Potential Demolition in Avondale

[samiam]

what's good for one Historic District is good for the other, no?

If I were czar for the day' i'd make be a coordinated effort on hearings such as this to get all 3 historic districts involved / get people to show up & write emails/letters.

You have to get more people in Springfield on board with the anti-demolition movement. We arent nearly as fervent as Riverside in that regard.

I agree all demos in designated historic district needs to stop. The stock of historic homes in Florida is very limited. I dont know how many houses close to or over 100 years old are here but it cant be that many.  

[samiam]

The charm of historic districts is that a small bungalow may reside next to a large home, unlike the cookie cutter subdivisions where there are six elevations, and all the homes are similarly sized.

I had a boss who lived in Jax Golf.  One day, driving down his street, he because distracted by some kids playing in the street. He drove in his driveway, and couldn't figure out why his garage door opener wouldn't work.  It took him awhile before he figured out he wasn't at his house.  He was a few doors down at a house that looked EXACTLY like his.  :-)

I'm with you, FSU, I have said on more than one occasion all the historic districts should work together. If we spoke with one voice about preservation, our voice would be so much stronger.

Great idea ! We need to form a Jacksonville historic districe coalition with the same basic goals

[Kay]

The charm of historic districts is that a small bungalow may reside next to a large home, unlike the cookie cutter subdivisions where there are six elevations, and all the homes are similarly sized.

I'm with you, FSU, I have said on more than one occasion all the historic districts should work together. If we spoke with one voice about preservation, our voice would be so much stronger.

Very well said.  What is wonderful about Riverside and Avondale is its diversity--the architecture, the socioeconomic mix, culture, building uses such as homes, apartments, commercial businesses. 

RAP reaches out to SPAR for support.  Louise DeSpain came to the LUZ hearing on Greenwood and spoke against demolition.  RAP and SPAR worked together on exempting the historic districts from advertising on bus shelters.  We will gladly offer our support when asked. 

[fsu813]

"RAP reaches out to SPAR for support.  Louise DeSpain came to the LUZ hearing on Greenwood and spoke against demolition.  RAP and SPAR worked together on exempting the historic districts from advertising on bus shelters.  We will gladly offer our support when asked."

- good to know that the leadership has been working together on certain issues. It would be great to get the general population involved on these issues as well, especially when a hearing has such large implications.

[Kay]

I hope all of you will attend the hearing on March 2 at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers. 

[choosing2disappear]

What's the big deal, these old houses are far too quaint for the tastes of modern americans. Old homes with plaster walls and uneven floors just can't hold a candle to the beauty of newly built homes.  Gated communities offer us comfort and security that the older, decaying parts of town will never have. It reminds me of a slum.

-Taxpayer

[urbanlibertarian]

Wow, now there's a refreshingly different point of view.  choosing2disappear, different strokes for different folks.

[AmyLynne]

What's the big deal, these old houses are far too quaint for the tastes of modern americans. Old homes with plaster walls and uneven floors just can't hold a candle to the beauty of newly built homes.  Gated communities offer us comfort and security that the older, decaying parts of town will never have. It reminds me of a slum.

-Taxpayer

Then let me suggest not buying a home in an HISTORIC district if this is the way you feel!!!



-Also A Taxpayer

[904Scars]

What's the big deal, these old houses are far too quaint for the tastes of modern americans. Old homes with plaster walls and uneven floors just can't hold a candle to the beauty of newly built homes.  Gated communities offer us comfort and security that the older, decaying parts of town will never have. It reminds me of a slum.

-Taxpayer

To each his own I guess, but if it went that way we would all live in cookie cutter homes and/or condos surrounded by gates and passcodes. Sorry but I find that extremely boring... zzzzzzz

On another note I'm glad this was posted as before today I had never seen what "Black Hive Tattoo" looked like before the renovations. It's in the article incase anyone is wondering what I'm referring to. It's the house marked "Gilmore" with the beautiful front porch.

[choosing2disappear]

What's the big deal, these old houses are far too quaint for the tastes of modern americans. Old homes with plaster walls and uneven floors just can't hold a candle to the beauty of newly built homes.  Gated communities offer us comfort and security that the older, decaying parts of town will never have. It reminds me of a slum.

-Taxpayer

Then let me suggest not buying a home in an HISTORIC district if this is the way you feel!!!



-Also A Taxpayer

How historic IS the district if it's permissible to you, to allow developers to buy up vacant lots and build "fake" historic homes, ( an activity which has been going on for years in avondale) which ape the mannerisms and appearances of older homes? You can not force time to stand still. Vacant lots exist, and "folks" should feel comfortable building anything reasonable on them, in the very historic district of avondale.

Several large  1920's homes were demolished in 2004 along may st in riverside. St vincent's sold them away. a huge 5 story thing now sits on the land. Where was your passion during that affair? Where was RAP?

[samiam]

What's the big deal, those new houses are far too bland for the tastes of modern progressive Americans. New homes with cheap construction on concrete slaps just can't hold a candle to the beauty of vintage built homes.  Historic communities offer us comfort and neighbors that the newer, sterile parts of town will never have. New homes remind me of a box of saltine crackers they are all the same .

-Taxpayer

 

[choosing2disappear]

What's the big deal, those new houses are far too bland for the tastes of modern progressive Americans. New homes with cheap construction on concrete slaps just can't hold a candle to the beauty of vintage built homes.  Historic communities offer us comfort and neighbors that the newer, sterile parts of town will never have. New homes remind me of a box of saltine crackers they are all the same .

-Taxpayer

 

Hmmm. interesting. Yet if you investigate the statistics of jacksonville, not just your immediate surroundings,  you'd know that the only place where your attitude represents the majority view is on this blog's message board.  My initial comment might get your blood up, but it is our reality. 

saltines? really?

[samiam]

What's the big deal, those new houses are far too bland for the tastes of modern progressive Americans. New homes with cheap construction on concrete slaps just can't hold a candle to the beauty of vintage built homes.  Historic communities offer us comfort and neighbors that the newer, sterile parts of town will never have. New homes remind me of a box of saltine crackers they are all the same .

-Taxpayer

 

Hmmm. interesting. Yet if you investigate the statistics of jacksonville, not just your immediate surroundings,  you'd know that the only place where your attitude represents the majority view is on this blog's message board.  My initial comment might get your blood up, but it is our reality. 

saltines? really?

Key word Progressive \Pro*gress"ive\, a. [Cf. F. progressif.]

1. Moving forward; proceeding onward; advancing; evincing progress; increasing; as, progressive motion or course; -- opposed to retrograde.

2. Improving; as, art is in a progressive state


Yes,saltines? really?

[grimss]

I'm trying to remember what large 1920s homes you're referring to on May Street.  Do you have any pictures? I know there was one that RAP worked very hard trying to find someone willing to move it.

As to why those demolitions were allowed by the city in direct contradiction to its own historic ordinance is a matter for Council to answer; only three of the council's what, 19 members?, represent the historic districts. Most of the rest of the council, unfortunately, doesn't care a fig for the historic districts. They're too busy green lighting zoning variances for yet another massive subdivision.  The ordinance is only as good as the folks who uphold it.

I will say that, re. May Street, I was appalled to see some really cool 1920s-era multi-family apartment houses get torn down last year.  When I asked Carmen, RAP's ED, how that could have happened, she clarified that parts of May Street (and indeed all of the St. Vincent's land) was exempted from the historic district when its outlines were first drawn back in 1985. Apparently it was determined that either 1) not enough historic housing stock was left to include that particular segment in the district, or 2) the property's owners (St. Vincent's) had the power to get the exemption. Maybe someone else can shed more light?

[grimss]

choosing to disappear, I meant to also address your question about developers and vacant lots.  This is called in-fill development, and it's a perfectly acceptable way to populate underutilized land.  Actually, I agree with you that we shouldn't have to build faux historic houses on these lots; there should be a place for modern homes and contemporary architecture in the district, too.  However, whatever IS built should respect the scale and set-backs of the surrounding homes (see San Marco for a place where this DOESN'T happen). I think Lowcountry and the other contractors active in the district are simply building what their customers are asking for.