SPAR's Main Street Property Enhancement Program

[Jth]

Since a select few seem to think SPAR does nothing good for Springfield, I thought I would clear the air by highlighting some of the good work going on by the organization. A few months back SPAR was able to secure $70,910 dollars worth of free products for businesses on Main Street. There is $25,000 worth of decorative fencing, $25,000 worth of new signage, $12,750 worth of paint, and $8,160 worth of new awnings. The products were able to be donated as the result of a state tax program that grants businesses tax credits for donations to distressed commercial corridors.

SPAR is working with Ennis Davis of Metro Jacksonville, Corie Baker of C Squared Design, and Content Design to provide consultation and design services to businesses or property owners who seek to improve the facade of their building. The program is a shared cost program where businesses have to spend some of their own money in order to receive a portion of the donated products. For overall projects with a total cost of under $3,000 businesses will receive 90% of the products for free while paying for 10% of the cost. For projects over $3,000 the business owner will receive 65% of the products for free while paying 35% of the cost. The maximum amount of free product that is eligible for each business is $10,000.  Therefore plenty of businesses and property owners should be able to be apart of the program.

Business and property owners were sent a mailing about the program a few weeks ago and are in the process of getting estimates and submitting their applications to the program. If you are friends with any business or property owners along Main Street, be sure to encourage them to contact SPAR if they haven't already. If you have any further questions feel free to contact me at jeremyh@sparcouncil.org. I am SPAR's new revitalization planner and would love to hear of everyone's vision for Main Street. I will be sure to keep the forum updated on the progress of the program as it evolves.

[sheclown]

Jeremy, which businesses qualify? 

[Jth]

Jeremy, which businesses qualify? 

Any business that fronts Main Street between Phelps and 12th is eligible to apply. Obviously there will not be enough product available for every business. So the design team along with SPAR will determine which applications will do the most significant improvements.

[Jth]

And didnt SAMBA put this deal together?

Nope, all SPAR

[Jth]

hmmm.

maybe.  knowing both ennis and the guys from content dog, i suspect it has more to do with their commitment to the neighborhood than anything else.

Its not a maybe, it was all SPAR. SPAR was the one who procured the funding and is administering every aspect of the program. The architects are providing valuable input into the program and will hopefully do some great design work for the businesses along Main Street. Please keep the negativity and speculation out of a positive post.

[sheclown]

It would be nice if they just weren't ignored.  After all, the pawn shops were among the last standing during Main Street construction.  They should be rewarded, along with Carl's and A - Z, for hanging on for the last couple of decades.

[Jth]

It would be nice if they just weren't ignored.  After all, the pawn shops were among the last standing during Main Street construction.  They should be rewarded, along with Carl's and A - Z, for hanging on for the last couple of decades.

Of course they won't be ignored. A-Z already has renderings from one of our designers and will likely be apart of the program. We haven't heard from Carl's yet, as most businesses have come to us already. However we do plan on initiating some conversation with him.

[strider]

We own a business on Main Street.  We never got a mailing, but then again, SPAR came out against us so.... But we also just lease space rather than own.  Are we eligible or does it go to the owner of the building?  And if so, can we coordinate for the out of town owner?

I do have to say that one business who has checked this out was less than impressed with the reception he got. The business happened to be a rooming house. If you are the new guy, perhaps you will make even the "less desirable" businesses feel more welcome.

Yes, there is a little negativity with this post, but as many have had bad experiences, we are leery when something is brought forward sort of "after the fact" and after some pretty bad things have been brought out.  Realtively few seem to know about this program and that is a bit odd.

As to many of the ideas, the renderings we have seen are very good.  A-Z will be a good canidate and you really do need to include every type of business. Yes, even the rooming houses and pawn shops. They are part of Main Street and are not going anywhere.

[Jth]

We own a business on Main Street.  We never got a mailing, but then again, SPAR came out against us so.... But we also just lease space rather than own.  Are we eligible or does it go to the owner of the building?  And if so, can we coordinate for the out of town owner?

I do have to say that one business who has checked this out was less than impressed with the reception he got. The business happened to be a rooming house. If you are the new guy, perhaps you will make even the "less desirable" businesses feel more welcome.

Yes, there is a little negativity with this post, but as many have had bad experiences, we are leery when something is brought forward sort of "after the fact" and after some pretty bad things have been brought out.  Realtively few seem to know about this program and that is a bit odd.

As to many of the ideas, the renderings we have seen are very good.  A-Z will be a good canidate and you really do need to include every type of business. Yes, even the rooming houses and pawn shops. They are part of Main Street and are not going anywhere.

If you didn't receive a mailing that is exclusively my fault, not some effort from SPAR to shut you out. I simply went up and down the Jax GIS website and got mailing addresses from there. I also did a walking inventory of every business on Main Street and had one sent to the business location. What is the name of the business you run? I must have missed it. I have 5 letters in my desk that were undeliverable, so its possible it could be one of those.

As the business owner you would be eligible for it, but you would have to make sure your landlord would be ok with it.

I didn't personally speak with the owner of the rooming house, but know which one you are talking about. Simply put, there are no products in the program for him. The awnings and signage are for commercial businesses. While the fencing is intended to replace existing chain link. There is a good chance we will have a lot of leftover paint, in which case we are going to offer it to as many businesses as possible. We would certainly be willing to offer them leftover paint if we have some.

I fully understand if people have past issues in the back of their mind. This was meant to be an inclusive process and I have tried as hard as possible to send the program announcement to every single business owner. I don't think I would say relatively few business owners know of the program. In fact I would say nearly all are aware of it. A very significant amount of the existing businesses have already been in contact with us. We've been very busy lately tying up a lot of loose ends with the program and thus have not had the time to get out and talk to the businesses that we haven't heard from yet. I will be doing a lot of following up this week, so every business owner should be aware of it very soon if they aren't already. Shoot me an email at jeremyh@sparcouncil.org and I will forward you everything you need to know. Let me know your business and I'll stop in to chat when I'm out and about.

[jason_contentdg]

hmmm.

maybe.  knowing both ennis and the guys from content dog, i suspect it has more to do with their commitment to the neighborhood than anything else.

SPAR has been in the driver's seat for this program.  It is their baby, and we're happy to help out any way we can.

[thelakelander]

hmmm.

maybe.  knowing both ennis and the guys from content dog, i suspect it has more to do with their commitment to the neighborhood than anything else.

SPAR has been in the driver's seat for this program.  It is their baby, and we're happy to help out any way we can.

Ditto.  Give credit where credit is due.  The program is SPAR's baby.  Like Content, I'm just helping out in any fashion that I can to make Springfield a more attractive urban community.

[thelakelander]

It would be nice if they just weren't ignored.  After all, the pawn shops were among the last standing during Main Street construction.  They should be rewarded, along with Carl's and A - Z, for hanging on for the last couple of decades.

Of course they won't be ignored. A-Z already has renderings from one of our designers and will likely be apart of the program. We haven't heard from Carl's yet, as most businesses have come to us already. However we do plan on initiating some conversation with him.

I was in Carl's about a week or so ago and filled him in on the program.  He said he had received a letter and was interested in awnings, as well as trying to clean his brick facade.  Right now, he's more focused on surviving Main Street's construction but he mentioned he planned to contact SPAR to learn more about the program.

[sheclown]

Excellent!  Carl's is amazing.  How they have held on is beyond me and ought to be an inspiration to anyone going through any sort of adversity.  Same for the other businesses on Main Street.  Including the pawn shops.

...and their fries are terrific! (Carl's that is, not the pawn shops)

[fsu813]

I'm surprised that some people who are 'involved in the nieghborhood' didn't know about this.

Just by attending various neighborhood meetings i've been aware of this for sometime (months).

Attending neighborhood meetings regularly is encouraged if you'd like to be kept in the loop i suppose.

That being said, this general information was announced on SPAR's website when it happened though Jth went into far more detail.

Thank you for reminding those who missed it or just forgot, Jth.

I suspect that some could have missed other news as well.

Anyword on when the first actual work will happen?

This is sure to make a big difference in some businesses.

[strider]

OK, so, thinking I missed something, I just went back and reviewed several months of the SPAR Council website's front page.  Nothing about this program, but there are large gaps in the "Spar Speaks" posted.  Then I went to my e-mail as they used to e-mail me the SPAR Speaks.  Nothing since July and nothing about this program. I also know that I either no longer get them or ... because I found part of one from August 7th that wasn't posted nor e-mailed to me nor mailed to me.  It is true that I rarely go to a meeting.  I went to a few, but as I am not welcome, though they did indeed take my membership fee, it wasn't worth while.  No matter why I go, it will be assumed for some other reason.  Past experience.

So, this all inclusive program, how is one supposed to find out about it?  I understand the mailing to business owners and that it is possible to have a few get missed, but I am talking about the general public and members of SPAR Council. Until now, I knew only because of a conversation with a business owner and because, after that, someone posted about it on another forum.  Someone missed the boat here...this should have been pasted across every forum in Jacksonville as this is a great positive.  It is widely known that SPAR Council is not very good about communicating with it's membership let alone the rest of Springfield. Even those who are avid supporters have complained about that.

Jth, I will e-mail you.  Thanks for the response.   I am looking forward to meeting with you about this.  In case no one else has told you yet, we are the Thrift Store on Main Street, 1728 Main Street. I will call the owner of the building and ask him and, also,this would be a good thing for the other experts to address- while it is one building, it is four store fronts so are all the same or all different best?