Blighted Jacksonville: 1970s Style
The 1970s weren't the best era for America's cities and the scene in Jacksonville was not an exception. Outside of downtown, unpaved streets, industrial blight, overgrown lots, unchecked sprawl and declining established neighborhoods were quite the norm. Here's a look at the not-so-glamourous side of Jacksonville's past.
1. Mount Herman Elementary School in Durkeeville
2. Caroline Street and Broad Street (present day FSCJ Downtown Campus)
3. Emmet Reed Center in Durkeeville
4. 16th Street and Jupiter Avenue in New Springfield
5. S-Line railroad tracks near Davis in Sugar Hill
6. Spruce Street and Jackson Street in Brooklyn
7. 13th Street near the new Stanton High School in Durkeeville
8. Forest Street and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn
9. Price Street and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn
10. Riverside Avenue and Rosselle Street in Brooklyn
11. The Southbank's Treaty Oak Park
12. Post Street and King Street in Riverside
13. 15th Street and St. Clair Street in Allendale
14. Palafox Street near 13th Street in Durkeeville
15.
16. Amazon Avenue & Lucoma Drive in Pickettville
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. Beach at Emerson Street Expressway
22. Ocean and Forsyth in Downtown
23. Hogans Creek between Springfield and Sugar Hill
24. San Jose Boulevard
25. A study from 1970 on improving the Phoenix neighborhood. Still waiting 45 years later for implementation....
26. Aerial of NE section of Springfield Historic District
27. The new 20th Street Expressway at Liberty Street in New Springfield
28. Springfield railyard between Springfield and Phoenix
29. Map showing urban core and suburbs in 1970.
30. Incompatible land uses were the norm for working class Jacksonville neighborhoods.
31.
32. Clark Street in Springfield
33.
34. Julia and Orange Streets (present day FSJC Downtown campus)
35. Houston Street in LaVilla
36. 5th Street and Francis Street in Durkeeville
37. Chenango Boulevard in Pickettville
38. Park and Dancy Streets in Avondale
39. Avondale Shopping Center (St. Johns Avenue) in Avondale
40. Roosevelt Boulevard
41. Beach Boulevard
42. Beach and Atlantic in St. Nicholas
43. University Boulevard and Philips Highway
44. Train blocks University Boulevard just west of Philips Highway
45. Herring Road and Belford Road mobile home park in Tiger Hole
46. Abandoned truck on Acme Street in Arlington
47. Arlington Road and University Boulevard in Arlington
48. Merrill and Cesery in Arlington
49. Blight in Talleyrand
50. Soutel and Kings near Sherwood Forest
51. 1st Street South and 3rd Avenue South in Jacksonville Beach
52. Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach
53. 1st Street South & 4th Avenue South in Jacksonville Beach
54. Atlantic Boulevard (Beaches Town Center)
55. Phelps and Ionia in the Springfield
Source: Jacksonville Area Planning Board - 1970
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
2. Caroline Street and Broad Street (present day FSCJ Downtown Campus)
3. Emmet Reed Center in Durkeeville
4. 16th Street and Jupiter Avenue in New Springfield
5. S-Line railroad tracks near Davis in Sugar Hill
6. Spruce Street and Jackson Street in Brooklyn
7. 13th Street near the new Stanton High School in Durkeeville
8. Forest Street and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn
9. Price Street and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn
10. Riverside Avenue and Rosselle Street in Brooklyn
11. The Southbank's Treaty Oak Park
12. Post Street and King Street in Riverside
13. 15th Street and St. Clair Street in Allendale
14. Palafox Street near 13th Street in Durkeeville
15.
16. Amazon Avenue & Lucoma Drive in Pickettville
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. Beach at Emerson Street Expressway
22. Ocean and Forsyth in Downtown
23. Hogans Creek between Springfield and Sugar Hill
24. San Jose Boulevard
25. A study from 1970 on improving the Phoenix neighborhood. Still waiting 45 years later for implementation....
26. Aerial of NE section of Springfield Historic District
27. The new 20th Street Expressway at Liberty Street in New Springfield
28. Springfield railyard between Springfield and Phoenix
29. Map showing urban core and suburbs in 1970.
30. Incompatible land uses were the norm for working class Jacksonville neighborhoods.
31.
32. Clark Street in Springfield
33.
34. Julia and Orange Streets (present day FSJC Downtown campus)
35. Houston Street in LaVilla
36. 5th Street and Francis Street in Durkeeville
37. Chenango Boulevard in Pickettville
38. Park and Dancy Streets in Avondale
39. Avondale Shopping Center (St. Johns Avenue) in Avondale
40. Roosevelt Boulevard
41. Beach Boulevard
42. Beach and Atlantic in St. Nicholas
43. University Boulevard and Philips Highway
44. Train blocks University Boulevard just west of Philips Highway
45. Herring Road and Belford Road mobile home park in Tiger Hole
46. Abandoned truck on Acme Street in Arlington
47. Arlington Road and University Boulevard in Arlington
48. Merrill and Cesery in Arlington
49. Blight in Talleyrand
50. Soutel and Kings near Sherwood Forest
51. 1st Street South and 3rd Avenue South in Jacksonville Beach
52. Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach
53. 1st Street South & 4th Avenue South in Jacksonville Beach
54. Atlantic Boulevard (Beaches Town Center)
55. Phelps and Ionia in the Springfield
Source: Jacksonville Area Planning Board - 1970
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com