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QuoteAfter decades of suffering from the ill effects of urban renewal, Jacksonville's 'Harlem of the South' has now become a hot spot for new infill development. Seeking to balance development opportunity within an area of significant black history, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) and Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) have teamed up to host three community meetings regarding the LaVilla Neighborhood Development Strategy. Here's the details!
Full article: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/jta-and-dia-partner-on-future-development-of-lavilla/
No, I don't live in Jacksonville at the present (planning to move back soon), but being that I lived in Jax as a kid, in LaVilla, at 817 west Duval Street, a block south of Ashley, I would love to attend that meeting, and give my input as well. I do remember the sights, smells, sounds, and "the life" of La Villa "back in the day;" and, I attended A. L. Lewis Elementary School in La Villa.
Ah, more downtown charrettes. Good stuff if more attention is brought to this neighborhood's resurgence. I just hope there are no additional design disasters like the sprawling LaVilla School of the Arts, and other such super-block projects. It would be nice to see more dense, middle-housing in LaVilla, perhaps dedicated to artists with their galleries on the ground floor.
This meeting has been postponed until September 4 2018, due to the recent event at the Jacksonville Landing.