Springfield: What to Watch in 2014
The next 12 months are poised to see significant changes in the Springfield historic district with a number of projects, policy, and trends that could have a huge impact on our transitioning community... or not. No matter the outcome, here's what to keep an eye on in 2014.
(1) Mixed-use project at 1400 Main Street
A proposal for a four story, 100+ unit, mixed-use development was made public in the the Spring of 2013. The fate of the development depends on securing federal tax credits. The good news is that after months of delay, residents should know soon (beginning of 2014) if the project will move forward. The bad news is that securing the tax credits is a competative process, and other projects, like a similar development proposed for Downtown Jacksonville, are vying for the same pool of credits. If this project materializes, it has the potential to instantly jump start the struggling Main Street commercial corridor.
(2) Councilman Lumb's legislation to help potential renovators
For over a year, At-Large Group 5 City Councilman Robin Lumb has been examining the issue of how to get vacant, derelcit properties with mountains of accumulated code violation fines into the hands of property owners willing to renovate. Today, the owners of these properties have little incentive to sell or rehab them: the sum of fines inhibit owners from investing in their property, which are often underwater, and these fines even stick with the property upon sale to a new owner. Not exactly appealing to most potential buyers. Time is ticking down on Lumb's first term, and despite all the talk, no legislation has been introduced to resolve it. Is this the year?
(3) The EPIC Communities initiative
LISC engaged the Springfield and Eastside neighborhoods over the last year plus to particpate in the EPIC Communtities program, which sought to create grassroots improvement plans for the two areas, and provide funding for identified priorities. Residents and stakeholders attended a series of community visioning meetings and an extravagant rollout at Everbank Field, and were promised big things to come. To date, about $20k in grants have been awarded for several projects in the Springfield historic district. These are appreciated of course, but the big picture ideas and projects LISC spoke so eloquently about haven't yet gotten off the ground. Is EPIC just getting started, or did LISC over-promise? We should know this year.
(4) New Construction Homes
With the housing market in solid recovery and interest in our neighborhood continuing to rise, the next year could potentially see dozens of housing starts. TerraWise Homes and Low Country Classics are now established builders in the community, with plans to build more single family homes in the neighborhood soon. Jacksonville Wealth Builders purchased 50+ lots in 2013 with ambitious plans to build spec housing in 2014. Rumors and whispers of other unique projects involving container housing, modern design, and ultra-green housing also swirl about.
New construction housing not only creates excitement in the community, but also adds much needed density that's required to support and attract businesses. But how many new houses will we actaully see erected in 2014?
(5) Park improvements
Springfield received fantastic news in late 2013, when the National Park Service awarded a Groundworks USA grant to improve the Hogans Creek park system. The grant will be used to form a new non-profit, hire staff, and coordinate activities and small improvements projects in the parks. If these are successful, there will be opprotunities to win the big dollar federal grants needed to complete the environmental and structural rehab of creek system. This year, we'll see the formation of the new non-profit and their activities begin.
In 2014, we'll also see the first project materialize from the Hogans Creek Master Plan. A pedestrian pathway roughly following Hogans Creek, known as a "green way", should break ground in the next few months. The path will provide a contiguous bike/ped connection between the S-Line, which begins at the northern tip of Springfield, to Downtown Jacksonville and the Riverwalk. In anticipation of the green way, Greenscape recently planted a variety of trees in Klutho Park along the future green way.
(6) Downtown Jacksonville projects
Over the last 2 years, the urgency for revitalizing Downtown Jacksonville has steadily gained momentum. Organic growth is already happening, with businesses, both big and small, moving into Downtown and the Downtown Investment Authority beginning to implement incentive programs. Large redevelopment projects at The Shipyards, The Landing, Laura Street Trio, Haydon Burns Library, Ambassador Hotel, etc have been proposed as well, and all could be the first domino to fall in a slew of major projects. Or, they could stay ideas on paper. Why does all this matter to Springfield?
Downtown and Springfield are connected at the hip, more so than any other areas they border, for better or worse. Much like Riverside & Avondale, Atlantic Beach & Neptune Beach, or San Marco & Miramar, the health of each directly impacts the success of the other.
(7) District 7 City Council Candidates
City Council representatives who are engaged and interested in the communities they represent proactively seek to make good things happen in those areas. Fair or not, Dr. Johnny Gaffney, our current District 7 City Councilman, is viewed as being somewhat out-of-touch with issues concerning the Springfield historic district. Dr. Gaffney's second term is expiring in 2015, his last, and candidates are already positioning themselves for a run for the seat. Who will emerge as leading candidates, and how interested will they be in Springfield?
(8) New Apartments on 8th Street
In January of this year, Operation New Hope plans to break ground on a 14 unit mixed-income apartment complex located at 122 W. 8th Street. The project will be the first new construction multi-family development in the neighborhood since the Third & Main complex was completed in 2009. While some have had concerns about the quality of tenant in the future apartment complex, many of these concerns were addressed in a Fall 2013 community meeting, where the developer described a thorough screening process and market rental rates, more or less. The project should result much needed activity to 8th Street, an eye catching development on our second busiest avenue, and add density to support local business. But what will the ultimate impact be? We'll see.
(9) The fate of the Armory building
The recent saga of what organization will have an opprotunity to lease the city-owned historic Armory building, located across from the Springfield Dog Park, came to a head at the end of 2013, when City Council, due in part to Springfield community input, withdrew legislation to lease the space to a Confederate museum organization. An alternative proposal more popular with urban core residents, The ARTery, would place an arts & cultural hub in the building. Neither organization had a sound financial on how to pay for the required building renovations, estimated to be in the millions, so pulling legislation should give all interested parties time to prepare a more complete financial proposal. The arts would seem to be the most viable fundraising platform, but we'll find out in 2014.
(10) New people in old houses
Between homes in disrepair being renovated, and homes becoming available after ending their long foreclosure process, the past year saw dozens of previously unoccupied structures come to life. The next year promises more of the same, with about a dozen renovations already in progress that should come to completion, including jewels like the unmistakeable Queen Anne at 4th & Market (pictured left). In addition, entities like CDC Corporation, MetroNorth, and Jacksonville Wealth Builders plan to rehab houses in the historic district this year. In many ways, renovations have a greater impact than new construction, as they not only provide a home to new neighbors, but also remove neglect and blight at the same time.
So what will happen in 2014?
Who's to say? One thing is for sure-- there will be surprises.
Article by MySpringfield.org at https://myspringfield.org/news/people-places/73-what-to-watch-in-2014
A proposal for a four story, 100+ unit, mixed-use development was made public in the the Spring of 2013. The fate of the development depends on securing federal tax credits. The good news is that after months of delay, residents should know soon (beginning of 2014) if the project will move forward. The bad news is that securing the tax credits is a competative process, and other projects, like a similar development proposed for Downtown Jacksonville, are vying for the same pool of credits. If this project materializes, it has the potential to instantly jump start the struggling Main Street commercial corridor.
(2) Councilman Lumb's legislation to help potential renovators
For over a year, At-Large Group 5 City Councilman Robin Lumb has been examining the issue of how to get vacant, derelcit properties with mountains of accumulated code violation fines into the hands of property owners willing to renovate. Today, the owners of these properties have little incentive to sell or rehab them: the sum of fines inhibit owners from investing in their property, which are often underwater, and these fines even stick with the property upon sale to a new owner. Not exactly appealing to most potential buyers. Time is ticking down on Lumb's first term, and despite all the talk, no legislation has been introduced to resolve it. Is this the year?
(3) The EPIC Communities initiative
LISC engaged the Springfield and Eastside neighborhoods over the last year plus to particpate in the EPIC Communtities program, which sought to create grassroots improvement plans for the two areas, and provide funding for identified priorities. Residents and stakeholders attended a series of community visioning meetings and an extravagant rollout at Everbank Field, and were promised big things to come. To date, about $20k in grants have been awarded for several projects in the Springfield historic district. These are appreciated of course, but the big picture ideas and projects LISC spoke so eloquently about haven't yet gotten off the ground. Is EPIC just getting started, or did LISC over-promise? We should know this year.
(4) New Construction Homes
With the housing market in solid recovery and interest in our neighborhood continuing to rise, the next year could potentially see dozens of housing starts. TerraWise Homes and Low Country Classics are now established builders in the community, with plans to build more single family homes in the neighborhood soon. Jacksonville Wealth Builders purchased 50+ lots in 2013 with ambitious plans to build spec housing in 2014. Rumors and whispers of other unique projects involving container housing, modern design, and ultra-green housing also swirl about.
New construction housing not only creates excitement in the community, but also adds much needed density that's required to support and attract businesses. But how many new houses will we actaully see erected in 2014?
(5) Park improvements
Springfield received fantastic news in late 2013, when the National Park Service awarded a Groundworks USA grant to improve the Hogans Creek park system. The grant will be used to form a new non-profit, hire staff, and coordinate activities and small improvements projects in the parks. If these are successful, there will be opprotunities to win the big dollar federal grants needed to complete the environmental and structural rehab of creek system. This year, we'll see the formation of the new non-profit and their activities begin.
In 2014, we'll also see the first project materialize from the Hogans Creek Master Plan. A pedestrian pathway roughly following Hogans Creek, known as a "green way", should break ground in the next few months. The path will provide a contiguous bike/ped connection between the S-Line, which begins at the northern tip of Springfield, to Downtown Jacksonville and the Riverwalk. In anticipation of the green way, Greenscape recently planted a variety of trees in Klutho Park along the future green way.
(6) Downtown Jacksonville projects
Over the last 2 years, the urgency for revitalizing Downtown Jacksonville has steadily gained momentum. Organic growth is already happening, with businesses, both big and small, moving into Downtown and the Downtown Investment Authority beginning to implement incentive programs. Large redevelopment projects at The Shipyards, The Landing, Laura Street Trio, Haydon Burns Library, Ambassador Hotel, etc have been proposed as well, and all could be the first domino to fall in a slew of major projects. Or, they could stay ideas on paper. Why does all this matter to Springfield?
Downtown and Springfield are connected at the hip, more so than any other areas they border, for better or worse. Much like Riverside & Avondale, Atlantic Beach & Neptune Beach, or San Marco & Miramar, the health of each directly impacts the success of the other.
(7) District 7 City Council Candidates
City Council representatives who are engaged and interested in the communities they represent proactively seek to make good things happen in those areas. Fair or not, Dr. Johnny Gaffney, our current District 7 City Councilman, is viewed as being somewhat out-of-touch with issues concerning the Springfield historic district. Dr. Gaffney's second term is expiring in 2015, his last, and candidates are already positioning themselves for a run for the seat. Who will emerge as leading candidates, and how interested will they be in Springfield?
(8) New Apartments on 8th Street
In January of this year, Operation New Hope plans to break ground on a 14 unit mixed-income apartment complex located at 122 W. 8th Street. The project will be the first new construction multi-family development in the neighborhood since the Third & Main complex was completed in 2009. While some have had concerns about the quality of tenant in the future apartment complex, many of these concerns were addressed in a Fall 2013 community meeting, where the developer described a thorough screening process and market rental rates, more or less. The project should result much needed activity to 8th Street, an eye catching development on our second busiest avenue, and add density to support local business. But what will the ultimate impact be? We'll see.
(9) The fate of the Armory building
The recent saga of what organization will have an opprotunity to lease the city-owned historic Armory building, located across from the Springfield Dog Park, came to a head at the end of 2013, when City Council, due in part to Springfield community input, withdrew legislation to lease the space to a Confederate museum organization. An alternative proposal more popular with urban core residents, The ARTery, would place an arts & cultural hub in the building. Neither organization had a sound financial on how to pay for the required building renovations, estimated to be in the millions, so pulling legislation should give all interested parties time to prepare a more complete financial proposal. The arts would seem to be the most viable fundraising platform, but we'll find out in 2014.
(10) New people in old houses
Between homes in disrepair being renovated, and homes becoming available after ending their long foreclosure process, the past year saw dozens of previously unoccupied structures come to life. The next year promises more of the same, with about a dozen renovations already in progress that should come to completion, including jewels like the unmistakeable Queen Anne at 4th & Market (pictured left). In addition, entities like CDC Corporation, MetroNorth, and Jacksonville Wealth Builders plan to rehab houses in the historic district this year. In many ways, renovations have a greater impact than new construction, as they not only provide a home to new neighbors, but also remove neglect and blight at the same time.
So what will happen in 2014?
Who's to say? One thing is for sure-- there will be surprises.
Article by MySpringfield.org at https://myspringfield.org/news/people-places/73-what-to-watch-in-2014