JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A blighted area of town just north of Jacksonville's Historic Springfield area is set to be transformed.
Tuesday morning, the city's finance committee voted in favor of a $5.5 million grant package for the project. That recommendation will go to the full city council for a vote on June 25.
Two new buildings are scheduled to open in the Phoenix Arts and Innovation District in the fall, but there are bigger plans underway to give the 80,000 square feet of warehouse space a facelift.
At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the city of Jacksonville’s Land Use & Zoning Committee is set to decide whether to recommend city council allow townhomes, commercial and multi-family homes in the area, and the sale of alcohol.
Chris Clark’s image is painted on a wall in the north Springfield neighborhood. Just a few feet away, you’ll spot a painting of his 4-year-old son. Clark is well known to Jacksonville's art scene, but he yearns for more... not just for himself, but for all local artists.
“Jacksonville in the past to me wasn't really like an art center, it's grown a lot throughout the years,” Clark said. “I think the artists are treated pretty well. We just don't get a lot of national attention, but with things like Phoenix happening, that's about to change a lot for us.”
On a golf cart, Emily Moody with the Phoenix Arts and Innovation District rode past vibrant murals, pointing out her group’s vision for the area.
“Right behind us over here is an empty lot, which will be our market on Market Street,” Moody told First Coast News. “We’ll have live music, tons of small businesses, food trucks and all kinds of cool kids programming.”
Rent-controlled artist studios, retail spaces for local entrepreneurs, residential, retail, mixed use, and event space; Moody calls it a creative community hub.
“We want to do raised gardens because as you know, this is a food desert,” Moody said. “My hope is we do a weekly outdoor farmers market and growing food within the community.”
A portion of the Emerald Trail biking path is set to run right along the railroad tracks, connecting Springfield to LaVilla.
“This definitely isn't happening overnight,” Moody said. “We need patience and support from the city.”
It's a 10 to 15-year project. The Emerald Station building, currently under construction, is the first of two buildings scheduled to open in the fall.
An outside development group, Miami-based 'Future of Cities,' is heavily invested in the Jacksonville project. Its COO Michael Weil says the reason why is obvious: Jacksonville's growth opportunity and affordability.
“Everybody always says, 'Why Jacksonville?' And what we say is, 'Why not Jacksonville?” Weil told First Coast News. “Jacksonville deserves to have an arts district. It deserves to have the culture embraced and to really have a district where arts and culture can continue to survive and thrive.”
If the city of Jacksonville’s Land Use & Zoning Committee recommends city council allow townhomes, commercial and multi-family homes in the area, as well as the sale of alcohol, the matter will be addressed by the full council next Tuesday, June 25.
To learn more about plans for the Phoenix Arts and Innovation District as well as its history, click here.