SPR/Downtown residents, COJ wants your input...

[zoo]

...on the Hogan's Creek Parks System!

The City of Jacksonville is undertaking a Visioning and Conceptual Master Plan for the revitalization of the 27-acre Hogans Creek Park system, which forms part of Downtown’s northern boundary. An important component will be studies to minimize flooding, caused, in part, by an ineffective stormwater management system, as well as strategies to clean up soil and waterway contamination in the area.

The creek and its parks were once vital links in Jacksonville’s development. It afforded a beautiful promenade connection to downtown, and drew visitors from the region as well as travelers from throughout the country. The Downtown Master Plan identifies the Hogans Creek park system as part of Jacksonville’s “Emerald Necklace” joining the city’s downtown-area communities to the river. It’s hoped that it can be a regional lifestyle, economic development and tourism asset once again.

The resident meeting is being held on September 14, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. (show up and stay for however long you are able), at the Karpeles at 1st & Laura Sts. If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to HDR’s Project Leader, Tom Atkins (598-8945), so he has a solid headcount and enough chairs.

[JaxByDefault]

Would "Instead of spending 100 million dollars to 'fix' and 'recreate' Metropolitan Park, Kids Campus, and Friendship Fountain Park, COJ just fixes the fountain and invests the rest of the money in 'downtown flex space' that already exists: the Hogan's Creek Park system," work?


Just to get discussion going...

1) Scap the long-on-the-shelf idea that occasionally floats out of the Mayor's office to turn the Park View Inn site into a retention pond with landscaping and a fountain. There are better connective uses for that land. 

2) Fix the flooding on Liberty and Market Sts. The dog park is not a storm drain.

3) Improve the walkability and bikeability in and around the park, connecting the diverse "interest areas" from the dog parks, to ball fields, to play grounds.

4) Institute better policing and enforcement within the Klutho Park system.

5) Plan park improvements to work with future transit.

6) Incentivize and plan for surrounding development to work with the park. (i.e. restaurants with park-facing and accessible patios, walking/biking paths to connect pedestrian-friendly business areas with Main St. and the Park, etc.)

[thelakelander]

Good stuff, JaxbyDefault! Here are a few more things to consider.

7.) Work to make stronger visible and pedestrian scale connections (bike lanes, landscaping, wayfaring signage, two-waying streets, better lighting, etc.) on north/south corridors between the park and Duval Street. 

8.) Encourage FCCJ and Bethel Baptist's future expansion plans to integrate with the park system.

9.) Follow Project for Public Spaces' Ten Principles for Creating Successful Squares.  I know the entire Hogans Creek park system is not a "square", but the same principles apply.
http://www.pps.org/parks_plazas_squares/info/parks_plazas_squares_articles/squares_principles

10.).  Consider of making the area closest to downtown, Bethel, FCCJ, Karpeles, into a public square type of atmosphere by using the location near the college, Main, State & Union for higher intensity pedestrian scale uses.  Doing this you make the space a major gateway and focal point for DT and Springfield, plus you pull them back together to make one major urban core neighborhood as opposed to two separated by State & Union. 

[904Scars]

You guys have nailed this on the head. If I were better with words I would have said the exact same things. I would like to emphasize #4 as this is going to make visitors feel more relaxed and keep the areas looking top notch. Kudos to you guys!

[Cliffs_Daughter]

2) Fix the flooding on Liberty and Market Sts. The dog park is not a storm drain.

LOL - Yeah, I just got caught in the storm drain at lunch today. 

I really agree with the idea of getting FSCJ involved in their future expansion plans. It would really benefit them a lot.

[JaxByDefault]

As always, excellent points by Lakelander.

Numbers 9 and 10 are great ways to conceptualize the greenspace and adjacent development as a whole.

A successful revitalization of the park will require comprehensive planning (see 8 above), and would do well to identify "focus areas" for staged redevelopment. Which then begs the question, if you were designing the space for long-term, integrated use, where would you begin?

I'd nominate the Park View Inn, Orange St., Confederate Park area. Making this space priority would require addressing drainage and soil issues, adressing access issues to Springfield (two-way the block of Main between State and Union), connect the downtown and Main St. commercial corridors, aencourage use of existing but under/unutilized structures, and test incentives that would enourage private developers and land holders to conform to the overall vision for the spaces.

Also, if the city wants to effect real change and create a truly vital space, they will need to create a special zoning and development overlay for the park-adjacent areas.  

[Deuce]

Let me add, get rid of the invasive unprotected bird species (i.e. the Canadian geese) and relocate portions of the populations of the other birds. Their fecal matter is not only contributing to pollution in the form of runoff into the water, but also makes navigating the sidewalks a highly unpleasant affair. Plus one of the species is highly aggressive & territorial and will charge at people. While it will quickly back off, this is a deterrent to bringing small children to the park.

Incentivize and plan for surrounding development to work with the park. (i.e. restaurants with park-facing and accessible patios

Then they should probably turn down the requested rezoning of the property on Phelps near Ola. I think they are requesting light industrial, which sounds like another auto body shop to me.

[Dog Walker]

Deuce, Are you sure that those birds are Canada Geese or are they Muscovy Ducks?  Canadas are not usually agressive and Muscovys are.  Canadas have longer necks and what looks like a chin strap.  Muscovys are the ones with the ugly looking, red and black flesh around their face.

Muscovys are a domestic species and delicious! 

[Deuce]

It's not the Canadian geese that are aggressive, it must be the Muscovy's. The most aggressive are the all white ones.

To get rid of the CG, all the city needs to do is contact the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services.

I didn't know the Muscovy's were delicious. Let's organize a duck hunt and have a neighborhood duck-a-cue.

[Captain Zissou]

We need to bring the rep point system back.  Deuce's post gets 3 points from me.

[fsu813]

I RSVP'd for three.....

[Deuce]

We need to bring the rep point system back.  Deuce's post gets 3 points from me.

I don't know whether to say woo-hoo or doh!

[jrtmom]

I was at the first visioning session in July....and most of the suggestions here were mentioned, though I'm not sure they were recorded into such a good list!  Sounds like it will be a good follow up session.  From what we saw in July, the company that is doing the design work has done some other urban green spaces which have had some amazing results in bringing people into the core and enjoying it!

[sean]

Unfortunately I will be out of town but could someone please suggest for me that they dredge Hogans creek? Great start on the list so far!

[Sigma]

So, did anyone actually show up today?