Then and Now - Progress in Downtown Jacksonville

[claytonbixby]

yeah, what happened to bold architecture?  I guess with firms like KBJ around you can understand the blandness that we see around us.. not much of a stretch to make that connection.  

Unfortunately the cost of construction today prohibits some of the more ornate architecture.  As the old saying goes, "they just don't build them like the used to".  

[thelakelander]

Unfortunately the cost of construction today prohibits some of the more ornate architecture. As the old saying goes, "they just don't build them like the used to".

Even more reason to save as many remaining older structures as possible, instead of converting them into parking lots.

[Jerome Howard]

Why are we showing all of this?!? I think  we are giving downtown Jacksonville a bad rap! I'm sure that the folk @ city hall will lighten up and do better than what they are doing now. Give them some time.  >:(

[thelakelander]

This stuff has been happening for over 50 years!  How much time does this city need to change this devastating mindset?  To be the best, you have to accept and deal with your problems, instead of sweeping them under the rug and never addressing them.

While photos like this may make some sick to the stomach, they clearly illustrate a huge problem we need to deal with and eliminate, if the goal is to have a vibrant pedestrian oriented downtown.  I'd also say the bad rap does not come from photos, but from a trip once you get off I-95 and make it down into a core largely void of activity and synergy.  Go visit the downtown of a peer city and that rap gets even worse.  You can get tricked into coming down once, but not twice.  Lets deal with the real issues, instead of hiring consultants to come up with pipe dreams that will never work, if the basics aren't in place.

[Richard Bowers]

My family came back to Jacksonville in 1955, my aunts having been born here in the teens, my father having started first grade at Mattie Rutherford in 1918. Except for college, grad school, and a  tour as a circuit riding county manager in Eastern Kentucky, I have been back here since 1971. Most of the buildings that I have seen torn down that might have been saved were done in response to a specific need but without consideration of any overall plan. Some, frankly, had outlived their economic usefulness or would have been difficult to retrofit due to asbestos or room size and construction.
Many could have been retrofitted. But until recently, there has not been a core group of people concerned and there has not been a market for these buildings. We all know that it takes a consistent strong voice of many people to influence the design and guide the changes in downtown. I am really enjoying the ongoing dialogue on this website about Jacksonville. Thank you for making this happen.

[Steve]

Thank you for taking the time to read - I think the title says a lot.  There is nothing that can be done about the buldings that have fallen, but what we shoud do is use this as a wakeup call to say that we don't need to lose anymore buildings, and moreso, we REALLY don't need any more surface parking lots.

[Maria E. Mediavilla]

Any idea when the Downtown Design Review Committee will meet in regards to the First Christian Church preservation?!?
Downtown street scenes are long gone.
However,  there are still a few charming streets that take one back to a time period long gone.
Maybe KBJ Architects can be convinced that preservation is a positive reflection on their creativity.
Demolition of this some what historic building takes away from KBJ's architectural expertise.

[Lunican]

Maybe KBJ Architects can be convinced that preservation is a positive reflection on their creativity.
Demolition of this some what historic building takes away from KBJ's architectural expertise.

maybe not...

[heights unknown]

Looking at the pics of the Lavilla area brought back many memories.  Me and my Mom lived in Lavilla (817 West Duval Street) and I played around the area a half block from Davis and Duval (a coin laundry was on the northwest corner) where the old Flagler Hotel once stood, and rooming/boarding housees on the northeast and southeast corner, and an Army/Navy store was on the southwest corner.  I watched movies as a kid at the Ritz Theater (now an upscale theater), and also at the Strand down on Ashley Street close to Jefferson (the popcorn was always too salty).

This area of town (Lavilla) yes was the Harlem of Jax back in those days (early to mid 60's when we lived in Jax when I was a kid).  It was alive with African American businesses such as restaurants, laundries, confectionaries (stores), meat markets and small super markets, and clothing stores. People were always everywhere especially at night and what I remember most is the music blaring from the bars and clubs on Ashley Street.

I also remember the many times my Mother took me downtown which was always alive with people.  I used to love looking up at the skyscrapers because I was raised in a small town before my Mom took me to Jax to live with her.  From Lavilla you could always see the skyscrapers (Barnett Bank, Hotel George Washington, the old Independent Life, etc., and though these buildings are now classified as mid risers, they seemed super tall back then).  One of the posters in this thread, I think Oklawaha, left out two important department stores that my Mom and I shopped at, J.C. Pennys and Woolworths, right across from Hemming Park.  Hemming Park had a public restroom that was downstairs (it was awfully smelly and nasty but at least we had a public park), and there was also a Grandstand on the northwest corner.  Also, the City buses met and lined up at Hemming Park (Plaza) (right across from where the new library is now), and Hemming was the Central hub or hook-up for the City bus system.

All business was conducted downtown, paying bills, banking, shopping, movies, almost everything.

The picture showing Mainstreet in its last heyday with shops, restaurants, and filled with Pedestrians was taken on the corner of Main and Duval where in the early 70's when downtown was really on the decline, there was an Italian Restaurant on the southeast corner (can't remember the name (Bafano's?)), and on the northwest corner was a hat shop, and I frequented a bar called the Flamingo Lounge which was right next to the hat shop; this was from about 1974 to around 1979; the Italian restaurant would be razed in the late 70's I think, and the hat shop along with the Flamingo Lounge would be razed sometime in the late 80's and would remain a vacant lot for many years until the new library would be built with an adjacent parking garage.

Someone in the forum said that we are negative in exposing all of this; not so.  Jax has always wanted to be bigger and better than she could ever be (a proud city), and we were on the way but somehow lost our way.  Jax was the Jewel in Florida's Crown for many many years, first in population, first in stature, first in everything, and the State Government catered to Jax first for many years; now we are far down on the list even in back of cities that we know are smaller than Jax.  Consolidation I guess was a good thing, but to me we were clamoring to regain that "first" status that we lost. Had we not consolidated, I think Jax would be in even much worse shape than she already is in.  We would have a very small population for a big metro (probably under 100,000), and no telling how this would have effected the overall mentality and heart of the City; so we can, as I stated before, look at consolidation as maybe a good thing.

At any rate, this craziness has to stop.  Jax has to be more proud of who she is, plan and prepare better for her citizens and the city as a whole, and restore downtown to a new glory and forget the former glory because that can never be recaptured; but we can forge ahead and reshape Jax into the number one important city that she should be and is, ensuring that the people's best interests are first and the beautiful new buildings and other attractions are built to support the people who call Jax home.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

Maybe KBJ Architects can be convinced that preservation is a positive reflection on their creativity.
Demolition of this some what historic building takes away from KBJ's architectural expertise.

maybe not...

What building is this being razed?  Is that the Ambassador Hotel in the background being converted to lofts/residential?  It isn't the old Federal Reserve Bank Building is it?

Heights Unknown

[Jason]

It was the church right next door to KBJ.  They've owned it for years and let it rot.  then they decided to tear it down for more parking.

[thelakelander]

This site is now a grass lot.

[copperfiend]

This site is now a grass lot.

Should we be surprised? Maybe we can grow some tomato plants there.

[Ernest Street]

As we stood in front of the Florida Theatre, a WWII era friend of mine remembered registering before the Draft in the building across the street (occupied by the Ballet) He pointed out the Ugly facade that was put over the graceful arch.He commented that Jax lost it's head in the 50's,considered the past architecture an embarrasment, and started wiping out the history or bastardizing it.This was back when you drank your Whiskey straight,coffee was black and your meat was red!

[Houseboat Mike]

This site is now a grass lot.

And still is 7 years later.