June 10th, 2010
Builder Receives Historic
SRG Homes & neighborhoods recently received a 2010 Historic Preservation Award from the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission for its property at
Article Courtesy of Florida Times Union @Home Section
May 11th, 2010
Everyone wants a home that fits their lifestyle, their family-size, and their tastes.
SRG offers floorplans that have been engineered to fit the modern lifestyle, while showcasing architectural features from earlier eras. SRG calls these homes “semi-custom” because, in addition to custom-quality features like substantial base and crown moldings, big, breezy porches, sustainable materials, high-tech wiring, and high-end plumbing and lighting fixtures, each one includes the flexibility for buyer preferences.
SRG will build the home you want on a property you already own or on an SRG-owned lot in Jacksonville’s finest neighborhoods.
Take a look at the floorplans below - then visit our model home and talk to a Lifestyles agent about your living needs and the personalization options available.
*Price Does NOT Include Lot
**Price Includes Building on a Lot in Springfield. Offsite Construction pricing will vary pending an evaluation of
site conditions, engineering & wind load requirements, and community architectural review requirements.
Bungalow Feature Sheet: Click Here
Craftsman Feature Sheet: Click Here
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January 22nd, 2010
Lisa Simon, Watson Realty
(904) 655-0346
lisasellsjax@gmail.com
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We look forward to hearing from you.
January 7th, 2010
Florida Times-Union Article:
Road construction on Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield neighborhood is almost done, and businesses like Team Recovery’s Thrift Store are thankful.
“While the construction was occurring, it got pretty bad for us,” store manager Tom McPhillips said. “It was dusty so we couldn’t leave the front door open and it was also noisy.”
As McPhillips spoke, the view from outside the window on the 1700 block of North Main showed a four-lane street with a tree-filled median with antique-style streetlights. City officials say all that’s left to do on the $14 million project that began in November 2007 is to install brick crosswalks. That will be done by next month.
The construction is part of an effort to revitalize the eight-block neighborhood and with it attract new, upscale business. And that has thrift stores like Team Recovery and pawn shops like Money Tree Jewelry and Pawn hoping to succeed.
But they also feel that the people who pushed for the revitalization - mainly, the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, a residents group that has worked with the city - don’t really want them around.
“My view is that a rising tide lifts all boats, but SPAR doesn’t seem to want us here,” McPhillips said.
Better than nothing
City Councilman Johnny Gaffney, whose district includes Springfield, said the pawn shops and thrift stores have a place.
“I would like to see a variety of businesses in the area that create jobs,” Gaffney said. “Pawn shops aren’t my first choice, but I would rather see a pawn shop than a vacant store.”
Louise DeSpain, the Springfield group’s executive director, said the goal is to attract more upscale businesses into the area.
DeSpain said SPAR isn’t hostile to the existing pawn shops and thrift stores and is working to develop a relationship with the ones on Main Street. But it prefers to see different types of businesses fill the many vacant stores along the road, she said.
The Springfield Historic District prohibits pawn shops, although existing ones have been grandfathered in. At one point, there were perhaps a dozen on Main Street. Now there are three.
“Only the strong survived,” said Gus Mashni, owner of Money Tree.
Mashni cannot move to another location on Main Street because his grandfather clause applies only to his current location. And if his state license that allows him to run a pawn shop expires, he’s out.
“That’s why I renew my license two to three months before it expires,” he said. “I’m not taking any chances.”
Gaffney said his idea for the neighborhood is to make a push for small businesses like a farmers market, grocery store or jazz club. There’s plenty of room. A walk around the neighborhood reveals about 15 to 20 vacant buildings along the construction area.
Business picking up
Wafaa Alabed has noticed an uptick at the restaurant she owns, Wafaa and Mike’s Cafe. But Alabed also wants to see more businesses come into the area.
The vacant stores need to be filled, she said.
“Right now, people don’t walk around this neighborhood,” she said. “I hope the stores that are vacant around here get filled, and the people who shop at the new stores come here as well.”
Gaffney said the new road will encourage people to walk around the neighborhood, thus attracting businesses. And he said more people are moving into the neighborhood because they want to live in an historic area that is close to downtown.
“If we can improve the quality of life and create an area on Main Street that is a safe place for people, then the entire area will become more attractive,” Gaffney said.
DeSpain said the end of construction would lead to a push for new development. SPAR is meeting with developers and encouraging businesses to come in, from high-end shops to small, boutique businesses.
“We’re going to begin a real push to get beauty shops, dry cleaners and other businesses into the area,” she said. “We’re working on attracting businesses that will appeal to people who work at Shands and others in the area.”
The historic district is eligible for federal tax incentives as an enterprise and empowerment zone. It can also get money from the Northwest Economic Development Trust Fund, which was created by the city to encourage economic development in the northwest section.
larry.hannan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4470
Read the story on Jacksonville.com Article Link
January 5th, 2010
Magic numbers: SRG Homes owns more than 150 scattered lots in historic
Little Feat
When times were good, SRG Homes was building mostly two-story infill residences amidst the venerable colonial revival, stick style, and Mediterranean homes of
But when the market shifted, CEO
“We [saw] a lot of people selling their larger historic homes and moving into cool loft spaces around town that were anywhere from 900 to 2,000 square feet,” says Realtor Chris Donovan, who handles sales and marketing for SRG Homes and bought one of the first bungalows for himself in July.
Quaint and yet contemporary, the little houses are now vying to grab a piece of that market by offering perks that lofts don’t such as larger closets, private outdoor space, and freedom from shared walls—bundled with the traditional details you’d expect to find in a historic district such as crown molding and brick porch columns. And starting at $205,000, they’re affordable.
Of course every historic district has its idiosyncrasies, and approvals for the diminutive bungalows have come with a twist. Whereas most infill projects must adhere to strict height limitations (established to prevent new houses from dwarfing older homes), the opposite rules of scale applied here. Permits for the first few bungalows were granted only on lots with sight lines extending to other single-story homes in the neighborhood to ensure the new kids on the block wouldn’t look too puny in comparison with some of the two-story residences built between 1890 and 1920.
December 29th, 2009
Found this text of a letter that Louise DeSpain of SPAR sent to Obama transition team on sparcouncil.org…Dear President-Elect Obama,
What an exciting time we are in, and what an optimism you and your promises of urban renewal bring to the Springfield National Historic District in
My name is Louise DeSpain, and I am the Executive Director of the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization (SPAR) Council (www.sparcouncil.org). As indicated,
Like many urban neighborhoods, Springfield began declining in the 1950’s, endured racial conflict in the 1960s, and continued into physical, economic and educational deterioration, with increases in crime, drug usage/addiction, and teen birth/infant mortality rates well into the 1990s.
I believe you have familiarity with our neighborhood, as your
Through resident commitment, municipal, state and federal programs, and with recent support from our District 7 Councilmember, Dr. Johnny Gaffney, Springfield has made much progress doing all of the “right” things:
- In 1987, a one-mile square area founded in 1869 and containing a significant number of homes and commercial buildings constructed from the 1890s-1920s, was designated the Springfield National Historic District (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Jacksonville,_Florida);
- In 1994, the Springfield area and many of its surrounding neighborhoods were designated a Federal Empowerment Zone;
- In 1995, the State of Florida passed similar legislation designating the area a Florida Enterprise Zone. SPAR now fundraises in three key areas, Residential Safety & Maintenance, Commercial Corridor Revitalization, and Hogan’s Creek Parks Revitalization, through the Enterprise Zone’s Community Contribution Tax Credit program (§220.183 F.S.);
- In 2001, the Springfield Historic District Zoning Overlay was enacted, protecting the community from new infiltration of inappropriate land uses;
- Since 2003, the City of Jacksonville has invested more than $20M on streetscape improvement, including new underground utility, sewer and stormwater infrastructure, on our two main commercial corridors, Main Street and 8th Street;
- Between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, SHARP grants and façade grants were available to support existing, and attract new, residents and businesses in the area;
- Springfield has been working closely with its primary “economic engines,” UF/Shands Jacksonville, Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ) and Bethel Baptist.
o UF/Shands is the
o FCCJ is the region’s community college focused on transitional jobs and career pathways, and has recently been designated a State College that will offer four-year workforce training and bachelor’s degrees;
- The community has attracted a couple of private developers who are affecting positive change – SRG Homes & Neighborhoods (srghomes.com) builds historically-appropriate, single- and multi-family infill homes, and utilizes Empowerment and FLEnterprise Zone credits. And Cesery Cos. is building the first new building on
- SPAR has been in close partnership with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) for the past three years. Springfield hosts a monthly Sheriff’s Advisory Committee (SHADCO) meeting, and SPAR, working with private partners, has funded in excess of $500,000 of community policing over that time period;
- Since 2006, SPAR has worked closely with the City of Jacksonville’s Code Compliance division to enforce municipal code violations in the community that continue to cause blight and deterioration. SPAR has a very successful Block Captains program and ,with the support of private partners, funded in excess of $500,000 of litter and trash removal;
- SPAR has expressed its interest in partnering with the City of Jacksonville’s Housing and Neighborhoods department to implement the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and specifically HERA 2008 §2301(c)(3)(D) and 24 CFR 570.201(d), within the portion of the 32206 ZIP targeted area that is overlapped by the Historic District;
- The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) submitted an operational grant application to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to provide a more reliable and frequent trolley service from the residential areas of the community to/from its nearby economic and employment centers;
- SPAR has recently partnered with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to receive board training and a grant to employ a Commercial Corridor coordinator and Americorps assistant. LISC and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) named
-
- The City of Jacksonville has included a one-block area of this park system in its list of ash clean-up sites, as a result of an EPA lawsuit;
- SPAR has grown the organizational capacity of the neighborhood, which now has a merchants and business association (SAMBA), an animal rescue group (SACARC), a Mommies Group, a Garden Club, the first Girl Scouts of America troop in 50 years, and more;
- Springfield is the home of four excellent youth programs/centers including The Bridge (modeling its programs on the Harlem Children’s Zone), The Sanctuary (the subject of NPR spoken-word-artist Al Letson’s “Summer at Sanctuary” – stateofthereunion.com), The Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and the Robert F. Kennedy Community Center (municipal);
- Springfield, and more specifically the Klutho Building at 1830 N. Main St., is the home of Operation New Hope, which created the nationally-recognized Ready4Work program for ex-offenders; and,
- Is adjacent to, and has close relationships with, nearby successful urban Jacksonville CDCs, including Ron Pauline’s MetroNorth CDC (metronorthcdc.org) and Paul Tutwiler’s Northwest Jacksonville CDC (northwestjaxcdc.org).
As you can see, SPAR, in partnership with the public and private organizations at the local, state and national levels, has taken a very comprehensive approach to revitalization, because we know we must provide an environment where pride and economic success can be achieved by all of our residents. Despite our progress, we also face many hurdles ahead:
- Underfunded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) needs in Springfield; our neighborhood’s “gateway” is blighted by a 1960s hotel that makes our community look more like Beirut than an urban National Historic District. This hotel at 901 N. Main St. is privately-owned, and is a Superfund site (FLSFN0407139) for which “an eligible response site (ERS) exclusion decision has been made;”
- Environmental contamination throughout the 27-acre park system that has been known about, but considered too large/costly a problem to fix, since 1993; Hogan’s Creek contamination flowing into the St. Johns River; un-maintained park infrastructure - deteriorated or destroyed stormwater system results in regular flooding and sewer overflows in the community;
- FDOT rejected Springfield’s trolley grant. The JTA has been exploring streetcar, a transit option that is proven to result in economic development, but anticipates transportation funding will be directed toward suburban road development;
- In today’s banking climate, the re-development of Springfield’s commercial corridors is more severely handicapped – by lack of available credit and developer incentives – than it would have otherwise been by what much of the retailing industry considers “undesirable demographics;”
- Lack of municipal funding for CPTED-based crime prevention measures, trash and litter control, public space maintenance and youth programming in the urban core neighborhoods – Jacksonville has been unable to identify adequate funding for programs mandated by ordinance (Zero Tolerance on Litter), nor can our private partners sustain their investment in municipal services in today’s economy;
- The high concentration of social service organizations in and near our District does not adequately serve a city of Jacksonville’s size, resulting in an overflow of under-served homeless and mentally-challenged persons into the community; and
- Springfield’s greatest hurdle is the speed at which government, at any level, operates.
Again, Mr. Obama, we are buoyed by your attention to the plight of the urban community and its residents and proponents. I am aware you recently held a “summit” in the capital with 2,000 community organizers – I look forward to hearing how their input, as well as that from Adolfo Carrion of the Office of Urban Policy and Melody Barnes of the Domestic Policy Council, will benefit communities nationwide like the Springfield Historic District.
Best regards,
Louise DeSpain, Executive Director
Springfield Preservation and Revitalization (SPAR) Council
December 21st, 2009
Source: Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Saturday December 19, 2009. Named one of the South’s top comeback neighborhoods by Southern Living magazine, Springfield is welcoming buyers in search of historic and new homes. Buyers include Echo Boomers and Baby Boomers, both groups drawn to an in-town neighborhood with sidewalks and within walking or biking distance to downtown Jacksonville, local parks, the Jacksonville Landing, the Riverwalk, Riverside Arts Market and Jacksonville Jaguars games. Read Article (PDF) Page 1 Page 2 Also featured is the completion of the Main Street redevelopment project, the Historic Springfield business community has recently experienced new growth. Check out the area businesses: Uptown Market & Deli, City Kidz Ice Cream, Three Layers Coffee House and many more…
December 16th, 2009
Southern Living Magazine: Story by Rex Perry
The great fire of 1901, which destroyed most of downtown Jacksonville, spared the Springfield neighborhood. However, what fire didn’t do, poor zoning and suburban flight almost accomplished in this historic area north of downtown. But today you can see potential. Prairie-style and gingerbread Queen Anne homes, some lovingly restored and others waiting their chance, share the streets with trees draped in Spanish moss. Springfield’s stunning architecture is tempered with a gritty side, but where some see blight, locals see opportunity. “We have flavor,” says resident Tony Allegretti, who writes a blog called The Urban Core. “We still have problems and the economy hasn’t helped, but great projects are beginning every day. We enjoy an urban quality of life with local arts, culture, and neighbors we know by name.” Families, empty nesters, executives, and creative hipsters come looking to plug in to the energy of the community. “New homes that blend seamlessly with historic ones are bringing in buyers who lack renovation skills,” says Mack Bissette, CEO of SRG Homes & Neighborhoods. “We’ve had passionate renovators here in the past, but this latest wave is lining up with a new generation of buyers.”
Read the Full Article: (PDF Format)
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8
December 11th, 2009
Taren Reed Suzanne Chappell Created: 12/10/2009 5:12:39 PM Updated: 12/10/2009 11:46:35
Historic Springfield has had it’s growing pains, but the national magazine Southern Living will feature the neighborhood, saying the community has changed for the better over the past 10 years.
Take a drive through Springfield and you will see brightly colored, fresh painted homes sitting next to vacant ones in need of repair.
“Things are getting better. It’s a slow process, especially with the economy and the level of investment going down, but it’s still going,” said Andrew Macris, a resident who moved in two years ago.
Macris said Springfield is the best neighborhood he has ever lived in.
Three Layers, A Coffee House located on Walnut and East 6th Street, has been open about two years.
“Springfield had a stigma attached to it for years, decades and that is gone,” said Jeff Wright, Owner of Three Layers.
“Any kind of good press like that is awesome,” said Wright, referring to Southern Living.
Newer residents like Macris and Wright are part of the ”comeback.”
However, one resident who did not want to talk on camera said he lived in Springfield for 60 years and thought changes in the neighborhood still had a long way to go.
“I think it’s rising a lot faster than other people thought although it’s had it’s bumps apparently,” said Wright.
Macris said crime is still a concern in the up and coming neighborhood, but said a tall fence, several dogs, and a weapons permit keep his household safe.
Springfield was established in the late 1860’s and is the largest historic district in Florida. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Source: First Coast News, view news link below:
www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=149364
Watch video of news story:
December 4th, 2009
This is a city of great potential.
It’s high time to begin turning that potential into reality instead of pretty dream pictures tucked away in binders and stored on dusty shelves.
A good place to begin is Hogans Creek downtown.
Thankfully, a group of people, including City Councilman Johnny Gaffney, who represents the area, and members of the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, are doing just that.
There are 27 acres of park land surrounding the creek.
With much of the park designed in the 1920s by Henry Klutho, it once was a jewel for downtown. It has now fallen into disrepair.
Other cities would love to have such an asset downtown. We’ve let it sit in a shabby state for too long.
Jennifer Holbrook, a SPAR board member, talks excitedly about the possibilities for the park.
A master plan is being developed and should be completed next month. Design work could then begin.
There are hurdles to overcome.
Water and soil contamination must be cleaned up. That’s a must anyway, because doing so would not only improve the creek but also the health of the St. Johns River.
Storm water issues must be dealt with and the historic assets of the park should be preserved as much as possible.
All of that can be done.
Now add new water features. Create a place for canoes and kayaks, maybe even gondolas. Add landscaping and sports amenities.
In other words, develop a park that would be a regional attraction, not just something for downtown and Springfield.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to do it right for a change,” Holbrook told me earlier this week.
She’s right.
As always, finding the funding won’t be easy, especially in these tough economic times.
But federal and state grant money should be available. Private dollars could be raised. And, like Houston is doing with its Buffalo Bayou park project, perhaps bonds financed by increased property taxes from new development the park would attract could also be used.
In fact, the Buffalo Bayou project would be a good one to learn from. Leaders there recognize that a park of this nature is as much about economic development as it is recreation.
Taking advantage of Hogans Creek and the park land there has long been a part of the “emerald necklace” concept included in the city’s Downtown Master Plan.
It will take leadership and a long-term commitment, from the City Council, the Mayor’s Office and those involved in the project, to go from concept to reality.
Hopefully, the pieces to accomplish that are falling into place.
As a native of San Antonio, I know what can be done with imagination and determination.
San Antonio took what was basically a ditch filled with water and turned it into an attraction that is now known throughout the world.
Hogans Creek can shine, as well.
As can the city’s other areas of great potential, from the downtown riverwalks, Metropolitan Park, the Shipyards property to the JEA property on the Southbank, just to name a few.
It just takes leadership and commitment.
More Information is also available on Metro Jacksonville
View Article Link: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-nov-hogans-creek-park-master-plan
