The Ruins of Jacksonville: Hogans Creek

[Noone]

Springfield. Where are you?
Bobsims on another post you were going to contact Gaffney. Good luck. Time is running out and the Public Trust is just being totally destroyed in this community.
Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio will be in Jacksonville tomorrow to speak to our leaders.
What is Jacksonville's message to its residents and potential partners?
All one has to do is look at previous studies and protectionist legislation for the select few.
2011-560
2010-675
2005-207
2011-364
2010-856
City council meeting in 5 days.
Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting in 6 days. 9:30 council chambers. There will be an update on the Aug.31st FIND subcommittee canoe and kayak launch meeting.
Where is the Brown administration on this?
My only question.......Will we be telling the World

VISIT JACKSONVILLE!
           or
DON"T VISIT JACKSONVILLE!

I honestly can't tell you.
2010-604
Councilman Redman, provide the help so we can tell the world to VISIT JACKSONVILLE!

[Noone]

Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting in 6 hours. just got the agenda yesterday and the St. Johns Riverkeeper is on the agenda. Still seeking a letter of support from the (SJRK) Administration that would keep the Historic Promised 680' Downtown Public Pier (Shipyards III) outside the control of this new DIA. Anyone going?

The Commissioners of FIND are in Duval county this month. 2012-402 We just left $500,000 on the table in the last FIND grant cycle. The total destruction of the Public Trust. Backroom deals.5 years later still don't have a sponsor to take to the commissioners of FIND. We are so LOST. Palms Fish Camp -Who gets the promotion? Who gets fired? 2010-604, 2010-856

DIA Board meeting in 10 1/2 hours. 2012-623 was deferred at last nights city council meeting. 2012-624 was introduced. CRA reporting will elevate the Shipyards III Historic Promised 680' Downtown Public Pier throughout the state of Florida. Anyone going?

Anyone want to kayak Hogans Creek?
We Khan Make It Happen.
I'm All In

[duvaldude08]

I get upset everytime I look at Hogans Creek. I am still amazed that the city has let this happened. And those hazard signs are so embarassing. If I was visiting Jacksonville and wanted to walk into the park, I would turn around when I see a sign with a dead fish on it. Seriously they need to do something about this. Its like they dont even care.

[John P]

Got a fifty millions dollars? neither does the city.
Federal grants are needed.

[MEGATRON]

Got a fifty millions dollars? neither does the city.
Federal grants are needed.

$50M for what?

[Ocklawaha]

From Hogan Street, northward and slightly westward, all the way to the VA and Shand's we could include this as an environmental benefit of funding the Skyway extension to 8Th Street. The original plans have it running north on Hogan then following the south and west bank of the creek all the way to the hospital.

This is a project that Jacksonville could easily get funded. You'd have the elements of mass transit, environmental and historical which would sell the grant request to FTA. It needs to be a package deal, with grants from the various federal agencies dealing with each of those elements involved.

Question is does Jacksonville have the desire to move forward, and if sol, do we have the grantsmanship talent to put such a proposal together?

[Bill Hoff]

Grants are being applied for.

[BackinJax05]

Yet another forgotten, neglected piece of Jacksonville that has the potential to be beautiful. (Edison, Phoenix, Annie Lytle School, the Bostwick bldg, the old Barnett Building, Arlington)

If the bridges were a little higher and those God-awful pipes were removed, after a good cleaning of the trash, Hogans Creek would be perfect for canoeing and fishing.

(Actually, if people ducked their heads on some of the bridges they might be OK. But please, GET RID OF THOSE PIPES)

[Ocklawaha]

The good news is, bridges CAN be raised, so little to no historical damage there. Pipes can be raised or rerouted. Massive fills with freeway box culverts under them can't be changed without a major reconstruction so access between the upper and lower segments of the creek is cut off by the Arlington Expressway. A creek with a concrete bottom set about level with the mean tide would have to be dredged in order for canoe traffic to make use of it again. Lastly, restoration of the 3 lakes/ponds might go a long way toward restoration of the health of the waterway.

[If_I_Loved_you]

The good news is, bridges CAN be raised, so little to no historical damage there. Pipes can be raised or rerouted. Massive fills with freeway box culverts under them can't be changed without a major reconstruction so access between the upper and lower segments of the creek is cut off by the Arlington Expressway. A creek with a concrete bottom set about level with the mean tide would have to be dredged in order for canoe traffic to make use of it again. Lastly, restoration of the 3 lakes/ponds might go a long way toward restoration of the health of the waterway.

Troll talking and who is going to pay for this? Don't forget your dust?

[Ocklawaha]

Nobody, but the fact is the Arlington Expressway has already gone through some engineering and will need an overhaul in the not-to-distant future. The Skyway might eventually go north as planned. In either case there is an opportunity to change the future of the creek and make it family friendly.

[billy]

Has there ever been talk, sensibly or not) of reconnecting Beaver Street (currently truncated just past Palmetto)?

Restoration of three lakes/pond also means flood control and possibility of bio-remediation.

[Ocklawaha]

billy, check out my article: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-aug-the-electric-7-a-streetcar-proposal-on-a-shoestring

To reach the "7" line, the streetcars would need to use the cut-off portion of Beaver Street. I wouldn't restore it for automobiles as game day traffic going east on Beaver would clash with traffic coming down the ramp at A.P.Randolph and possibly create a I-95/JTB scissor cross over. Where the pavement ends the railroad tracks would continue, there is even the possibility of pulling in some grants for the waterway as a bridge would need to be constructed.

[Noone]

Do put too much into the article.  There is no hidden agenda saying Metro Jacksonville wants gondolas in Hogans Creek.  However, the waterway can be what you make of it.  The setting and existing environment could offer a mix of amenties to the local community.  For example, south of the Arlington Expressway you could canoe or paddle boat, etc because all of the bridges have decent clearance.









http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-nov-paddling-up-hogans-creek

Anyway, the point of the story is not to outright copy the San Antonio model or anyone else's.  The article strictly highlights a forgotten urban core treasure that should become a higher priority for the city.  Whether we attempt to stick gondolas in there, line it with restaurants, improve the water quality or just preserve the historic architecture will ultimately be left up to the city and community.  The examples are just there to show what other cities have done with forgotten canals, waterways and streams in their urban core.

Lake nice pics. That shopping cart in the top pic is outta there. Hats off to everyone that is cleaning it up and making it happen. The earlier posts are a clear indication that many have felt this sense of frustration.

Gaffney has lollipop money right now. This is Dist.7.

Use it or lose it.

Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting 2/10/16 9:30 am in council chambers. Open to the Public. Waiting to hear back from Daryl Joseph and Dan Durbec for the kayak launch location at Catherine St. On Hogans Creek being a KJB cleanup site for the March cleanup. Stay Positive.