Hogans Creek Park Master Plan

[fsu813]

missed this article last week:


This is a city of great potential.

It's high time to begin turning that potential into reality instead of pretty dream pictures tucked away in binders and stored on dusty shelves.

A good place to begin is Hogans Creek downtown.

Thankfully, a group of people, including City Councilman Johnny Gaffney, who represents the area, and members of the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, are doing just that.

There are 27 acres of park land surrounding the creek.

With much of the park designed in the 1920s by Henry Klutho, it once was a jewel for downtown. It has now fallen into disrepair.

Other cities would love to have such an asset downtown. We've let it sit in a shabby state for too long.

Jennifer Holbrook, a SPAR board member, talks excitedly about the possibilities for the park.

A master plan is being developed and should be completed next month. Design work could then begin.

There are hurdles to overcome.

Water and soil contamination must be cleaned up. That's a must anyway, because doing so would not only improve the creek but also the health of the St. Johns River.

Storm water issues must be dealt with and the historic assets of the park should be preserved as much as possible.

All of that can be done.

Now add new water features. Create a place for canoes and kayaks, maybe even gondolas. Add landscaping and sports amenities.

In other words, develop a park that would be a regional attraction, not just something for downtown and Springfield.

"It's an amazing opportunity to do it right for a change," Holbrook told me earlier this week.

She's right.

As always, finding the funding won't be easy, especially in these tough economic times.

But federal and state grant money should be available. Private dollars could be raised. And, like Houston is doing with its Buffalo Bayou park project, perhaps bonds financed by increased property taxes from new development the park would attract could also be used.

In fact, the Buffalo Bayou project would be a good one to learn from. Leaders there recognize that a park of this nature is as much about economic development as it is recreation.

Taking advantage of Hogans Creek and the park land there has long been a part of the "emerald necklace" concept included in the city's Downtown Master Plan.

It will take leadership and a long-term commitment, from the City Council, the Mayor's Office and those involved in the project, to go from concept to reality.

Hopefully, the pieces to accomplish that are falling into place.

As a native of San Antonio, I know what can be done with imagination and determination.

San Antonio took what was basically a ditch filled with water and turned it into an attraction that is now known throughout the world.

Hogans Creek can shine, as well.

As can the city's other areas of great potential, from the downtown riverwalks, Metropolitan Park, the Shipyards property to the JEA property on the Southbank, just to name a few.

It just takes leadership and commitment.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/columnists/ron_littlepage/2009-12-04/story/transform_hogans_creek_into_major_downtown_asset


(it's also referneced in the SPAR weekly newsletter)

[north miami]

The "Best" places were developed long ago.

That is why riverfront Downtown has been around for so long.

Let the flood of development and "beltway" spread out on in to infinity................the rest of us will turn happily 'inward' with the likes of Hogans Creek.

[Ocklawaha]

San Antonio took what was basically a ditch filled with water and turned it into an attraction that is now known throughout the world.

Hogans Creek can shine, as well.

Maybe so, but they'll have to do something about the sludge muffins and smell first.

OCKLAWAHA

[sheclown]

Is the "Master Plan" set on removing the balustrades? 

[Ocklawaha]

We also need to knock a huge hole in the JEA water plant, to join the park segments, the "Homeland Security" excuse for the GREAT WALL OF JEA, is tired. Certainly all of the danger can be contained in a much smaller fenced area, with people actually able to walk up and touch the historic building.

OCKLAWAHA

[fsu813]

"Is the Master Plan set on removing the balustrades? "

- nope.

[mtraininjax]

Stephen - Since downtown only has Met Park, and none other, perhaps the TU will mention it as part of the solution, or more likely, probably not. Met park is getting upgrades, as I walked by it on Jags Sunday. Looks like the boat slips got new power and the walkways were getting new signs and benches.

Citizens deserve both, where can you play sports downtown outside, except at the baseball or football stadiums? Our solution should be Hogan's Creek and the open space surrounding it.

[chris farley]

Last week Jennifer, Kevin White, Craig Pedroni (of Pedroni's Cast Stone) and I walked the creek.  Craig Pedroni is an expert and has worked on Riverside Park restoring balustrades.  One problem they have is that when they put them in, the rebar was carbon steel, which is rusting and as it rusts it expends and causes cracks in the balustrade.
What was most revealing was that the tide was out and water was pouring out of Confederate Park through the huge pipe that connects the lake with the creek.  This caused the creek to flow to the river and from the original little bridge the creek looked amazingly clean and was moving.  Whereas, when we got to the Pearl Street Bridge the swamp and garbage like water was awful.  It is a shame we cannot ask all the fire departments if they would give us a onetime rush of water from 8th Street, pump water like crazy into the creek and let the whole thing flow at least for a couple of hours.  Don't think the river people would like this but it certainly would help us.

[ChriswUfGator]

That'll just run all the garbage down into the St. Johns river, to wash right up in other places. Yeah, I guess you could flush out the creek, but that's only moving the problem from one place to another so a true cleanup and off-site disposal would really be what's needed. I wonder if Riverkeeper wouldn't be interested in getting something going on this? It is a St. Johns tributary, after all...

How bad is it anyway? I haven't seen that area of the creek in many years.

[Karl_Pilkington]

How bad is it anyway? I haven't seen that area of the creek in many years.

take a look at the photos in the MetroJax's story Chelleby's Angels, the second pick shows Hogans Creek, its pretty bad!

[ChriswUfGator]

Is it something that could be handled with a net at the opening?  something to catch all of the trash?

That's a pretty good idea...

I bet on a day to day basis a lot of garbage flows out of that creek into the St. Johns. The homeless use it like a trashcan, plus drainage no doubt carries tons of garbage into it. Some kind of grate at the end of it would probably be helpful as a solution to an ongoing problem. Even after you flushed it.

[ChriswUfGator]

How bad is it anyway? I haven't seen that area of the creek in many years.

take a look at the photos in the MetroJax's story Chelleby's Angels, the second pick shows Hogans Creek, its pretty bad!

Just looked at it. Wow, that's disgusting. Had no idea it was so bad.

Basically a giant trash can with some water in it...

[chris farley]

It could be caught with those oil booms, I think that is what they call them.  They put them on the ocean like giant snakes when there is an oil spill.  A one time flush would really help , some places on the creek look like the top of a giant cesspool. Actually I do not believe too much solid stuff goes into the river now but, the contamination and pollution certainly does, when there is a flood the water still does not move fast enough from the up creek to take junk away it just settles once again.

[Lucasjj]

I understand there are a lot of problems facing the creek, but is there anything a group of people could do to help clean it? Would a trash pick up or something on those lines do any real good, or do other measures need to be taken before something like that is actually worth while?

[north miami]

It could be caught with those oil booms, I think that is what they call them.  They put them on the ocean like giant snakes when there is an oil spill.  A one time flush would really help , some places on the creek look like the top of a giant cesspool. Actually I do not believe too much solid stuff goes into the river now but, the contamination and pollution certainly does, when there is a flood the water still does not move fast enough from the up creek to take junk away it just settles once again.

The fairly recent joint City/Fed Corp of Engineers proposal was a comprehensive "restoration" scheme.Dropped due to funding snag.Fishweir Creek proposal seems to be drowning too 10 Duval waterways identified for needed joint City/Fed restoration.

Interesting how this epic story goes untold...