Urban Jacksonville

UPDATE: The fence removal will include 4 lots on Main Street. SRG has agreed to manage the lots and keep them free from dumping and squatters.

SRG has received permission from Petra Management to remove chain link fence from the lot at West 3rd and Main. While this may seem to fall in the “Huh? How is this news department”, local neighborhoodies have been waiting a long time for this day.

The chain link fence has long been a visual blight on Main Street. Instead of looking like a community ready to shine it’s retail light, Springfield’s Main Street has resembled a prison camp. If you search for chain link on the SPAR forums you’ll find over 8 pages of references to various chain link related issues, obviously a hot topic.

Why have the fences been up for so long and what’s the big deal? I hear Petra keeps the fence up to prevent lot dumping, a pretty common neighborhood practice where people dump piles of junk on your lot in the middle of the night to avoid paying for disposal. Plus chain link is a pain to remove. Most of the aluminum posts that hold the chain link are anchored with concrete, not fun. SRG has volunteered to remove the chain link with it’s own man power.

I will point out that over the past few years Petra Management and Springfield have tried to mend fences (nice!) over issues with Petra’s tendency to squat on Main Street properties without foreseeable development plans. This is obviously one more step in a positive direction.

On a related note, I have independently confirmed that two Petra properties in Springfield are in “lis pendens“:

written notice that a lawsuit has been filed concerning real estate, involving either the title to the property or a claimed ownership interest in it. The notice is usually filed in the county land records office. Recording a lis pendens against a piece of property alerts a potential purchaser or lender that the property’s title is in question, which makes the property less attractive to a buyer or lender. After the notice is filed, anyone who nevertheless purchases the land or property described in the notice takes subject to the ultimate decision of the lawsuit.

2 properties in lis pendens

image courtesy of Paper n Stitch

Update! I’m giving away a free Arturo shirt to the person who comes up with the best reason why it matters that Arturo is moving to Springfield.

Arturo Clothing, a local clothing maker and friend of Urban Jacksonville, announced on their blog they are moving operations to the BBB Complex at 1520 Main Street:

We are moving our screen printing supplies into the Burro Bags shop. This will be a great opportunity for both us and Burro to feed ideas off of each other and expand our companies!!

View Larger Map

This is significant because it not only increases the retail footprint of the BBB Warehouse, but of Springfield. Main Street can now boast four lifestyle retail businesses in one location. All thanks to the benevolent landlord SRG.

1. Burro Bags – custom messenger bags
2. Zombie Bikes – bike co-op
3. Royal Treatment Records – record shop
4. Arturo Clothing – hand screened shirts, bags and knitted hats

5 Reasons Why The Arturo Move Matters

Sure, you can chalk one in the win column for my 2009 Predictions (yes, I’m keeping score), but it’s bigger than that. Here are five reasons why the move matters:

1. More bodies on Main Street means more money will be pumped into local businesses like Chan’s and the BBB itself. It will also give the appearance of activity and set the tone that something is happening on Main Street.
2. It’s a vote for Springfield retail illustrating the environment in the neighborhood is favorable enough to pick up and move current operations.
3. Power in numbers demonstrates to the benevolent landlord that there may be something to this little retail experiment, encouraging them to keep it going indefinitely.
4. Concentration of creative energy keeps everyone inspired and makes it more fun. Working in a vacuum sucks.
5. Fill in the blank and tell me why you think it matters. Yes, I know it’s a cop out, but I gotta go get ready for work suckas. The person with the best answer gets a free Arturo shirt!

Here is a background of the BBB Complex and a link to the
Arturo Clothing feature on the Paper n Stitch blog.

The troubles of Craig Van Horn have been many and varied. Most recently JaxScene documented that Craig hasn’t paid JEA $15,000 he owes on an electric bill. This non-payment may force the residents of the building out, including a local salon.

The tenants in 121 E. 8th Street including myself are currently all running around, meeting people and making phone calls. JEA was here last week trying to find our water valve so they can cut it off. Why? Our landlord, Craig Van Horn, has not been paying his bill.

There may be a silver lining to the Craig Van Horn legacy with the proposed purchasing of the Halsema building by Mack Bissette (SRG) and Jack Meeks (Meeks, Ross, Selander, CPAs). It is “under contract to be purchased”. SRG/Meeks still have to do due diligence including inspections and environmental. Provided due diligence doesn’t turn up anything unexpected, contract should go through. The Halsema building is located about 30 yards from 121 E. 8th Street so maybe there’s a chance SRG and Meeks will acquire that property too.

This is the first joint venture between SRG and Meek’s into Springfield’s commercial corridor redevelopment. The building is approximately 15,500 square feet on two stories, and currently houses a social service organization and a few renters in the residential units (approx 25% occupied).

The interior spaces are reportedly in poor-to-fair condition, but do feature some interesting urban achitectural features such as brick walls in the end units. SRG/Meeks plan to renovate the building into a Class A historic building, which will then be marketed as workforce and some live-work housing.

“Jack and I remain committed to this Springfield’s residential and commercial corridor efforts, and we look forward to transforming this historic building back into the gem it used to be,” said Mr. Bissette. “We’ll be taking our renovation inspiration from the historic picture of the building that is hanging inside Worman’s deli downtown.”

You can read about the initial discovery and demise of the Van Horn ownership of the Halsema building on Metro Jacksonville.

There seems to be no stopping SRG and their commercial/residential development machine. I know Mack and SRG conjure lots of differing opinions, but there is no doubt in my mind this new commercial development push is going to be good for Springfield. Look for SRG to release plans for several multi-family projects in the coming years.

Royal Treatment Records, Burro Bags, Zombie Bikes and gone, but not forgotten, Inertia. That’s what most people call 1520 Main Street in Springfield. Hardly anyone ever calls it The Buyers Market Lodge, but that was the original name, current name, future name, who knows. Tony Allegretti gives a nice history of The Buyers Market Lodge. Long live Main Street! Here are a few excerpts:

The Buyers Market Lodge was a concept/brainchild/idea that Triclops (owner of some bar on 6th – Shantytown) and I and our benevolent landlord (SRG) came up with to do three things. (1) Create a “place” on Main St, (2) create a few no to low paying green collar jobs, and (3) create a shopping experience of simple yet sometimes hard to find things the new urbanist (really any body, but it sounds sweeter) would want and need.

Matt and Chris (Burro Bags) hand craft these custom bags to your specs (if you wish) and they use recycled materials. Right now they’re kickin vinyl from billboards. Who said clear channel was rubbish? Now you can wear clear channel’s rubbish! They also pad bags for electronics/computers etc.

the real soft spot in my heart is the zombie bikes. These guys are solid. My daughters bike was swiped and she is just learning to ride. I dropped in to the shop (its like the taxi teevee show only greasier) and walked out with a spider man special. Under $20 and built to spill.

Thanks for the history lesson Tony!

More on The Buyers Market Lodge Complex
Polo Is My Life – Bury Your Bike Festival

A post on the SRG blog reveals plans for a renovation of the building at 1648 Main Street (pictured above). This is the building on the South West corner of Main and 7th.

Ready for occupancy in time for Main Street completion, the building will feature 3,500 square feet of retail or restaurant space and 14-foot ceilings. Sidewalk dining is an option, and parking exists on- and off-site.

The architectural renderings (below) reveal plans to leave the “brick arcade” intact, adding an aluminum canopy. Based on the renderings, there appears to be 4 bays for potential businesses.

SRG also recently broke ground on the Lofts at Third and Main project. The Metro Jacksonville post New Loft Project Breaks Ground in Springfield reveals the following about that project

the 38,969 square foot building will include 36 apartments and 7,500 square feet of retail space. It will also add a 3,000 square foot urban grocery market to Springfield’s Main Street corridor.