Springfield Reigns in 2009 – Happy New Year Jacksonville

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So much progress has been made in my community in the 4 years I have been here, but if recent editorial/news coverage, paradigm shifts toward conservation and urban living, and a changing political and economic climate are any indicators, I expect 2009 to be the best year yet.

Just in the last week alone, the Times-Union, which normally categorizes every negative news event north of the St. Johns as occurring in Springfield, seems to be looking on the community with fresh eyes. On December 26, Tonyaa Weathersbee, penned a great article on Springfield’s revitalization that captured the area as indicative of “the collective future, that is, of this city.” Tonyaa bought a home in Springfield for the reasons that many have: the urban dream here is contrary to the isolation that interferes with social progress (it’s a real community), and to, “play a small role in slowing the suburban sprawl that was sucking jobs and capital away from Jacksonville’s urban core.”

See the rest of her article at: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/columnists/tonyaa_weathersbee/2008-12-26/the_roots_of_revitalization_run_deeply_in_springfie

Robert V. Lee III, the chairman and CEO of FreshMinistries, also sees Springfield’s potential positively impacting the quality of life and economic future of Jacksonville. In his December 31 letter to the T-U, in which he defends the re-development efforts of Craig Van Horn, he says “The work he undertook was, and is, critical to the economic and social future of our city.” This is right on, and imho, applies to anyone doing anything to contribute to Springfield’s revitalization.

See the rest of Mr. Lee’s letter at: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters_from_readers/2008-12-31/springfield_developers_work_deserves_praise

Also on December 31, on the front page of the T-U’s Metro section Mark Woods featured a story on a Nebraska teen marching in the Gator Bowl parade like her grandmother did in 1948. Her grandmother, Margaret Skaff Rooks, attended Andrew Jackson HS, and “goes on to fondly describe growing up in Springfield in the 1940s, the mix of people living there â€" Greek, Italian, Syrian, Polish â€" and the nearby movie theaters and shops in downtown.”

Springfield features as much diversity today, and will be the key to Jacksonville becoming a more cosmopolitan and educated city, while mitigating some social problems through job training and growth (not just feeding and housing the city’s lower income populace, but ultimately helping people to help themselves).

Springfield is the key to Downtown’s revitalization, the success of the city’s cultural institutions, the St. Johns River and the Hogan’s Creek park system becoming economic development assets, medical tourism, an improved college graduation rate (North Florida State College, or whatever FCCJ is becoming), and so many other future-building efforts.

Van Horn and many others are dreamers and, in a luster-losing way, amateur developers. But his impact, as well as that of Operation New Hope, Bank of America, FreshMinistries and a myriad of others that took a try at change early, has been felt. They garnered interest and support from some of the orgs/people in Jax - like the Weavers and Tony Sleiman - that are most able to contribute to the area’s complete transformation. But now that the truly capable “change agents” like Cesery Cos. and SRG have been identified, where are those contributors?

Thank goodness LISC is now supporting an increasingly sophisticated SPAR Council (though I know some disagree with this, the City and financial contributors know differently), and that Cesery and SRG are proven developers who are continuing to build through the financial turmoil that is rocking international, national, state and municipal economies.

Also on December 31, the T-U’s front page featured a story of some of Jacksonville’s major philanthropies raising $1.3M for a charitable safety net. (http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2008-12-31/fund_set_up_to_replenish_nonprofits)

“The Lucy Gooding Charitable Foundation Trust; Henry and Lucy Gooding Endowment; David M. Foster; the Fanny Landwirth Foundation; the Community Foundation; the Eartha M.M. White Memorial Fund; Lawrence DuBow; Martin E. and Brooke Stein; and David Stein,” the Weavers, Tony Sleiman, the estate of Louis Wolfson (who grew up in Springfield), anyone with ties to the Barnett family (Springfield heritage, too), the Jessie Ball DuPont fund, and all of Jacksonville’s charitable contributors need to think about the overall future health of the city and get in touch with Louise DeSpain at SPAR - 353-7727.

SPAR now has the charitable contribution programs in place to leverage dollars for maximum impact in the residential area, the commercial district (jobs are what’s needed, people, jobs), and what should be the 3rd most important tourism asset in Jax. Imho, Jacksonville’s Central Park (Klutho/Confederate), and its integration with the downtown core, should come 3rd as a tourist development asset after the beach and the River - major companies and people relocating rank outdoor space highly as a desired amenity!

I guess, in summary, it seems more of Jacksonville is starting to “get” Springfield and it’s importance to the future of the city â€" like Jeannie Fewell and Brad Thoburn of the planning department always have, and like Ms. Weatherbee and Mr. Lee continue to re-iterate. As we embark on a new year, I am hopeful that SPAR’s fundraising efforts for 2009, and a growing political will, can ensure things that need to happen to complete the transformation proceed:

1.   Continue the relentless attack on crime and trash.
2.   Continue upgrading infrastructure of all varieties â€" transit, park systems, stormwater management, street quality, utility.
3.   Continue development with density and connectivity in mind.

I expect President-elect Obama’s Urban Policy staff will take a look at all of these aspects of urban improvement to Springfield’s benefit (his NEFL campaign office was in the historic Klutho Building at 8th & Main, after all). Add political goodwill to the list of reasons for Jacksonville’s charitable contributors to take a good, hard look at how they can positively impact Springfield.

I am buoyed by an increasing number of positive press mentions of late, and will keep looking for more.

Happy New Year Jacksonville â€" 2009 is Springfield’s year!