Urban Jacksonville

Crayons, markers, scissors and glue sticks. Not the materials a serious vision make.

I stopped by the Hogan’s Creek visioning session in Springfield Monday night. I arrived late because I had to finish dinner and clean up the kitchen. There was quite an impressive turnout, but my first instinct was to take issue with the process.

Most of the plans I saw could have been drawn by a 3rd grader. I know this sounds harsh, so don’t get me wrong. I am not getting down on the people who participated, I am just telling you what it looked like.

I just don’t see how crayon and marker scribbles from 20 people can be translated into a coherent community vision. Again I am not poo-pooing the process, I for one am anxious to see the results. While the community might have good ideas it seems the real benefit from a session like this would come from inviting land planners, architects, and other professionals from the community to participate.

One such person did show up and his plan was by far the most professional and thought out effort of the bunch. Ennis Davis, from the Metro Jacksonville team, brought his Powers of Ten plan. Ennis makes the point in his plan that it takes more than just improving the creek bulkheads with landscaping, which most of the other plans focused on. It is about improving the creek and the surrounding area. His plan is based on the following premise:

…What makes great places great. It’s really a matter of offering a variety of things to do in one spot — whose quality as a place then becomes more than the sum of its parts. A park is good. A park with a fountain, playground, and popcorn vendor is better. A library across the street is even better, more so if they feature story-telling hours for kids and exhibits on local history. If there’s a sidewalk cafe nearby, a bus stop, a bike trail, and an ice cream parlor, then you have what most people would consider a great place… –Fred Kent, Project for Public Spaces

The main questions Ennis tries to address in his plan are:

How does Hogan’s Creek interact with its surroundings
What’s needed to draw residents to the creek on an around the clock basis

Ennis pointed to FCCJ as a huge potential draw of people to the creek but FCCJ largely turns its back on Hogan’s Creek. Hogan’s Creek and FCCJ have the single biggest opportunity for interaction than any other two elements in the area.

Right now the stretch of Laura Street between Springfield and Downtown is a veritable death valley. At least that’s how my wife and I describe it every time we walk into downtown from Springfield. No trees for shade, no interesting landmarks, benches or garbage cans. Just street, sidewalk, parking lots and heat.

Ennis would like to see strong ties between Springfield, Hogan’s Creek, FCCJ and Downtown. He feel this can be accomplished by increasing residential infill along this corridor with some some work force housing thrown in.

Can you imagine a day when teachers, city employees and students walk from their affordable houses to campus or their jobs downtown? This connection between dowtnown and Springfield is something both neighborhoods need. Once this is realized a truly vibrant downtown will begin to emerge.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 21st, 2006 at 3:41 am and is filed under Downtown Jacksonville, Springfield. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

thelakelander

All you need is a little creativity and land planning. Why can't the parkland being considered to become a surface parking lot, be used for mixed-workforce housing instead? It wasn't parkland originally, its south of the creek and currently owned by the city. Its also a much better use that connects with both FCCJ, the park and Springfield. Its residents would use the parks and planned greenway for recreation and selling the property (by RFP) would next the city a profit, that can then be applied to further park improvements, such as bbq grills, pavilions, landscaping, tot lots, etc. As for the church, let them park on the street, or work out a deal to use FCCJ's massive parking lots across the street.

Looking further down the road, what's FCCJ's future plans? Has anyone even consulted its officials? Do they plan to expand that campus sometime in the future? If so, it would be a good idea to get with them to coordinate those plans in a fashion thats pedestrian friendly and helps connect the parks, Springfield and downtown together.

Next, it was mentioned that JTA already has plans for a transit oriented development, with the land they own. We just need to make sure its pedestrian friendly. That's the entire west strip of Laura. How about the east?

Yes the reservoirs are there, but so is the old waterworks building that's supposed to become some sort of museum, as well as the greenway that will streak through there. That's a strong enough connection from Laura to Main, where the Park View and Main Street Lofts projects are planned and Confederate Park now sits.

Further up the creek (NW of FCCJ) the Jax housing commission owns a couple of housing projects. Similar to federal grants that rebuild Durkeeville's projects, why not plan something similar for that site's aging buildings, but interacts with the parks, instead of totally turning their backs to it?

Many of these things can be done, at the same time or even without the creek being touched, all it takes is being open minded, long term visioning, and coordination.
Downtownparks

I think the answer to to resolve the environmental issues with the creek, push to architecturally restore Kluthos work, add modern amenities to the mix along the planned greenway, then connect Hogans Creek into the River Walk system. It wont be quick or easy, but its the best plan for the park sytem.

The problem with Laura St in that area is what is using that dead space. South of 1st St, the first lot that can be developed is between State and Union across from the bank. I think it is owned by the JTA, so its possible someone could push the city to issue an RFP for it for workforce housing.

JEA has two fresh water reservoirs on the east side of Laura, FCCJ has their parking lots on the west, and then you have on parcel of parkland split by the creek, which Bethel wants to buy and make a parking lot. Aside from FCCJ selling parking lot space, what can be developed?

The bigger issue, in my mind, is the old Claude Noland Dealership and Park View Inn. If those were both turned into contributing structures, it would go a long way to helping. At that point, If FCCJ can be convinced to make the Main St Facade of their building at the corner of Main and State more Main St Friendly, then perhaps the entrance to Springfield will be more welcoming.
Lunican

Most of the "visions" that were being drawn up did not consider using the parks to enhance the connection between Springfield and Downtown. It's going to take a lot more than nice trees and new benches to get people to hang out along the shores of a toxic creek.

I think Ennis has the right idea.

Hogan’s Creek visioning process

Recent Comments

Archive »