The Ruins of Jacksonville: Hogans Creek

[Beloki]

I totally agree that this is a great opportunity to turn this into something similar as San Antonio's Riverwalk..... Think about the developments that would offspring!! I wonder if this can connect all the way to the riverwalk on the northbank??
Ahhhh,,, this should be a city's and developers dream!!!

[thelakelander]

^Its possible to connect them.  Its a part of the 2000 Downtown Master Plan.  However, who knows if it will happen in our lifetimes.

[JeffreyS]

Has the 2000 downtown master plan ever been posted here.

[heights unknown]

It's fine to have new leadership, but let's get new leadership in with a fresh new vision, focus, and guiding light relative to improving Jacksonville not only in the urban core but all around.  Our urban core and downtown, especially, have been neglected now for over 50 years...it's time for a change, and that change begins with new leadership that cares about Jacksonville's, history, her present, and certainly her future, all in a progressive light.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

Are they going to redevelop, reconstruct and/or improve this thing?  If so, when is the timeline to begin the construction process and finish?

Heights Unknown

[Omarvelous09]

I live across the street from The Warren Schell Jr Park (6th & Boulevard), and i see this sad site everyday. The city does come every now & again to paint the bridge and pick up the grabage, but the railings are still falling into the creek & the sidewalks along the creek are sinking....why isnt this a priority?

[TD*]

Nothing happens with out an investment. If all of you who commented on this thread wrote a letter to the city and showed up at a commission meeting expressing your feeling of reinvigorating hogans creek, it would get done. It takes effort on your part to alert officials of the wasted potential. I urge you all to show up together to a meeting and speak on it.

Write letters to the commission.


It will get done, but only if people put out some effort.

[Ron Mexico]

What a shame.  Could be such a great park....

[5PointsGuy]

Lol, love the Sim City reference...

[civil42806]

I made a comment on the FB post but I'll repeat it here. This is yet another example of how money is being wasted in the burbs at the expense of the core. Fix this creek! It's a shame what was once such a beautiful resource has fallen into so much disrepair! If you want more than homeless people in the spgfld/downtown core, you need to make it appealing to the citizens! Mayor Payton has lost sight of what so many of us "common folks" learned playing Sim City on the computer so many years ago!

Well with all due respect, don't think you can lay this one at Peytons door.  Unfortunatley the city has allowed this once great park decline to nothing.  Don't car for Peyton any more than anyone else but can't throw this one in his lap.

[RiversideLoki]

I suppose you're right. He does have his hands full with the courthouse, the skyway, the shipyards, the trail ridge dealio, the transit problem, and making sure the developers are taken care of (to name just a few.) I can see why he wouldn't have time or resources to devote to beautifying one of Jacksonville's both historic and promising public spaces.

So much to do, so little time.

[thelakelander]

^You definitely can't blame Peyton for the current condition of this space.  However, what about Parks & Recreation?  Aren't they supposed to be in charge of maintaining public park space?  Where have they been for the last 50 years?

[thelakelander]

Maybe its me, but its crazy to assume SPAR should be maintaining a mile long public park system.  The maintenance of the Hogans Creek Improvement Project fell apart decades before they were founded.

[brainstormer]

^ I agree, Peyton is not to blame for this.  It makes me think of our discussions to the posted thread below about Jacksonville's history of always taking the cheap route and trying to get by with very little.  No one in this city wants to pay for the quality of life they expect.  While money isn't always spent wisely, there is a mentality here unlike other cities I've lived in.  Everyone complains about how much everything sucks (roads, parks, storm drains, schools, etc.) but no one wants to pay the taxes that would be needed to make all of these things better.  This is a multi-generational view that I'm guessing has existed here for decades.

In my opinion, consolidation ruined this city.  If the city of Jacksonville was still small and included just the urban areas, we could vote to raise our taxes and in turn the money would be spent on things we prioritized, like creating a central park along Hogans Creek.  If you didn't want the higher taxes then move to the outer suburbs and enjoy not having parks or nice green public spaces.  As things stand now, the tax money is spread over this enormous landmass and it is hard to visualize where all of our money goes.  I vote the urban core and Springfield succeeds from the union. :;

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5268.msg82168.html#msg82168

[thelakelander]

I think it is crazy as well.  Insane in fact. 

But a properly motivated and educated citizens group could be pretty effective in that park.

To their credit, park advocates have been pretty effective in what they have been able to accomplish since 2003.  The parks are in much better shape and more inviting than they used to be.  Nevertheless, I do wonder why JEA fenced in the connection between Main and Laura.  Also, what's the deal with the greenway project?  I thought it was funded a couple of years ago.