of?

"There was open war between the drug dealers and hookers with the doe-eyed newcomers.  The newcomers were using the police and the drug dealers and hookers were using knifes, guns, and fire bombing houses that weren't up to the 'neighborhood standard'.  I was chased on several occasions by random groups of thugs late at night."

Damn, what streets did you live on?

[sheclown]

2146 Thelma Street (RE# 115504-0000), 1955

[strider]

"There's a lot of independent rehabbers in Jacksonville that would come in and fix up the existing historic houses while keeping with the vibe of the area if they knew their efforts would be rewarded."

What is this reward you speak of?

"There was open war between the drug dealers and hookers with the doe-eyed newcomers.  The newcomers were using the police and the drug dealers and hookers were using knifes, guns, and fire bombing houses that weren't up to the 'neighborhood standard'.  I was chased on several occasions by random groups of thugs late at night."

Damn, what streets did you live on?

I'm thinking he lost track of time a bit as this sounds real...for the late 1980's and early 1990's.  As we were both residents of Springfield in 2002 - 2004, I would think we'd remember stuff like that, wouldn't we Roadking?  He mght be talking a bit about the "Hampsterdam" days over on the fringe of the district - Perry, Boulevard and Eight - but it was not as bad as he is implying.

Funny that there are several independent developers  working in Springfield today and I think they do have their eyes on a reward - a reasonable income from their efforts. I also believe they are getting it. 

[strider]

2146 Thelma Street (RE# 115504-0000), 1955

That looks like a good candidate for taking possession of it and giving it to one of the investment companies like Corner Lot that can turn it quickly into a nice rental.  I can guarantee you it would be much cheaper than doing the demo and the resulting lawsuits over the issues the demolitions are going to cause.