The Thirteen Moves That Destroyed Downtown

[Metro Jacksonville]

The Thirteen Moves That Destroyed Downtown



What caused the downtown to collapse? How did such a busy city become so fragile?  Its a question that very few people have asked, preferring to start instead with 'How do we redevelop downtown?'  Jville didn't make mistakes that no one else made, ---by any stretch. But we stuck with them.  Here, for your debate, information, and provocation are thirteen of the things that destroyed downtown. Feel free to agree, disagree, or add to the discussion in the comments below.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-jun-the-thirteen-moves-that-destroyed-downtown

[vicupstate]

I can't say for certain about the TIF's downtown, but I have never heard of TIF being constructed as described in this article. A TIF normally freezes the amount of taxes that go to the general fund. It does NOT affect the rate of taxes paid.

Example:

1) I buy a vacant lot that pays $1,000 in taxes and is worth 100,000.
2) A TIF is put in place. Going forward 1,000 in taxes will go to the General Funds of the taxing authorities (city, school district, etc.) any excess go to the TIF account.
3) I build a $500,000 building on the vacant lot.
4) I will pay taxes on $600,000 of value. $1,000 will go to the General Funds. The remainder goes to the TIF account.
5) My property is reassessed and is now deemed to be worth $700,000
6) I will pay taxes on $700,000 of value. $1,000 will go to the General funds. The remainder goes to the TIF account.

The money collected from me and all other like kind taxpayers is bonded to pay for improvements within the TIF district.

I pay no more. nor less, than I would had I done the same transaction outside of the TIF. The only difference is, outside of the TIF, all of my taxes would have gone the the General Funds.  Once the area is deemed no longer distressed and the outstanding bond issues paid, the TIF goes away and all taxes start going to the general fund.   

I believe that it works this way in FL.  Maybe someone can confirm.  I do believe that JAX has 'robbed' from the TIF to pay for things unrelated to the TIF district. 

There are Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) that do increase the tax rate within it's borders.  Those funds are used within the district to pay for marketing, extra police presence,etc. There is one of these DT and it is used to cover expenses for Downtown Vision.
     

[Downtown Osprey]

Great article. Number 8 really sticks out to me, especially in a time where millennials crave living in an urban environment. Look how much UNF has grown, couldn't imagine having a well established campus downtown. Ugh.

[Gunnar]

The picture above number 4, was it taken right before the US repealed prohibition ?

[Snufflee]

8 and 12 really standout as lost opportunities. 

[spuwho]

The seperation of rail from the riverside docks may have killed commerce but it would have happened anyway. The movement to containers made many city lose riverfront activity.

The "loss" was tearing them down and landfilling it for a parking lot.

I agree that there is a direct relationship between the meters and pushing people away. However, if Jax had deferred the meter plan  or cancelled it altogether, it would have just delayed the inevitable.

I agree that downtown gave up on small biz at the expense of pursuing large corporates. But they can recover that if they are willing.

[coredumped]

Great article and looking sharp in that pic Stephen!

All these things certainly contributed, no doubt. The one that saddens me the most is the demolition. Look how the buildings on bay street have filled in. La Villa is lost for ever. It could have grown so much, organically all these years. Now gone forever.

[ronchamblin]

Interesting article Stephen.  I didn't think I would read the whole thing ... but it held me ... and I digressed to all but one of the suggested readings.  I didn't know it was your piece until your face arrived at the end ... a face about which I shall not engage description. 

Well ... okay ...actually, it's a good photo ... but looks a bit touched with photoshop ... unless you are one of those individuals who seem to evolve a more pleasant countenance with age.

Even though I had been familiar with some of the into ... the article left me sad ... then defeated ... then angry.  I began to think ... those fucking idiots.  Where are they?  I must throw eggs.  I feel defeated still ... and angry. 

Yes ... who are "they"?  Hopefully, most have died.   

It's amazing how sober and apparently sane individuals ... in groups ... discussing options and then perhaps voting ... can arrive at decisions so damaging to their city.  Can we assume that it would have been possible for some entity to make the right decisions about downtown development?  ... consistently? I am beginning to think that although it might be possible, the probability of making the right decisions is very low simply because man in general, and certainly city councils and mayors, lacks the capacity to perceive and resolve such complex scenarios as those presented during the chaotic economic and social growth mechanisms after the war.  The men of the time failed the city.  But could they have possibly succeeded? Was the capacity there?   

What is there in the governing mechanism which allows for an apparent group stupidity to reign?  Although a type of dictatorial local government would probably have made better decisions, there is always the gamble -- the dictator might make his own special kind of disastrous decisions. 

Whereas some might assume that the destructive decisions were the result of stupidity and ignorance, I suspect that many decisions were made more as a consequence of the pressure of greed ... that the goal of money and wealth overshadowed any effort at positive rational thinking ... and long term commitment to the quality of downtown.     

It's highly probable that "any" set of council members ... mayors ... or anyone else affecting decisions similar to those you outlined, would have made the same mistakes regarding downtown development.  We might never know if each new threat or opportunity affecting downtown could have garnered a response avoiding the destruction you've outlined.  Perhaps our ignorance ...if we are indeed ignorant ... of the exact causes of the poor decisions is simply because we are also ignorant of the exact or real dynamics of the complex environment at the time.

[Yuleeian]

You didn't mention in your article about the city of Jacksonville putting it's jail down there. How about the city owning all the prime real estate, leaving us without that valuable tax revenue. How about a court house that was suppose to cost $50 million ending up costing $500 million and tearing down of several city blocks to accommodate?  How about the feeding of homeless, to the ever attracting of the unwanted, being panhandled and insecure every time a family tries to go downtown to enjoy it. To "not tear down without a guarantee of rebuilding".. seriously?   sometimes nothing is better than blight. The problems of downtown is at fault of our city leaders. I don't see a problem with companies moving downtown. I think it's a good thing. Maybe more thought should of gone into your article.

[thelakelander]

^There are a few items that are debateable, although I totally disagree with Yuleeian that sometimes nothing is better than blight (one man's trash is another's treasure), from an economic perspective.

Nevertheless, one item that caught my eye was the mention of the "wholesale demolition of the old black industrial district to build the Stadium District." Being black myself, graduating from a HBCU and having special place in my heart for industrial architecture and black history, this is something I've looked into in great depth after reading it in the forums.

Based off several Sanborn maps, historic imagery and  research, the stadium was built in what was Fairfield Park.


1910 Sanborn map of Fairfield Park. Take note of the block labled "60".

What became Everbank Field, was originally constructed around 1927, a good decade after Fairfield Park had been established. The stadium "district" didn't really expand outside of the old park until after WWII. There were a few sparse planing mills south of Adams in the early 20th century but all of that was taken out by the construction of the St. Johns Shipbuilding Company for Liberty ships during WWII. The shipyard's old office still stands at A Philip Randolph and Adams Street. During that era, everything north of Adams was residential, with a few mixed-use commercial buildings centered along Florida Avenue (A Philip Randolph now), and churches sprinkled in.


Old office of the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company


Land between the SJRSC's office and the river was used as their construction yard. In later years, outside of the paint factory and an oil terminal, there wasn't anything much on this property outside of parking for the stadium.

After WWII, the shipyard closed and was converted into a maritime terminal. A chunk of this terminal became a part of the Jacksonville Shipyards. When the Hart Bridge was built in the late 60s, the ramps were elevated between DT and the bridge so they would not interfere with shipyard yard activities below. You can see this in the early 80s image of the shipyards below. Downtown was already deep in decline when all this was cleared a decade later in preparation of stadium expansion for the city's then new NFL franchise.




Gator Bowl in 1952. The stadium sits on the park site in the sanborn above, labeled "60".

Based on historical material available, it's hard for me to accept an argument that there was a significant black industrial district eliminated for stadium or that the stadium's expansion had a dramatic impact on downtown's downfall.  The point about the Jacksonville Coliseum killing downtown hotels is another one I disagree with but I'll save it for another day.

Digging into the city's history though, blacks were heavily employed in the railroad and lumber industries during the turn-of-the-century. Most of that was situated just south and west of LaVilla along streets like Dennis, Myrtle, Enterprise (now Beaver), etc. So, it's not surprising that all of the urbanized neighborhoods surrounding this district (ex. LaVilla, New Town, Robinson's Addition, Brooklyn, Campbell Hill, Honeymoon, West Lewisville, etc.) were originally (and still are for the most part) black.



Pictures from the 1920s and afro-centric architecture from the late 19th/early 20th century, pretty much confirm Myrtle would have been the major black industrial area...











Luckily, it's still standing and many buildings are still in use and employing people living in the surrounding neighborhoods...


Inside Beaver Street Fisheries in 2013.


At Main Metal in 2013.

However, the employment and activity are nowhere near what it was 50-60 years ago. Age and advances in technology have made most of the buildings obsolete for heavy 21st century industrial uses. The train station, railroad shops and yards that were the district's economic anchors closed in the 1970s. Same goes for many large employers once operating there like Florida Machine & Foundry, Jacksonville Terminal Company, A&P's Southeastern headquarters, the Railway Express Company, etc. There's no doubt in my mind that this district's decline has had a negative impact on downtown and the neighborhoods that grew up around it.

Nevertheless, it is a place that excites me because it's historically significant, unique in Jax, still stands and space is cheap. With the farmers market still in operation and new businesses like Eco Relics and Engine 15 moving in, it could easily develop into Jax's version of Pittsburgh's Strip District.


What's left of Campell Hill's commercial center Myrtle & Dennis Streets.


Abandoned warehouses and railroad sidings in Honeymoon.


Pittsburgh's Strip District


Pittsburgh's Strip District

Hard to believe its been 10 years since I wrote this article: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2006-dec-introducing-urban-connectivity-pittsburghs-strip-district

Anyway, so in short, an industrial district surrounded by black neighborhoods and employing thousands of black residents near downtown did decline. In addition, the decline was a major factor in DT going down the tubes. However, it was on the opposite side of downtown and still stands. So if we can get our act together, it can infill to become a pretty special place.

[Gunnar]

Looking at the sum of everything that was done to destroy downtown, it seems almost insane.

While I am not saying that all of the thirteen moves were part of an "evil masterplan" or that some of these things may not have happened anyways,  I do feel it should also be explored is who actually benefited from downtown's decline and the outward expansion of Jax.

[thelakelander]

We've spoken on this subject before, Ennis, (the East end of downtown) and I realize that Ive never shared with you my notes on it.

It will be next week or so, but I will get them loaded up and post a story.

You may not have found them, because like lavilla's history, you have to already have an idea of what you are looking for.

Myrtle was heavily train oriented, Fairfield heavily maritime oriented.

The last of the warehousing buildings was torn down in the 1980s if I remember correctly. There were a pair of them.  Massive. you can see them in the old photos you posted above.They were where the pink marble had been stored from the Train Terminal.  When the Prime Osborne was renovated, hundreds of volunteers were involved in the work, part of which was moving the old tile to the Convention Center.

But if you take a half moment to think about it, the old Union Terminal at Catherine Street was also an industrial warehousing rail connection mostly to maritime products.  In fact, you might remember all the small manufactures listed in this article: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-oct-the-story-behind-the-union-terminal-warehouse-company/page/

I kept a loft in that building for a few years, back in the late 80s, early 90s, actually. There were still a lot of old timers left in the building and surrounding neighborhood.

I wouldn't equate the Union Terminal Warehouse (Eastside) or Cheek-Neal (Downtown) as Fairfield. Yes, there was maritime industry and wharfs on East Bay Street and along the railroads between Springfield and the Eastside.  Up to Union Terminal (along Hogans Creek) would have generally been considered a part of the maritime based industry on East Bay.  I've written several articles about this area over the life of MJ. Are these the areas you are referring too?


Did the black industrial district include the Union Terminal Warehouse (seen in top of image) or Cheek-Neal (center of image)?

Perhaps my confusion is the reference to Fairfield and Stadium District. These areas are east of Hogans Creek. Industrial areas here would have been the remnants of the SJRSC, Commodores Point and Talleyrand. When I hear Stadium District, maritime industry speaking, we're basically down to the SJRSC property and Commodores Point (both covered in the article below).

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-dec-the-sports-district-life-before-everbank-field/page/

The 19th century suburbs/neighborhoods in the vicinity of the stadium (south of Oakland and what's known as the Eastside today) were originally white. Commodores still exists today. What was left of SJRSC closed with the failure of JSI and the redevelopment of the stadium in the early 1990s. Downtown was essentially dead by then.

So I may just be confused with what's being called a black industrial district being torn down for the stadium district. What was the general boundaries and specific era of time with it being associated as black?

[thelakelander]

Also, there's not much phosphate, if any, being stored in Talleyrand these days. The mining areas near White Springs have been largely depleted and closed in recent decades, leading to the closure of related shipping terminals in Jax.

Where I grew up is the epicenter of the Florida phosphase industry. Much of bone valley's mines have been deleted as well. Consolidation (it's pretty much Mosaic now) has lead to 1,000s losing their jobs but the major plants remain in Hillsborough and Polk. The mines are pretty much centered around Hardee and Desoto Counties now. Unit trains run the rock from bone valley directly to the port in Tampa, which is why it's Florida's largest port by tonnage. The old mining areas around Lakeland are being developed into new uses (ex. Saddle Creek Park, Florida Poly University, Oakridge, Lakeside Village, etc.).

Btw, if anyone ever has the opportunity, a drive across the state via SR 60 or heading to SW Florida via US 17 is a must....at least once. All the mines, fertilizer plants and prairies make it feel like you're somewhere in the Midwest or Plains as opposed to Florida.

[mtraininjax]

1)   The seediness of having freight move through downtown contributed to the blue-collar aspect that Jacksonville is still trying to remove itself from, generations later.
2)   The concrete bulkheads were a way to clean up the blue collar trash along the river front.
3)   The hotel industry failed because they could not charge for ballroom rentals? That's absurd. The industry declined because people passed over Jacksonville for other destinations. In 1920, the Jacksonville terminal was the busiest railroad depot in the world, then south Florida got closer and closer and soon people chose it, and the evil mouse over Jacksonville. It had nothing to do with being able to charge for drinks in the ballrooms, it came down to people and attendance.
4)   The Baptists ruled downtown for many years, for sure.
5)   Where else should the City Sports district have gone? Southside? Mandarin? Beaches? Maybe it should have been moved to Baldwin, the folks in PVB would have loved that drive.
6)   I agree, the TIF was a disaster, a pre-cursor to what politicians do when they stop thinking, they tax the citizens.
7)   Parking Meters? How about the lack of good diners with great coffee? No signature destination for downtown. Really, Parking meters? Why not a lack of trees as a canopy?
   Agreed, the city should have acted faster and offered more to secure more people downtown and should be doing this now, to make it easier for colleges and universities to be downtown, free parking in (7) should be part of it. Downtown needs more people, plain and simple!
9)   Demolition is an extension of leadership, no leaders downtown during the time of the great teardown of downtown. Made the demolition companies happy, but turning revenue generating assets into land made no sense for the TIF or other revenue needed to keep downtown alive.
10)   This point misses the issue that there are no people downtown. In 10 points, you miss the issue that there are few residences downtown to support small businesses. You have to have the people there to be able to support the businesses, and the 9-5 worker is not enough anymore to support a business downtown.
11)   Read point #10, the loss was from the departure of the people.
12)   What did downtown need high speed internet for in 2004? Dial-up service was still the king for most small businesses followed by DSL and then cable. Fiber was available but even more expensive than all of them, but would prove to be the ultimate solution. The City lacked leadership to invest in itself, in fact, it still is, but the Pension is a huge issue to resolve before we can discuss new initiatives.
13)   La Villa will come back, just as Brooklyn is coming back. The leaders at the time decided to wipe out all non-moral compasses and La Villa was too seedy to bring in white collar jobs, so it got axed. 


Good article, but I think you need to delve deeper into the real cause of failure downtown, why did people choose to leave downtown and reside elsewhere? Stores moved, sure, but the people moved 1st, and the stores/retail followed the people.

[thelakelander]

Also, there's not much phosphate, if any, being stored in Talleyrand these days. The mining areas near White Springs have been largely depleted and closed in recent decades, leading to the closure of related shipping terminals in Jax.

True. These days.

^Yeah, I'd like to see the old PCS phosphate terminal put back into life in some sort of fashion. The few fertilizer plants (in comparison to what's in Bone Valley and what was in Hamilton County) were too far up Talleyrand to have much of a significant impact on downtown's decline.

Jax's limited phosphate activity was directly tied to the mines in Hamilton County. American Agricultural Works closed and was converted into the National Container paper mill in 1938 (my dad's first job out of college was here, when it was Owens-Illinois) and Kerr McGee closed in 1978. PCS would have been the closest thing to what you see at Tampa's port today but it only employed 9 people when it closed in 1999.  By comparison, consolidation and depleting rock reserves have resulted in the industry losing thousands of jobs over the last 30 years, yet Mosaic still employs around 1,600 at its fertilizer plants in Bartow, New Wales and Plant City. Typing all of this, I wonder where PCS is shipping out their rock today, since White Springs is still in operation.

Nevertheless, Talleyrand did have a negative impact on shipping in downtown. The municipal docks (now JAXPORT's Talleyrand Terminal) opened in 1914 and eventually much of the activity in downtown's wharfs relocated there.