(https://photos.moderncities.com/Cities/Jacksonville/Miscellaneous/Guerrilla-Art/i-CRwpBtf/0/57cd467a/L/Lift%20Ev'ry%20Voice%20sculpture-L.jpg)
Quote
Downtown Jacksonville is loaded with potential, and there are plenty of opportunities for new attractions that make the most of our unique culture and history. From fresh seafood markets to a Southern rock museum, here are 10 ideas for attractions that could and should open in Downtown Jax.
Read more: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/10-attractions-downtown-jacksonville-should-have/
Serious question - is there really enough La Villa left for there to be anything there? It seems like a collection of empty lots and new buildings now. The historic neighborhood is basically non-existent (as far as I could tell).
Quote from: Adam White on August 19, 2019, 08:57:44 AM
Serious question - is there really enough La Villa left for there to be anything there? It seems like a collection of empty lots and new buildings now. The historic neighborhood is basically non-existent (as far as I could tell).
Broad Street still has a collection of historic building stock that could serve as a commercial anchor for a restored LaVilla neighborhood.
This is an example from Memphis of a similar circumstance that can serve as a template for LaVilla:
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/memphis-beale-street-an-example-for-lavilla/ (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/memphis-beale-street-an-example-for-lavilla/)
Quote from: Adam White on August 19, 2019, 08:57:44 AM
Serious question - is there really enough La Villa left for there to be anything there? It seems like a collection of empty lots and new buildings now. The historic neighborhood is basically non-existent (as far as I could tell).
I'd say yes. On Broad Street there are several blocks where there are historic buildings to play with. Of course it would need a lot of infill even on that one street, but done right it could work. The situation is pretty comparable to Memphis' Beale Street, which has been successfully revived, and there are other models as well. It would, of course, take a lot of vision and coordination from the City.
Regarding the best place to get a Camel Rider: Edgewood Sandwich Shop never disappoints - always the freshest ingredients, and the nicest people ever!! LOVE them. (I removed the link b/c it did not appear correctly, but just search them and you'll get there).
Quote from: sandyshoes on August 19, 2019, 09:10:08 AM
Regarding the best place to get a Camel Rider: Edgewood Sandwich Shop never disappoints - always the freshest ingredients, and the nicest people ever!! LOVE them. https://duckduckgo.com/l/?kh=-1&uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FEdgewoodSandwhichShop
Nice! Will have to check them out.
Quote from: fieldafm on August 19, 2019, 09:04:58 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 19, 2019, 08:57:44 AM
Serious question - is there really enough La Villa left for there to be anything there? It seems like a collection of empty lots and new buildings now. The historic neighborhood is basically non-existent (as far as I could tell).
Broad Street still has a collection of historic building stock that could serve as a commercial anchor for a restored LaVilla neighborhood.
This is an example from Memphis of a similar circumstance that can serve as a template for LaVilla:
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/memphis-beale-street-an-example-for-lavilla/ (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/memphis-beale-street-an-example-for-lavilla/)
Thanks - and thanks to Tacachale, too.
I just took a ride down Broad street via Google street view and see what you mean. A bit sparse, but more than I recalled.
I co-wrote an article about LaVilla's Broad and Ashley District with Nassau County's Adrienne Burke last year for J-Magazine. Here is a link to the full article and a quote covering a five step approach to revitalization, free of charge!
QuoteResurrecting Downtown's historic LaVilla neighorhood is a work in progress.
After years of starts and stops, the revitalization of Downtown Jacksonville finally appears to be picking up steam. In the past two years, according to Downtown Vision, more than $80 million in projects have been completed, and another $2 billion are either currently under construction or proposed.
Nowhere is this more evident than in LaVilla, where after decades of broken promises, dreams and despair, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority is constructing a $57 million transit center, and under the guidance of the Downtown Investment Authority, more than 450 affordable and workforce residential units are being added to the mix.
While the DIA and the JTA should be commended for their efforts in finally jumpstarting LaVilla's rebirth, the reality of the matter is that, with a little understanding of the area's history, it could be much more.
Full article: https://www.jacksonville.com/jmagazine/20180617/here-is-plan-to-revive-lavilla
QuoteImplementing a resuscitation plan
With proper vision, planning and coordination, what remains of the storied neighborhood could serve as the foundation for infill and growth that preserves a part of Jacksonville's unique heritage and culture while assisting in the economic rebirth of LaVilla and Downtown.
Here are five steps that should be seriously considered to really resuscitate LaVilla:
1. Start by acknowledging how significant the neighborhood is, not only to Jacksonville, but nationally. Don't whitewash the history; understand that the community is important to black and immigrant history. Don't do something simple but not genuinely meaningful like a proclamation; instead, show its significance by being willing to commit resources in the form of money and staff to this effort.
In St. Petersburg, the Deuces was a vibrant community, home to more than 100 black-owned or -operated businesses and entertainment venues during the 1960s.
Ultimately, much of the community was leveled for the construction of I-275. Despite this setback, the Deuces is in the midst of a rebirth. Along with new infill, businesses and restaurants now occupy remaining buildings that date back to the neighborhood's heyday.
Moreover, the Deuces anchors the city's African-American Heritage Trail. Funded in 2014 by a $50,000 state grant from the Division of Historical Resources, the two-mile trail route honors and recounts the history and memories of the city's black residents through 20 historical markers.
Much of the recent success is due to St. Petersburg's working with the National Main Street Association to establish The Deuces Live Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes positive growth and financial revitalization while preserving the area's rich history.
2. Part of acknowledging the area's historic significance is also to acknowledge the destruction of that significance.
Utilize this chance to recognize past mistakes and highlight the history and culture of the neighborhood through community outreach and events. Ask people who grew up in LaVilla or who have family who grew up there, or past and current business owners and customers to participate in this discussion. People who were displaced or remain have an opportunity to share a vision for their community.
In Washington, D.C., the historic Bloomingdale neighborhood relied on volunteers to conduct oral histories, created a documentary video, produced an illustrated timeline and gave input on parks, community art projects and other amenities as part of a collaborative project on research and land use planning for their community.
A Bloomingdale resident and psychologist helped lead the effort, calling it a project combining psychology and design. The study efforts are being shared with the D.C. Office of Planning to incorporate into a cultural plan for the neighborhood.
3. Create a LaVilla-specific preservation plan incorporating the history of LaVilla and feedback from community members. Not only could this help LaVilla, but such a plan could also be used as a model for other underrepresented historic neighborhoods in the city.
The first step is to identify, survey and document remaining historic properties.
The second step is to get them protected through City historic landmark designation, most likely as individual listings. Landmarking is important because it provides a level of protection and an opportunity for additional sites to be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Historic buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places are eligible to use federal historic-preservation tax credits and historic-preservation ad valorem tax exemptions authorized by the Florida legislature. Preservation tax credits have been successfully utilized in Jacksonville already for more than 40 projects.
While a historic district might not be an option for the neighborhood, a conservation overlay district as part of a preservation plan for the area could be established.
Conservation overlay districts provide a method for protecting an area's scale, form and character, but at a less strict level than a historic district. Nashville is nationally known for this method of overlay zoning and now has 21 neighborhood conservation zoning overlays within its boundaries.
As part of a conservation overlay, design guidelines for infill construction, streetscape elements and signage could be included to make the neighborhood distinctive from the rest of Downtown, capitalizing on its real history as being diverse and culturally significant in its own right.
4. Focus on restoration of the core of LaVilla in the vicinity of Ashley and Broad streets. There's enough infrastructure here to add a unique setting to the Downtown that adaptively re-uses LaVilla's most storied remaining buildings with thoughtful, scale-appropriate infill with complementary uses utilizing established conservation district guidelines.
Beale Street in Memphis, Ashley's historic counterpart, was home to many blues and jazz legends, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Louis Armstrong during the early 20th century.
Despite being declared a National Historic Landmark, by the 1970s Beale had become a ghost town following a failed urban renewal project that displaced most of the community surrounding it. What was left of Beale Street was saved when the Beale Street Development Corporation (BSDC) was created and selected by the City of Memphis to redevelop two blocks of remaining buildings with a redevelopment strategy dedicating its efforts for the preservation of the street's rich history, culture and physical development.
Today, Beale Street is Memphis' most popular tourist attraction, drawing five million visitors annually.
The significant history and concentration of what remains in the vicinity of the intersection of Ashley and Broad Streets provides Jacksonville with a similar opportunity.
5. Last, for city-owned properties like the long-abandoned Genovar's Hall, learn from other successful Request for Proposal (RFP) projects, such as the Le Meridien Hotel in Tampa.
The City of Tampa awarded an RFP to Memphis-based Development Services Group to convert the building, originally a historic federal courthouse, into a 130-room hotel with event space and a restaurant. Noted as an iconic structure, the redevelopment on the north end of Florida Avenue was intended to spur revitalization.
The City of Tampa acknowledged the process wasn't easy, but leadership through Mayor Bob Buckhorn committed to the project and saw it through to completion. Said Buckhorn, "I never stopped believing [the courthouse] could be returned to its glory...[t]he job for us was to go find somebody who believed in the capacity of greatness that resides in this structure."
Jacksonville's leadership and Downtown advocates need to have that same sense of faith and support for the greatness of LaVilla and its history.
Quote from: Adam White on August 19, 2019, 10:00:21 AM
Quote from: fieldafm on August 19, 2019, 09:04:58 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 19, 2019, 08:57:44 AM
Serious question - is there really enough La Villa left for there to be anything there? It seems like a collection of empty lots and new buildings now. The historic neighborhood is basically non-existent (as far as I could tell).
Broad Street still has a collection of historic building stock that could serve as a commercial anchor for a restored LaVilla neighborhood.
This is an example from Memphis of a similar circumstance that can serve as a template for LaVilla:
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/memphis-beale-street-an-example-for-lavilla/ (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/memphis-beale-street-an-example-for-lavilla/)
Thanks - and thanks to Tacachale, too.
I just took a ride down Broad street via Google street view and see what you mean. A bit sparse, but more than I recalled.
The land COJ already owns can make or break the concept. That Genovars Hall block between Church and Ashley can either spur reinvestment with the existing surrounding historic buildings or sink the entire area. In the same way, the city just gave away three blocks for free to Vestcor, it should consider a creative RFP process to attract mixed-use development opportunities similar to Jackson Commons concept. A similar story applies to the building COJ owns between Monroe and Duval.
Also, people should not view Clara White Mission as an obstacle. There's a great museum on the third floor dedicated to Eartha White that should be promoted more. That building is also the former Globe Theater and their other building on the corner is the location where the first documented recording of the blues on a public stage took place in 1910. Their culinary program could be utilized in ways to activate certain historical spaces like Genovars Hall in a manner that doesn't necessarily have to rely on consistent foot traffic.
Then there's old Stanton, the old Richmond Hotel and Masonic Temple. At least two of those (Stanton and the Masonic Temple) aren't going anywhere.
Is there anything in MOSH or elsewhere that gives the history of Henry Klutho and his impact on the city? If not, that is a glaring omission, IMO. Considering the depth and breath of his work in the wake of the Great Fire, it could be a component of the Great Fire exhibit/commemoration.
Another idea that JAX could take from Memphis is the Mud Island representation of the Mississippi River. Substituting the St. John's for the Mississippi, of course.
Quote from: vicupstate on August 19, 2019, 10:14:19 AM
Is there anything in MOSH or elsewhere that gives the history of Henry Klutho and his impact on the city? If not, that is a glaring omission, IMO. Considering the depth and breath of his work in the wake of the Great Fire, it could be a component of the Great Fire exhibit/commemoration.
Another idea that JAX could take from Memphis is the Mud Island representation of the Mississippi River. Substituting the St. John's for the Mississippi, of course.
Great ideas! I don't recall ever seeing an exhibit on Klutho although there have been events hosted about him. It would be great to get an exhibit up. And Exchange Club Island is pretty far from the downtown core, but it has the potential to be even cooler than Mud Island.
Klutho absolutely must be included in the Great Fire exhibit. You might want to check w/Jax Historical Society and/or RAP on this, but in the late 1990's they featured the apartment that Klutho lived in until he died. I recall that the building was a home design or office design studio, and Klutho's pitiful little apartment was on a 2nd or 3rd floor. It had an unusual red bathtub that was very tiny - - maybe that was their shower pan at the time. It was very sad to see how Klutho fell out of favor with Jacksonville after he helped rebuild the place. His ashes are interred literally by the side of the road inside Evergreen cemetery with a simple plaque. Near a fence. Nearby is a mausoleum he had built for a local dignitary of the time, but part of the roof had fallen in and it was all deteriorating. (Again, late 1990s, that was a Pilot Club cemetery tour).
A Florida-Georgia Football Hall of Fame and Museum that can be accessed by the general public with a Jaguars/North Florida NFL museum would be interesting. It is already there is just needs to be enhanced and put somewhere that tourists could actually visit. It could be an excellent addition to potential tourists coming through. A Southern Rock Hall of Fame and Museum would be epic. If they are going to build it, I think it could be an excellent idea to combine into the Live! Venue.
I would say an updated MOSH is a must have. The museum is an embarrassment for a city the size of Jax and it honestly had something to do with why my wife and I left. Maybe not a big deal to everyone but... it should be.
Quote from: Bativac on August 20, 2019, 08:00:47 PM
I would say an updated MOSH is a must have. The museum is an embarrassment for a city the size of Jax and it honestly had something to do with why my wife and I left. Maybe not a big deal to everyone but... it should be.
There is certainly a lack of cultural attractions that have a huge affect on quality of life. When you look at lists of Top Things To Do in Jax, the Riverside Art Market is usually in the top 3. It isn't because RAM is that awesome, it is because there isn't anything else.
Quote from: Kerry on August 21, 2019, 08:23:03 AM
Quote from: Bativac on August 20, 2019, 08:00:47 PM
I would say an updated MOSH is a must have. The museum is an embarrassment for a city the size of Jax and it honestly had something to do with why my wife and I left. Maybe not a big deal to everyone but... it should be.
There is certainly a lack of cultural attractions that have a huge affect on quality of life. When you look at lists of Top Things To Do in Jax, the Riverside Art Market is usually in the top 3. It isn't because RAM is that awesome, it is because there isn't anything else.
Come on. Jacksonville has two good art museums. Oklahoma City has only one, Nashville has only a very small one, if you count the Frist, and even communities with reputations for the arts like Greenville and Asheville have only one. MOSH is planning a massive expansion (https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/museum-of-science-history-plans-massive-expansion/). Jacksonville also has a full time symphony with its own concert hall; I don't know of any others in Florida. We have at least three theater companies with their own theaters. We also have the Kingsley Plantation and one of the best zoos in the country. We're holding our own.
^But how many of them are in the urban area of Mandarin where new urbanist Kerry can enjoy them?
Before you say it, I know Mandarin actually has some neat cultural attractions, but I doubt Kerry does.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 21, 2019, 10:29:31 AM
^But how many of them are in the urban area of Mandarin where new urbanist Kerry can enjoy them?
Before you say it, I know Mandarin actually has some neat cultural attractions, but I doubt Kerry does.
I'm hoping for a Glenn exposé of Mandarin's finest establishments. That's how I'll know we've made it!