Springfield

[Lunican]

So when is 8th and Pearl going to start construction?

[vicupstate]

This week's issue of Downtown This Week has info. on the Springfield Film Festival:

http://www.downtownthisweek.com/

[Lunican]

It looks like the 8th and Pearl project may be about to start. The 4 empty lots have been blocked off.

[newzgrrl]

I agree.  The roads in Springfield badly neglected and potholed.  I thought the city was gonna resurface every road in Duval County with the Better Jacksonville Plan.  I guess they are saving Springfield for last.  Funny how Avondale's and Ortega's roads never get potholes for long.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The city started resurfacing my street (16th East) this week and they did 15th last week. Both streets seem to be fixed up "just enough," in my opinion. In other words, get in and out as fast as possible. I'm glad we're not losing street parking for long, but I hope they put as much effort into 16th as they would, say, Mandarin Road.

I'm really looking forward to the Main Street repairs, though. 1st to 4th is the nicest part of my bike ride - I never have to worry about hitting uneven concrete at the wrong speed or angle.

[newzgrrl]

This question is obviously for a Springfield resident to answer: Can you hear the fire engine's siren at night? I was just thinking if someone lived within close proximity to the fire Station on 4th & Main ( I think that's where it is) the noise could become problematic. Also, because  Main St runs through the heart of Springfied, are police sirens a common sound at night? Again, not trying to be negative, just trying to get a complete picture of 'living' there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I live on 16th near Main and I hear sirens at night, during the day, all the time. It doesn't bother me because I used to live on Powers, about 1/4 mile from the police substation for zone 3. I'm accustomed to sirens - just something you tune out after a while. I'd rather hear them than not because they're responding to calls.

[RiversideGator]

I hear police and ambulance sirens all the time in more gentrified Riverside. This is common here b/c I live on the route to St. Vincent's Hospital. They dont bother me much anymore. And, I got a white noise machine for the occasional noises. No problems for me.

[Captain Obvious]

Just for comparison's sake ... I grew up in Mandarin, and it's not like that little slice of suburbia is very quiet.

For one thing, the area is under the flight path for NAS, so one can hear P-3's flying overhead nearly every day. Also, the Buckman bridge (I-295) produces a constant drone of traffic noise that is particularly audible in winter, when the leaves have dropped. Also, one can often hear sirens on San Jose blvd.

So I would doubt that Springfield or any other neighborhood would have a unique problem when it comes to noise.

[bobliocatt]

I live on 16th near Main and I hear sirens at night, during the day, all the time. It doesn't bother me because I used to live on Powers, about 1/4 mile from the police substation for zone 3. I'm accustomed to sirens - just something you tune out after a while. I'd rather hear them than not because they're responding to calls.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I noticed you stay north of the railroad tracks, which is just outside of the official "historic district". I've been thinking about investing in that section of Springfield. Have you noticed any urban minded people moving in that section and restoring old homes there? Do you feel comfortable around your neighbors?

[newzgrrl]

I noticed you stay north of the railroad tracks, which is just outside of the official "historic district".  I've been thinking about investing in that section of Springfield.  Have you noticed any urban minded people moving in that section and restoring old homes there?  Do you feel comfortable around your neighbors?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've met quite a few of the neighbors and I'm comfortable with the people on my block. Knowing I was going into an area that could easily be hard for me to deal with, I just put myself out there and talked to everybody I saw (and still do). There are occassional problems (mostly noise) but in my building, at least, we all look out for each other.

I'm not sure what you mean by urban minded. The couple across the street said they bought their house a few years ago and do their best to keep the area nice. They also said they'd prefer to move to South Georgia and live rurally. Other neighbors say they don't like the drugs and crime but I really haven't seen much of either. Maybe my view of the area is still rosy.

My block is pretty low-income/low-rent (affordable, I like to say) and I don't know of much in the way of restoration. Whenever I'm on my bike, I stick to Main Street (because I'm usually running late) so I haven't done a lot of up-close investigation of the neighborhood.

Someone told me a few days ago the mayor is considering extending the Springfield district to 20th street. (Don't know if that's the historic designation or just the name.) I'm all for whatever will further improve the area.

Another rumor I've heard in the last few days is that the Travolta movie is using the house across from mine for some residential scenes. It's a beautiful house, and I can sit on my front porch to photograph the movie fun! Wouldn't that be great for Springfield's movie history to revitalize along with the neighborhood?

More investment is what north Springfield needs, in my opinion.

[newzgrrl]

This week's issue of Downtown This Week has info. on the Springfield Film Festival:

http://www.downtownthisweek.com/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did anyone else attend the Film Festival? It was lots of fun and great to see so many people out on a Thursday night.

[vicupstate]

Welcome to the forum newzgrrl! It's always good to get new perspectives.

I commend you for your attitude about speaking to everyone. Having once lived in a neighborhood similiar to Springfield, I find if you treat people with respect and diginity they give it back.

[Fruit Cove]

shes been around a while.

[RiversideGator]

Some good Springfield news:

Travolta, Gandolfini Film In Springfield

By First Coast News Staff

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Bada-bing! The star of the Sopranos is taking a break from his mobster life and taking a trip back to the 1940's, coming right through the heart of Jacksonville to get there.

First Coast News found James Gandolfini and John Travolta filming their upcoming movie "Lonely Hearts" in Springfield.

It was early Friday morning, the streets were quiet, but the set was abuzz as two of Hollywood's biggest stars made movie magic in the historic neighborhood.

The film is set in the 1940's, making Springfield a perfect backdrop for the story line: a pair of detectives hunting down a serial killer.

The film is based on a true story. It will be released sometime next year.

Created: 3/25/2005 7:38:52 AM

Updated: 3/25/2005 10:37:54 AM

Edited by Christian Bahr, Producer

[bobliocatt]

Unfortunately we just lost a row of historic Springfield homes on Liberty Street.

Fire burns through five homes

About 100 firefighters worked to get the blaze under control

By BRIDGET MURPHY, The Times-Union

A three-alarm fire ripped through a row of homes in downtown Jacksonville early this morning destroying three houses and damaging two others in a spectacular blaze. Firefighters battled for more than a hour before squelching most of it.

One firefighter collapsed from exhaustion and a fire district rescue chief was in a car wreck that injured him and left another motorist with life-threatening injuries as he responded to the fire at Liberty and First streets.

About 100 firefighters fought the fire, with the first companies arriving shortly after midnight to find two, two-story houses engulfed by flames. After trying an interior attack at first, incident commander Battalion Chief Dale Margadonna quickly pulled companies out of the buildings, fearing they would be caught in a collapse.

For nearly the next four hours, companies surrounded and drowned the houses with water, including by pumping streams from two pipes atop tower ladder trucks, one in front of the row and one in back. Liberty Street resident Tom Myers, 48, said he was sleeping inside one of the five homes when he awoke to the smell of smoke and what he thought was the sound of rain falling on his roof.

He saw when he looked outside it was actually chunks of wood falling off the vacant house next door, where the second-story porch was fully ablaze. Myers ran next door and warned neighbors to evacuate, telling them to call 911. They grabbed their pets and pulled on bathrobes and slippers ran across the street, where they stayed watching firefighters work for the next few hours.

"Hey guys, thank you," Toni McKendree, 35, called out to firefighters, standing nearby in a robe cradling her puppy in a blanket, about two hours after rushing out of her house. "Good job."

The fire consumed two houses, both of them vacant. It seriously damaged another; and left the houses on either ends of the row -- one that was on schedule to be completely renovated by next month -- with smoke and water damage.

Fire officials estimated total damages between $150,000 and $200,000.

Fire officials said Rescue Chief Ray Wade, who crashed at North Main and Sixth streets, was undergoing tests at Baptist Medical Center and the motorist he hit was taken to Shands Jacksonville hospital with a trauma alert status. It's believed Wade had a flashing yellow light and the other motorist had a flashing red light, which that motorist didn't stop for, fire spokeswoman Bennie Seth said at the scene

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

Arson investigators waited to start sifting through the ruins of the burned row as firefighters wrapped up the suppression operation about 4 a.m. Fire officials said a preliminary probe suggested vagrants might have been inside one of the vacant houses and started the fire.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor.../met_fire.shtml

[Urban_Legend]

Whoa, those homes could've been so beautiful! That's really unfortunate.

[93sportie]

Nice little article about SRG.I've noticed they are changing some of the designs features on their newer homes of late.

By RYAN GEDDES, The Times-Union

Many of Springfield's tree-lined blocks feel like carefully restored historic snapshots, their century-old homes slowly coming back to life after decades of neglect.

But next time you're driving the neighborhood's grid of numbered streets, take a closer look at that 1920s restored Craftsman-style house you're admiring -- it may have been built last year.

"The biggest compliment we can have is for someone to say, 'How long did it take you to remodel this house?'" said Tony Simon, the new vice president of estimating for SRG Homes & Neighborhoods.

The developer builds historically inspired houses on vacant lots in Springfield, and Simon is in charge of making sure SRG's homes are built on time, on budget and according to the company's exacting specifications.

"Once we start the job, everybody is tied to a schedule. We can tell you, when we start a house, about when we will finish it," said Simon.

Simon has been doing the job on his own for about 9 months, with the help of some sophisticated computer software, but SRG is set to hire another estimator, who Simon said would focus on the more technical aspects of the job.

Once the new person is hired, Simon will spend about 25 percent of his time at SRG's construction sites checking contractors' progress and the remainder at the office, communicating with suppliers and buyers.

The latter task is made easier by the fact that Simon's wife, Lisa, heads SRG's on-site sales office, a model home on 3rd Street.

Because Lisa Simon deals directly with SRG's customers, she can easily pass on their last-minute design changes or floor-plan adjustments to her husband, who then calculates the changes' effect on buyers' budgets.

"Because we're married, I get a direct pipeline to the buyers' wants and needs," Tony Simon said.

He and SRG's CEO Mack Bissette pride themselves on the company's scheduling and budgeting system, which they say has been refined over the years to allow the kind of "just-in-time" delivery common in large-scale corporate manufacturing operations.

"We're bringing that type of technology into urban infill areas," said Bissette.

Originally from New Orleans, Simon has lived in Springfield with Lisa and their five children for more than three years and has been remodeling a historic home around the corner from SRG's model.

SRG has built and sold about 30 homes in Springfield so far and has 21 under construction, Bissette said. The company has about 125 remaining lots in the neighborhood and expects to build them out in about two or three years.

SRG's current models sell in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range.

ryan.geddesjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4689

[bobliocatt]

$300 - $400k?? Is there anything down the pipeline that will offer new condo or home ownership for under $200k? I believe the key to seeing and achieving true urban vibrancy will be the inclusion of residents that can't afford a $300k 3bd/2ba house.

For example, Main and 8th Streets won't start to hustle and bustle with several restaurants, art galleries, bars, etc. until we find away to attract the population segment that drives these businesses, but can't afford the rising housing costs for ownership in the core.

What do you think of the market for people looking for urban housing between $100k - $200k? Are people willing to pay for smaller residential units (like under 1000 SF), which will make prices more affordable, to own something new in the inner city. Or is renting the way to go?

Does anyone think there is a place for multi-family housing, in Springfield, in the form of condos or rowhouses? Or must everything new be single family like SRG?

[RiversideGator]

Maybe condos along Bay Street could go for less than $200 K, but that really isnt that much for a home in today's market. Unfortunately, prices have skyrocketed in the last few years, especially in the historic areas. As for where prices will head in the future, nobody knows, but I think they will stabilize a bit in terms of not increasing but will not drop significantly. If you look at other markets in FL (which are probably inflated), Jacksonville is relatively affordable.

[RiversideGator]

I said Bay Street, but meant Main Street. Condos above retail in buildings lining Main Street in Springfield or smaller houses north of 8th Street are where you might find prices like that, I think.

[bobliocatt]

Maybe condos along Bay Street could go for less than $200 K, but that really isnt that much for a home in today's market.  Unfortunately, prices have skyrocketed in the last few years, especially in the historic areas.  As for where prices will head in the future, nobody knows, but I think they will stabilize a bit in terms of not increasing but will not drop significantly.  If you look at other markets in FL (which are probably inflated), Jacksonville is relatively affordable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lately several projects have been announced in the other cities (excluding Miami) where prices have been in this range. As expected, all have sold out, basically overnight, after being offered. Some are new, some have been condo-conversions. One thing many developers have been doing, is to offering units, at smaller sizes (around 700 or 800 sf), with modern amenities to get the costs down big time. The target market is normally, the single yuppy, young couples and empty nesters, looking to downsize. Jax's land values aren't any higher than these places, so maybe we're just a step behind the 8-ball, in this particular area. I guess the main question is, how big is this market that has been ignored so far?

[vicupstate]

SRG sells out first phase of Springfield project

Stewart Verney

SRG Homes & Neighborhoods sold the first 21 units of a development of historic replica houses in Springfield. The sales represent the first phase of multi-phase project, with the homes being built on and around North Market Street.

SRG is building new houses in a second phase based on five different designs in the project, called Market Row, with prices ranging from about $250,000 to up to $500,000, said CEO Mack Bissette.

The second phase consists of another 21 homes and SRG has sold about half of them before construction.

"Most of those are in between Fourth and Sixth streets and Market," Bissette said.

Bissette said SRG has enough land in the Springfield area to build about 30 to 40 houses a year for about three years, having already built about 30 in the area. The company is going through preliminary design review for a third phase, construction of which could start as early as September. Bissette said he sees no sign of slackening demand, with prices for the second phase being $100,000 to $200,000 more than phase one.

"We've been very happy with the demand," he said.

[Urban_Legend]

$500,000???

Oh Snap!

[bobliocatt]

$500,000 for a house in Springfield? Who would have ever believed this? This goes to show the neighborhood has really turned the corner.

[vicupstate]

Springfield is having it's annual tour May 14 & 15th.

If you haven't been lately, you might want to check it out.

Springfield Tour Houses Pics

[Jaxson]

The last house in the above photos is an SRG Home. It is beautiful and fits the character of Springfield perfectly. They are truely an asset to Springfields resurgence