The former Epicurean Cafe will be transformed into a community center for Gay, Lesbian Transgendered and Bisexual people according to Shawn McGuire, the co owner of Three Layers in Springfield.
There is a new not for profit board designed to create a space for the GLBT community to organize, hold meetings etc, and the project will be starting almost immediately.
Shawn is being aided in the effort by several people in the Jacksonville community, including Adrienne Lerner, another Springfield local. She and her husband are some of really fun progressive people in the neighborhood.
Also helping out is Brock Fazzini, the Ponte Vedra specialty coffee and tea products entreprenuer.
http://www.fazziniblend.com/
Also a block away, the fish market and seafood place is moving steadily towards completion.
Good deal on both. The GLBT center sounds good and hopefully, this can be the start of reunifying the community. Being up here in Nashville, it shows how far they've come, and it'll take a lot of work just to get to their level.
It will be nice to have some neighbors at 6th & Main. There's also a place named Fusion and another seafood shop coming to the corner of 8th & Pearl.
It looks like the real estate market falling may be the best thing to happen for Springfield commercially. With building/land owners bringing their leasing rates and asking prices back down to realistic levels, more opportunities exist for new venues to come into the neighborhood.
Quote from: stephendare on August 23, 2009, 03:27:19 PM
Main Street:
Three Pawnshops.
Carls Diner
The Chicken District.
A Fish Market
A thrift Store
A Gay and Lesbian Center
The Pearl
Burro Bags
Zombie Bikes
Waffa and Mikes
Chans
Wells Fargo
A-Z Sandwich Shop
Hair Salon
Three Tax Places
Various Auto related businesses.
City Kidz Ice Cream.
Uptown Market.
Anything else?
Wachovia and the Toy Shop at 6th & Main. You have the beginning of a district. Now its important to support the existing establishments, while pushing for complementing infill uses in the available spaces that isolate them.
Is there a website or phone number for the GLBT center?
awesome!
What is the Fusion place near 8th and Pearl?
BTW, stephen, I found it humorous to juxtapose "gay center" and "fish market" in the title.
Damn, Jaxnole beat me to the punch.... no pun intended.
So you like fishsticks in your mouth?
Smelly fishsticks with rancid tartar sauce.
Going to check with Shawn about his plans for the center. I support one, but I'm thinking it may not be as relevant compared to if this was 1988.
Way cool. It will be so nice to see the Epicurean building alive again! And that upstairs porch is just perfect for a rainbow flag. ;D
Quote from: JaxNole on August 24, 2009, 01:36:03 PM
Smelly fishsticks with rancid tartar sauce.
Sounds like a Dave R. quote. Glad I read that while eating my lunch. LOL.
Quote from: stephElf on August 24, 2009, 02:07:41 PM
Sounds like a Dave R. quote. Glad I read that while eating my lunch. LOL.
I believe he said something like that at Steamworks...or Starlite...or Kickbacks...or Park Place.
Hell, he could have said it anywhere.
Quote from: stephendare on August 24, 2009, 01:00:46 PM
Quote from: Bewler on August 24, 2009, 12:58:55 PM
So you like fishsticks in your mouth?
There are worse places for them, I suppose.
That was from southpark. Your thread title made me do it.
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! Zombie bikes? :o
We will be organizing a work day(s) to get the building back in ship shape. If you are interested in volunteering please email me at shawnsoldit@yahoo.com we could use the help. I expect this work day will take place in the next couple weeks.
We are SO excited about bringing the GLBT Center of Northeast Florida "The Oasis" to Jacksonville! The initial response has been overwhelming...and quite honestly emotional. It seems as if this was long overdue!
This will be an organization our community will be proud to support, and one that will attempt to serve every facet of our adult GLBT lives.
Thank you to JASMYN and UNF GLBT center for providing a service to our community. Be assured help is on the way!
Our wish it to Unite with all local GLBT centers.
Unified we will gain equality and the services we so desperately need.
Greetings from The GLBT Center of Northeast Florida, THE OASIS.
Although we are at our beginnings, the plan is to indeed open a GLBT Center at 1610 Main Street in Beautiful, Downtown, Historic Springfield. Shawn McGuire and Selecia Jones, both Springfield residents have joined together to bring this Center to fruition. We have made contact with a New York company who's sole purpose is to assist with the opening of GBLT Centers. We have received many positive comments from the GLBT community. Jacksonville is ready for a GLBT community building Center and we hope that you will be a valuable part of developing our new home.
We are meeting with attorneys to gain 501(c)3 status to allow for tax deductable donations to be made. We have a couple of web designers working on logos and web design.
The property has been a restaurant in it's most recent past. There will need to be some hands-on work to get the physical place cleaned up and ready. The doors of opportunity are opening.
We have procured a web domain name, http://www.theoasisjax.com and our email address is
theoasisjax@gmail.com
Thanks to everyone for their positive response to the very good news!!!
Shawn, I emailed you earlier about two of my friends and me.
Thanks for making this happen. One more sign of progress.
Quotefish market and seafood place
What's the story on this place?
The Oasis Jax is on the move with getting this place up and going. Meeting today with GLBT leaders to dicuss the best way to move forward.
Is the center just for events, reservations, meetings and whatnot, or is it going to be open on a daily-type basis?
I have a ton of ideas and quite a few groups who would like to get involved, so more information would be great! ;D
Who are the GLBT leaders ?
Good that something else is opening up on Main Street in Springfield. GLBT will be a good thing for that area and I know they also cater to all of Jacksonville as well in support of the gay community. Good for Springfield.
Heights Unknown
We look forward to exceeding all of your expectations of Oasis.
Please stay tuned!
Volunteer work day for Oasis Cleanup is scheduled for Sunday Sept 20th. If you are interested in helping clean the place up, landscaping, window washing, trash removal, ceremonial flag hanging, please join us from 9am until it gets too hot. We will have Pizza for lunch and beverages will be provided. Thanks in advance for you willingness to help!
Wow! We had almost 40! volunteers today! YES I said 40! We filled a 20 cubic yard dumpster in 1.5 hours, we hung a flag on Main Street Springfield, I met 30 new Jax GLB and straight people (we missed having someone from the Transgendered community...), we sparked additional hope for GLBT people of Northeast Florida and began the creation of our Oasis...and we did that ALL IN ONE DAY! I do want to say a special THANK YOU to our straight allies who live here in SPRINGFIELD! You worked your butt off today! You have offered additonal support as we move forward. Thank You, Thank You, Thank YOU! To Everyone else, I represent the GLBT community when I say, Thank You! Thank you for your willingness to make a difference in OUR community. Thank you for helping us see the how GLBT are different letters, but in the same alphabet. I look forward to getting to know you all as we support each other toward equality.
Sincerely,
Shawn and Jeff
Two of your fearless leaders
Quote from: shawnsoldit on September 20, 2009, 09:44:19 PM
Wow! We had almost 40! volunteers today! YES I said 40! We filled a 20 cubic yard dumpster in 1.5 hours, we hung a flag on Main Street Springfield, I met 30 new Jax GLB and straight people (we missed having someone from the Transgendered community...), we sparked additional hope for GLBT people of Northeast Florida and began the creation of our Oasis...and we did that ALL IN ONE DAY! I do want to say a special THANK YOU to our straight allies who live here in SPRINGFIELD! You worked your butt off today! You have offered additonal support as we move forward. Thank You, Thank You, Thank YOU! To Everyone else, I represent the GLBT community when I say, Thank You! Thank you for your willingness to make a difference in OUR community. Thank you for helping us see the how GLBT are different letters, but in the same alphabet. I look forward to getting to know you all as we support each other toward equality.
Sincerely,
Shawn and Jeff
Two of your fearless leaders
I'm a daily lurker on metjax, and RARELY post, but I could not ignore responding to this topic. I admire and am amazed by many people in Historic Springfield, but Shawn and Jeff continue to impress and WOW me regularly these days. They have brought so much positive to Springfield AND so much CLASS.
In two years time they have not slowed down once. I find each of them to be completely dedicated to improving Springfield, their ongoing passion is evident with the opening of Three Layers, Dwellings, The Cellar at Three Layers, and soon Oasis, in addition their activity in community groups and events such as SAMBA, Dog Days, their upcoming benefit jazz weekend, and many others I have missed. They took a risk coming to Springfield, they busted and continue to bust their asses, and they absolutely ROCK in my book! I say to myself often, "what could they possibly do NEXT??!!" And then there it is, a "next."
Springfield wouldn't be as much fun if I didn't have these two as friends. And truth be known, Jeff's Buttercream Cake with a big honkin' glass of ice cold milk doesn't hurt either!! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!!!!!
Last time I checked, there were conflicting reports on whether it was really going to be a fish market, or a conveince store that sells fish.
Also that they work late at night, so it's hard to tell or find out anything.