Piedmont Park: A Destination, Not A Pass Through

[mtraininjax]

If it was a priority to key leaders, it would be a different story.  But, it's not.  Most say 'Oh yeah, Hogans Creek.

Field - You da man! Thanks for sharing some light on this issue. It will take the right Mayor and administration to really want to have this change, just as it took the right administration to want to alter 12 blocks of Main Street during Delaney's term, only to find Peyton not continuing the good fight. Different people with different priorities.

I seriously doubt if a candidate could run on fixing Hogan's creek to gain more votes than the few here on MJ would provide. Most of the county only cares about their own backyard.

[fieldafm]

I seriously doubt if a candidate could run on fixing Hogan's creek to gain more votes than the few here on MJ would provide.

Think of how much political clout a sitting politician would have though if they were to rebuild this while in office.

There is a reason politicians like Jim King and Tillie Fowler become local legends...

[Captain Zissou]

Is it just me, or is large sprawling urban parks overrated? I guess that you would most likely disagree with me if you're a kite flyer, picnicker, frisbee tosser, dog walker (no offense Dog Walker LOL) etc. I look at Piedmont and most large urban parks as 'anyplace USA'. I can come up with about twenty places in the ATL I rather visit than Piedmont. Just looking at a perspective of what makes a large park park successful (atleast during the day) they all have one thing in common; They are around upper to mid class 'decent' areas and they have a perception of being safe; Like it or not, things like low income housing (like in the case of Hogan Creek) can have a negative effect on a park, esp with perception. 

I love this post because it makes so little sense to me.

First off, to have a large sprawling urban park, first you need the urban part.  Jax doesn't have the density of ATL in its urban core, so it is difficult to imagine a park of Piedmont's size in Jax, so I understand your false perception.
However, that park is part of what makes living in downtown ATL possible.  What would Manhattan be without Central Park?  Far more depressing, I can tell you that for sure.  You can't stack that many people in that small of a space without some sort of outlet for them.  Small plazas and pocket parks don't fulfill this need, only large grass filled parks do.  In dense urban centers, large parks aren't a luxury, they are a necessity.

In Jax it is different, but it doesn't mean we don't need a large urban park.  We don't currently have a very dense and populated urban core that would otherwise have no access to green space, but we someday will.  We also have the benefit of being on the river, near the beach, and close to undeveloped expanses of land that the city has procured and made park space.  Add to this the fact that nobody who can afford one goes without a car in this city.  All of that takes away the absolute dire need for a large urban park, but it is still important to QOL.  Large urban green-spaces make dense urban life downtown possible.  I don't think anyone would say those parks are 'anyplace USA'.  That statement also fails to consider that London, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin, Madrid......etc all have large urban green-spaces.  We have been building them for hundreds of years and they seem to work out great for everyone but you, I-10.

[simms3]

Amen Zissou.  It should also be pointed out that peer cities such as Charlotte are jumping on the bandwagon and creating great park spaces and urban trails and Nashville already has an absolutely wonderful urban park system in addition to a well maintained riverwalk.  Birmingham opened a wonderful park last year right in the middle of downtown that has become quite a large draw, and in addition to that it actually has some of the prettiest parks in the SE, one of which has the Botanical Gardens and the zoo (both free if I'm not mistaken) and another of which has that Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world.  The Vulcan statue is a cultural icon, a landmark for lost drivers, a tourist draw and really ties the city's past to its present.

New Orleans has some very famous large urban parks, as well, that have been highlighted on MetroJacksonville already before.  Audubon and City Park come to mind.

Saint Louis has absolutely one of the best urban parks in the country, with monuments and free museums and a free zoo and everything one could wish for in a great urban park.  This is in the West End over to LaDue, but downtown has its share of park space, as welll, in addition to a well maintained riverfront.

The whole state of Florida really lacks on the park front, but I see major strides being made (finally) in Miami, which needs parks more than any city I can think of and does not utilize its waterfront at all.  BUT major major donations from philanthropists to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars have been given for new parks and museums.

On the funding front, it ain't going to be the city that builds our parks, and in modern America since the 1970s it rarely if ever is.  It will have to come from donations and foundations and trusts.  This is why in addition to hipsters, artists, and higher taxes (imho), a healthy city needs lots of wealthy CEOs and philanthropists and major corporate sponsors.  A well rounded city benefits the most.

Back a few pages I summarized the funding mechanisms in place for some of the parks in Atlanta, including Piedmont.  It's all mostly private now, and parks are quite expensive.

[I-10east]

Why can't a park be a park? Doesn't it have to be urban, and large? I get that yall all have urban tunnel vision, but what wrong with pristine park out in a natural setting? Where's this supposed 'vast urban park' is gonna be in Jax? Everyone wants to make Hogan Creek a mini Central Park, but in TODAYS HC setting, I still haven't heard a logical answer yet. 

[Tacachale]

^A city with the best park and preserve system in the country should have good downtown parks. Currently all of our downtown parks are lacking if not totally behind (I'll leave out Friendship Fountain, as it's quite nice at this point, but it can't carry the load by itself.)

[Fallen Buckeye]

I think if Jax has a signature park, it would have to be the Riverwalks. If I were going to invest in a park, I think the Riverwalks are the first ones I would invest in. Jacksonville has the unique potential to have an amazing "blue space" in the heart of the city, and these parks have the qualities that you've talked about with others. They have a mix of uses. They have potential to really interact with the businesses on their peripheries (although they don't currently do a great job of this). They have some access to residential areas, but again this can be improved. Moreover they really seem to fit the character of "Florida's River City by the Sea."

I would personally like to see the Riverwalk linked in with one of the nearby piers, and have at least some parts opened to fishing (which I could see supporting some organic business opportunities like baitshops or so on). Maybe the Northbank should be expanded to Memorial which again links it to residential areas. Maybe we could have a grant program to encourage businesses like those in the Gulf Life building to interact more with the Riverwalk with better signage or outdoor dining.

This is the one park that I see as an underutilized gem which also has the potential to expand the tax base and could generate support from a much larger group of citizens. Plus, it has a character that could make it stand out in a crowd especially with what they've already done to friendship fountain.

[Coolyfett]

I think concerts at Metropolitan Park are a complete waste.  It's a good mile from the heart of downtown and offers little economic benefit to downtown businesses.  Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing more of its events shifted to spots like Hemming.  By the way, we also have Friendship Fountain and a good chunk of green
space lining the Northbank Riverwalk between CSX and the Landing that we do nothing with.  Imo, we have enough parks.  Instead of adding to supply, we ought to be investing and better maintaining the ones we do have.

Yea i see what you mean. Hemming Plaza is nice spot for events.

[thelakelander]

Why can't a park be a park? Doesn't it have to be urban, and large? I get that yall all have urban tunnel vision, but what wrong with pristine park out in a natural setting?

Nothing.  It would be nice to have a few in the urban core.  Btw, we actually have the parks already.  We just need to better maintain and utilize them.

Where's this supposed 'vast urban park' is gonna be in Jax? Everyone wants to make Hogan Creek a mini Central Park, but in TODAYS HC setting, I still haven't heard a logical answer yet.

We have a 'vast' historical urban park.  It's the mile long green space lining Hogans Creek.  All everybody wants is its grounds and amenities refurbished and maintained.  I'm not following what in today's setting makes that an illogical dream?  Also, Exchange Island is a pristine urban park that can be better utilized as well.

[thelakelander]

I think if Jax has a signature park, it would have to be the Riverwalks. If I were going to invest in a park, I think the Riverwalks are the first ones I would invest in. Jacksonville has the unique potential to have an amazing "blue space" in the heart of the city, and these parks have the qualities that you've talked about with others. They have a mix of uses. They have potential to really interact with the businesses on their peripheries (although they don't currently do a great job of this). They have some access to residential areas, but again this can be improved. Moreover they really seem to fit the character of "Florida's River City by the Sea."

I would personally like to see the Riverwalk linked in with one of the nearby piers, and have at least some parts opened to fishing (which I could see supporting some organic business opportunities like baitshops or so on). Maybe the Northbank should be expanded to Memorial which again links it to residential areas. Maybe we could have a grant program to encourage businesses like those in the Gulf Life building to interact more with the Riverwalk with better signage or outdoor dining.

This is the one park that I see as an underutilized gem which also has the potential to expand the tax base and could generate support from a much larger group of citizens. Plus, it has a character that could make it stand out in a crowd especially with what they've already done to friendship fountain.

The riverwalk can be a good linear park lined with a mix of uses but it lacks the recreational component.  By recreational, I mean playing fields, courts, etc.  Without recreating the wheel, Hogans Creek's parks already have these components in place.  It also has something like $1 million that been set aside for years to fund the construction of a one mile 12' multi-use path.  It's a huge asset, that with better maintenance can become a great amenity and economic generator for Springfield, Eastside, Sugar Hill, and Downtown.  Long term, it would be great to connect them (Hogans Creek parks and the riverwalk) as shown in the 2000 Downtown Master Plan.

[mtraininjax]

Saint Louis has absolutely one of the best urban parks in the country, with monuments and free museums and a free zoo and everything one could wish for in a great urban park.  This is in the West End over to LaDue, but downtown has its share of park space, as welll, in addition to a well maintained riverfront.

I went to St. Louis last year to get a car and we stayed down near Washington University and there were some great areas around it, nice parks, but also some ghetto extremely close to where the nicer areas were located. They do have some great, expansive parks, but would you want to enjoy them, if they were so close to the run down areas of town? I avoided the parks, needless to say, and the fact that it was 97, 99 and 93 the days we were there, not much of a fan of parks without a breeze or water.

A well maintained riverfront? Could it be because of a MAJOR tourist attraction in the form of the GATEWAY to the west? Having been up in the arch, there is a nice concrete park as well as a nice Park Service attraction there, but then there is really just a park similar to the one you see along the Northside of the Mississippi in New Orleans, levees, gates, and concrete, well lit of course, but not a lot there. The big difference is that St. Louis has the arch, and well, we have the Hyatt. They also have actual commerce going up and down the river daily, paddle boats, etc.

Could we raise the Maple and put her on display downtown? Or could Shad build us a new paddleboat, the size of the Maple and put it along the northbank? For a water city, our cruising should not only be limited to Mayport.

[fieldafm]

A well maintained riverfront? Could it be because of a MAJOR tourist attraction in the form of the GATEWAY to the west?

St Louis' waterfront benefits greatly from the gambling boats and river cruises.

[Fallen Buckeye]

@Lakelander - Point taken. I guess what I'm getting at is that we aren't using this asset to its full potential, and it seems like Hogan's Creek falls into the same boat. I'm not really all that familiar with the Springfield area or the Hogan's Creek Parks. I didn't realize that funds had been set aside for Hogan's Creek already.