Our History Disappearing Right Before Our Eyes

[sheclown]

Cohen residence declared a potential landmark by HPC. Demo COA denied

[hound dog]

So is that binding, since it's not in a historic district?  Can the city enforce that, or can the owner tear it down without consequences?

[mbwright]

Good to hear it was denied.  I know there are property rights issues, but this is important.  If it's any consolation, I have 2.5 acres on the northside of town that I would be happy to sell for $1m, or $900k, or less, and no demo would be necessary, only a double wide removed.   

[MajorCordite]

Just because one has a boatload of money doesn't necessarily mean one has a heightened appreciation or understanding of historically significant properties.  In fact, the problem everyone is ranting about occurs almost everywhere when it comes to highly desirable properties.  Many art deco homes have been torn down in the Miami area and replaced by McMansions that are nothing more than garish. 

Some people with money make the right connections and are able to buy "good taste" others just seem to roll on and spend their new money   like their ain't no tomorrow or yesterday.   Many highly successful people have large egos and they get great satisfaction when they make difficult things happen to specifically suit their needs.  Buying a vanilla lot in a new neighborhood, to build a house, is just too damn easy.   "I bought this house and tore it down when nobody else could, and I built my house here and there will never be another one like it on this street.  And if my cigar smoke offends you, tough sh**."

Sometimes when the country club doesn't let you in just wait awhile and buy the place and make yourself the director.  Just ask the guy who owns all the gas stations and is teeing it up at Ponte Vedra as we speak.

Up here in South Carolina many modern day developers have destroyed more significant properties than General Sherman did when he made his torchlight tour through the South.

[MusicMan]

I'm hearing a succesful resolution might be in the works. New buyer will renovate then sell the existing historic structure while building his own new home on a separate part of the parcel. Will update if I hear anymore.

[m74reeves]

How do I find out more about Hurston home preservation efforts?

[sheclown]

The Hurston home is privately owned.

It proved its landmark case to the historic planning commission and so should be a shoe-in at city council.  At this point, no additional work will be done.  The landmarking designation protects it from demolition in the future.

Some of us have talked about getting money to purchase an historical sign marking the spot.  This is something that the community could help with. 

[m74reeves]

an amazing woman hurston was...glad this was pursued and documented.

obviously a lot more research needs to be done to document other prominent african american jacksonville citizens.

[HisBuffPVB]

Not every old home is historic. A lot of homes in Springfield were thrown up after the great fire, stamped moldings rather than carved, and a lot have outlived their economic life. Not every home had a connection with a historic person. They were just houses, and most, wooden houses, that wear out after almost or more than a century. Its good to have an inventory of these houses, but sometimes, those that cannot be refurbished should be demolished and replaced with in field housing. The city should assist in making the determinations along with the owners and with the neighborhood.  It is good to save something that can be saved, but as I said, not everything is worth saving.

[thelakelander]

Historic districts are a sum of several elements, structures, events from a certain time period, that when combined that particular area offers a unique sense of place and quality.  So something as simple as a small shotgun house, a basic brick storefront or warehouse can play an important role in the overall make up of a historic community. 

When these things come down one-by-one at an alarming rate over a certain time period, a community's sense of place can become forever lost.  We don't have to look far to see the results of haphazard and senseless demolition.  Downtown, Sugar Hill, LaVilla, Brooklyn, etc. are all examples of areas that have lost that unique sense of place they once possessed. They are also areas where revitalization efforts have struggled because complete demolition means significantly investing large sums of money in new construction becomes of the only option to turn them around. 

Unfortunately, that's not the typical and most affordable method for revitalization, which is why many of these districts look the way they do, despite the entire country going through the largest urban redevelopment boom since the 1920s.

[Debbie Thompson]

I'm hearing a succesful resolution might be in the works. New buyer will renovate then sell the existing historic structure while building his own new home on a separate part of the parcel. Will update if I hear anymore.

Since new buyer has no interest in historic homes, this makes me almost as nervous as the original intent of demolishing it.  Not quite, but almost.  I hope he doesn't decide to gut the place and make it all modern, open concept.  I would feel better if he just sold as is to someone who wants to preserve it.  Or just made simple repairs to what exists and sell it.  I hope he gets hold of a preservation contractor who knows what they are doing.  :-(

That said, better than demolishing it.

[sheclown]

Halle Cohen residence will likely not receive landmark status. Comments from commissioners seem against it

[sheclown]

Commissioners deny the landmark status