Downtown Disappearing Act

[Ocklawaha]

Worst part of it is that our artist could have kept right on going, along the riverfront down through Riverside, well into LaVilla to Cleveland (under 95) and in the foreground all the way to Talleyrand, with very few tiny exceptions.
Some of those "other" things?

Fairfield Park and Fountain
Florida Avenue Commercial District
Streetcar Academy
Streetcar Barns
Streetcar and City Power Plant
Atlantic and East Coast Terminal Company Station
Houston Street Warehouse District and Bordellos
Railway Post Office Building
Railway Express Terminal (Worlds Largest)
Fairfield (the neighborhood)
Brooklyn (the neighborhood)
LaVilla (the neighborhood)

Will the last person out PLEASE shut the gate?

OCKLAWAHA

[mtraininjax]

They should have at least saved the Center Span.

Why?

Progress of downtown looks great. When the businesses left downtown, did anyone think to save the Arcades? The saloons along the wharf? The residents demanded a different type of downtown. What we have now is great for the citizens of downtown. If you don't like downtown, you should move there and go see the mayor and city council and tell them what you and your masses want to see of downtown.

Next time the city takes down a bridge, make sure you have a plan to stick it somewhere. Maybe someone wants the old rusted thing in their park. I don't want it in Avondale!

[Timkin]

M there WAS a plan of relocating the Bridge.   Then that suddenly changed to making it a reef..

Not that we think they will be taking the Hart or Matthews down anytime soon but we will make sure to spare your Avondale neighborhood from these rusty old creatures.   Not to worry. 

[Timkin]

And to correct you,  Not that you would be corrected... the CITIZENS did not wish to see all of this get destroyed..

[Timkin]

Even I did not know that , Stephen.... For M-trains sake , im glad his neighborhood was spared. I wish he would have the decency to respect the opinions of those of us who would want to see the relatively few pieces of our Downtown (and surrounding areas) saved... But he does not, he will not, he can not, and I cannot waste my time or tempure on the like of his mindset.  I just hope for whats left of the Urban Core and surrounding areas that the majority of us WOULD see saved, that we can vote into office , alike-minded people who would genuinely love to see a truly revitilized urban core .  For people like him,  It is ok as it is .  so be that.  but its not ok with me.

[Timkin]

And to add just a footnote in response to his statement about going to see the Mayor and the council and tell them what we would like.... the Mayor has his own agenda. and some not all of the Council does as well... Historic Building preservation/reuse is not even on the totem pole let alone a part of it.

When M-train told me , Annie is going to fall before the next 20 years (and he may be right)  I knew that his stabs became personal.  It is certainly going to be my goal (and many others) to fight to ensure that this does not become the case, M-train.  I will waste no more time debating with you .. you have your opinions , and more of us than you , have another.

[CS Foltz]

Well with our current Mayor's lack of vision and some kind of a plan, beyond taking care of all of his buddies, the majority of the Council with the very same game plan, why should it matter what we citizens have to say about much of anything.............I mean we are just supposed to put up with it and pay for all of the mistakes those in charge make! Somehow, we need to take back control of our City and we need to do it now! The simplest way I see this to happen is for us who vote, do so and with some forsight and thought........the GOB Network needs to be set back and the Nifty Fifty need to be ignored...........money be damned, we need the best possible people overseeing things, not the incompetent unknowing, unthinking and nonprofessionals who try to convince us Plan A is in our best interests when anyone can see that Plan C is a better choice! Its up to us to make the change!

[fieldafm]

Um.  Mtrain.  The 'citizens' didnt make that decision.  No one asked them.
The same people who made those decisions had a highway planned right through the middle of your once worthless neighborhood until the citizens stopped them.

How ridiculous would that have been to put a freaking highway through Riverside???

By now the thing is probably a pile of rust on the Ocean Floor. Nice Going, Major Jake!

It does serve a good purpose now.  Its great for fishing grouper!

[ChriswUfGator]

Progress of downtown looks great.

LMAO!

At you, not with you.

[thelakelander]

I hosted my family reunion in DT this past weekend.  Many of my family members from other communities came to me individually wanting to know why the streets were so empty.  For the older members who remember DT from the 60s/70s, DT has done a disappearing act.  One uncle from Atlanta said it looked like we had completely abandoned our downtown and wanted to know where all the people/businesses left and moved to.  I told him the Southside and Beaches.

[fieldafm]

Lake, were you at the Hyatt Sunday morning?
I was out on a bikeride down the riverwalk and thought I saw you, but didnt want to yell into a crowd of people if I was indeed mistaken, lol.

[Timkin]

Progress of downtown looks great.

LMAO!

At you, not with you.

   RIGHT?

[Jaxson]

I hosted my family reunion in DT this past weekend.  Many of my family members from other communities came to me individually wanting to know why the streets were so empty.  For the older members who remember DT from the 60s/70s, DT has done a disappearing act.  One uncle from Atlanta said it looked like we had completely abandoned our downtown and wanted to know where all the people/businesses left and moved to.  I told him the Southside and Beaches.

Speaking of Atlanta, we could learn some lessons from Atlanta.  I would like to know where Atlanta went right in the 1950s and 1960s that allowed it to beome a leading city in the Southeast.  I have read various theories ranging from Atlanta's progressive stance on civil rights to its taking the initiative to develop a world-class airport.

[Ocklawaha]

Um.  Mtrain.  The 'citizens' didnt make that decision.  No one asked them.
The same people who made those decisions had a highway planned right through the middle of your once worthless neighborhood until the citizens stopped them.

How ridiculous would that have been to put a freaking highway through Riverside???

By now the thing is probably a pile of rust on the Ocean Floor. Nice Going, Major Jake!

It does serve a good purpose now.  Its great for fishing grouper!

It just took some of that good ol' Jacksonville Genius for more asphalt!

Not only Riverside, but a huge 6 lane "parkway" that was drawn to run as an extension of the "Acosta Expressway" right through the old Jacksonville Terminal Yard. It would have passed right between the current FEC RY and the so-called "Prime Osbourne", right under I-95, Behind the JTA yard and come out on Beaver Street at the railroad overpass. A monstrosity that would have FOREVER killed ANY chance at us regaining our position as the railroad passenger hub of the Southeast. Thank Ipthar they didn't do it!


OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

*Giggling ... .Ock ..where the hell do you get these pictures ?    Hilarious !