Springfield Lessons for Regency

stephendare · January 23, 2009, 04:12:37 PM

Regency is going up thats for sure.

You know, Lake, I wonder if a year has been enough time to think about the lessons that Regency could learn from springfield's experience and vice versa.

We started the conversation but it didnt resolve. Wonder what you would think now?

I would think that it would be obvious that zoning is going to be all important. Also to resist the temptation of letting the district become the unofficial red zone in an attempt to contain criminality.

Group homes are pretty obvious.

anything else?

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 04:20:59 PM

I still think these communities are two different animals due to their style of development. The Regency area would be better suited to learn from other suburban areas like Normandy, Emerson and Baymeadows.

Right now its Anyplace USA with a dying central focal point....Regency Mall. Without that place being renovated in some form or shape (as a mall or a lifestyle center), that entire commercial district will continue to die just like the areas around Normandy Mall, Philips Mall and Gateway when their fortunes changed.

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 05:14:42 PM

Except Springfield is an urban district with gridded streets, historical building fabric, density, pedestrian friendly setbacks, parks and neighborhood commercial districts. Regency is a suburban area built from the start to accomodate automobile traffic. Because of this, it does not have gridded streets, pedestrian friendly setbacks and its built for regional commercial uses. These developmental differences make them different animals. What may work in Springfield may not work in Regency.

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 05:28:36 PM

Regency was not Arlington's original commercial area. Arlington's original commercial district was closer to the river, where University and Arlington Road meet. The issues that area faces and has been through are similar to Springfield's Main & 8th Streets.

Regency would be to Arlington what Gateway was to Springfield, Brentwood and New Springfield. A major commercial district on the edge of older communities fueled to life by a regional mall. When that mall begins to die, the complementing commercial base around it declines as well.

Regency's largest problem is its fortunes are based around a dying regional mall. Regency (not Arlington) has no sense of place. There is nothing special to rally and built around outside of that shopping center. On the other hand, Springfield has a sense of place. Neighborhood politics on how to address the centralized commercial district appear to be the larger issue.

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 05:38:13 PM

QuoteI would think that it would be obvious that zoning is going to be all important. Also to resist the temptation of letting the district become the unofficial red zone in an attempt to contain criminality.

Yes, these are things that should be avoided, but the major concern should be saving (or making over) the district's major anchor. If that is not done, everything else may be a lost case.

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 05:58:01 PM

This was a result of white flight, abandonment and the city allowing incompatible commercial land uses in the heart of a residential district. These events were widespread throughout the country, so we have a ton of good and bad examples out there to follow.

By the same token, Regency isn't the first commercial district to suffer from a change in retail demographics. There are good and bad examples all across the country and even Jacksonville. For example, Normandy is still trying to recover while the Roosevelt Square, Avenues Mall and Orange Park Mall areas are thriving after their makeovers.

I was in DC this past week. Several inner city DC neighborhoods, similar to Springfield, have come back to life by rallying around centralized mass transit improvements. I believe both Regency and Springfield would see success doing the same. Although San Marco seems to be okay, it would get stronger with decent mass transit, as well.

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 06:19:47 PM

Transportation is not an end all solution (nothing is), but it can become the catalyst that brings economic development, if planned properly. Transportation enhancements (streetcar and expressway) bought growth originally to Springfield and Regency. Transportation enhancements also lead to what the Southside and Port have become today and what Downtown was a century ago. Both Springfield and Regency would be smart to support the push for a regional mass transit system that brings major stations to their boundaries. This will give them the ability to attract Transit Oriented Development and become larger destinations than they are today.

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 06:36:45 PM

Quote from: thelakelander on January 23, 2009, 06:19:47 PM
Transportation is not an end all solution (nothing is), but it can become the catalyst that brings economic development, if planned properly.

I agree 100%!

thelakelander · January 23, 2009, 07:14:04 PM

In the long run, there should to be a plan or vision that converts the entire Regency area into a community instead of regional commercial strip.

The suburban development model Regency was created from is one that deteriorates when the newness wears off and is replaced by new trendy competition further down the street. The conversion of dying malls into lifestyle centers (a mix of retail, housing, office and entertainment) has been the big thing over the last decade or so. However, the country's current economic conditions will limit those opportunities as national chains close or put the breaks on expansion. Unfortunately, this can't be done unless General Growth either sells the property or does it themselves. Even if it is done, in a decade or two, the lifestyle center will face the same issue the mall is going through right now.

For long term viability, the entire makeup of that area needs to change from suburban strip mall corridor to a livable mixed-use community. That is where mass transit planning, walkable streets, TODs, travel patterns and rezoning issues will come into play.

tufsu1 · January 23, 2009, 09:37:54 PM

I recommend checking out the report from the charette that JaxPride did a few years ago

Charles Hunter · January 23, 2009, 09:44:49 PM

Unfortunately, the Regency study seems to be about the only one on the JaxPride site that does NOT have a link to the report:
http://www.jaxpride.org/dnn/JaxPridePrograms/JaxPrideCharettes/tabid/67/Default.aspx

tufsu1 · January 23, 2009, 09:59:46 PM

I have a pdf copy if someone can tell me how to upload it to this site

Charles Hunter · January 23, 2009, 10:08:00 PM

Heh - have to wait for one of the Board Gurus for that bit of knowledge.

Paging thelakelander ...

thelakelander · January 24, 2009, 06:41:38 AM

I remember seeing the JaxPride charette somewhere a couple of months ago. Was it ever adopted by the city?

tufsu1, to get your PDF version online, you'll have to save it as jpeg files and upload them to a photo host site (ie. www.photobucket.com). Once on the photo host site, all you have to do is insert the image's web address, with the image tags [ img ] and [ /img ] around it, in your reply box. If this does not work or if its too time consuming, email the file to me and I'll get it online for you.

Charles Hunter · January 24, 2009, 08:01:47 AM

Does the city ever adopt any of the JaxPride charettes?
I remember seeing it - somewhere - too, I think it called for extending Gilmore Heights Road (that little road that goes behind Home Depot to the north entrance of Regency) south until it meets Atlantic Blvd. at the main entrance - and splitting the mall into four pieces. Hope you can get it online.

Springfield Lessons for Regency

stephendare