Print ArticleSuddenly it came to me that in a very real way we were pawing over the faded images of a city that has been blasted, broken, burned, and all but leveled by 6 decades of graft, corruption, incompetence, and unbelievable numbskullery.
Over the past few weeks, in the process of curiosity driven research, I have uncovered a numbing history of the hamstringing and strangulation of our once fair center metropolis by a steady welcoming line of unintentional butchers: First, the municipal busybodies. Then, hot on their heels, two generations of merchants and politicians united in greed and corruption, and then finally by a long but fatal convalescence in the care of the professional resuscitators and consultants who sucked the marrow out of its bones before cauterizing all the patients vulnerable parts.
Today, in a downtown that once boasted thousands of businesses, hundreds of shops, dozens of large stores, a laundry list of all the major department stores that ever imposed their cachet over the cityscapes of mid-century America, 8 major theatres, thousands of gracious homes and the base of government and financial power that served as a powerful draw for this entire part of the country, we are reduced sadly to a small rag tag band of shops and survivors living off the crumbs tossed to us by the junior clerks and middle management suit wearers who serve at the behest of an increasingly decentralized civil service.
How did this happen, the casual observer might ask.
The casual observer, depending on their temperament, would be either horrified or amused to find out that our immolation was self imposed.
We destroyed it ourselves.
Time lapse photography of our city center would show a strange and compelling reverse miracle. Beginning in 1979 and continuing to the present day, one would be treated to the spectacle of a city full of people systematically evacuating and then destroying all of the buildings, razing 60 percent of them down to the scraped earth with no motivation, and with no visible driving force.
Observe the following shots, taken from the same position. The first in the 1950s, and then the second photo snapped present day from the same location.
Main & Bay - 1950's
Same intersection - 08/28/06
Forysth at Laura Street - 1950's
Same intersection - 08/28/06
Before
After
Before
After
Devastating isn't it?
What would cause and entire culture of people to suddenly self destruct and raze their own city?
The answers (for there are several) are surprising.
The History of Urban "Revitalization" in Jacksonville Florida.
by Stephen Dare.
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Jason
August 31, 2006, 08:28:54 AMPlease stop this torture!
Lets all make sure to elect those that are against the continued rape of what's left of downtown's history.
JohnnyRox
August 31, 2006, 01:03:33 PMI knew Jax was a step behind, but seeing that we were elbow to elbow w/ so many other cities in the 50's and where we are now... Ouch! We took a huge step back... Sad stuff.
Jim Crooks
September 15, 2006, 08:20:51 PMHaving researched Jacksonville's downtown over the past 40 years in my book, Jacksonville, the Consolidation Story from Civil Rights to the Jaguars (University Press of Florida, 2004), I partially agree with Steve Dare in what has happened downtown, but also largely disagree about the causes. To my mind, the politicians are much less to blame than the average Jacksonville resident, who equipped with an automobile, deserted downtown for the suburbs to live and began shopping at the regional malls. In the 1960s, downtown was still the hub of the metro area with hotels, restaurants, theaters and department stores. All of the department stores moved to the malls and closed downtown. People who worked downtown went home and then to the malls and suburban theaters and restaurants, leaving downtown desolate. There was a racial component to the deteriorating of downtown as white shoppers preferred the mall shops to the stores where blacks also could shop. But most important was the suburban sprawl after WWII which came to a head here in the 1960s. This was a phenomonon through out urban America, and Jacksonville was part of the mix.
mtraininjax
January 14, 2007, 06:08:20 PMThese same people tore down the Sears on the Bay Street, they tore down the old Post office on Forsyth Street, they also built the old Main Public Library on top of what used to be the County Courthouse. These are the same knuckleheads that would have torn down the Main Public Library, if given a chance. Instead they were able to destroy the Rhodes Building and build a new library.
Every blacktop parking lot used to be something else, something bigger and grander, but alas, these buildings lost their spirit too and if the developers take control of downtown, we won't recognize it soon enough as well.
stephendare
June 24, 2007, 10:41:40 AMand now even more demolitions are on the way
stephendare
April 22, 2008, 11:31:27 AMWhats been demolished since we published these photos?
EP
April 22, 2008, 12:23:04 PMI believe it happened because rational people trade off housing costs and transportation costs when selecting where to live. In Jacksonville, during the days of cheap oil, it was inexpensive to get a piece of property in the suburbs and commute to downtown for work. Unfortunately, the jobs followed people into the suburbs and we now have the Southside and other employment centers that are not in the downtown core. All of this disinvestment really took a toll on the existing building stock. New construction is cheaper and less risky than rehab, and politicians must be thinking that demolition will bring vibrancy to our downtown core faster. I disagree, as I feel that we are in danger of losing the character that makes Jax unique.
stephendare
April 22, 2008, 01:27:31 PMyou are totally right EP. What did you think of the photo comparisons in the story?
gatorback
April 22, 2008, 02:52:19 PMI see they solved the parking problem.
EP
April 22, 2008, 05:03:48 PMThe photo comparisons made me sick. You can see the progression of cars becoming more important that humans. Its starts with the destruction of retail and office space to make room for parking garages and surface lots. To get more cars into the city as fast as possible, because all of the employees live outside of it, freeways are built that completely ruin the urban fabric. Look at all of that spaghetti coming off of the Main St. bridge. When did it become necessary to have 8 exits off of one bridge? It looks like a broom.
stephendare
May 12, 2008, 10:58:27 AMYeah, they totally did that, gator....lol.
There is a further article about the partitioning and strangling of the downtown on the site today.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,2236.msg21723/topicseen.html#new
as well as a thread about the conclusions that cities are coming to nearly 50 years after installing parking meters
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,2237.msg21730/topicseen.html#new
strider
May 12, 2008, 05:13:06 PMMy sister owns a "historic building" in Norwalk, Ohio. When applying for help to restore the building, she was told that the cost of restoring the facade was too great and so it would not be done. Basically, she was told the previous owners had too much money to spend and kept the building well maintained and updated. Today, those updates are simply not the "in" fashion. What this illustrates is simply this: A reasonably prosperous downtown means that many of the older historic buildings either have been updated and have lost their unique character or they have been replaced. While many have grumbled about how much has been lost in the above pictures, has anyone noticed the good? Like the old, commercial waterfront - would you still prefer that to what we have today? Just stop and look at our city at night sometime - best seen from the water. It is one of the best looking night cityscapes I have seen in this country.
With progress, and that was part of what happened to downtown, simply progress, also comes both good and bad. How many of us love the "new" city hall? Great, historic building. It wasn't always there, you know. At some point, just about each and every "historic" building replaced another building of some type. Just consider if they were not allowed to tear down some historic building when they built the empire state building or the Guggenheim museum or ...the list could get very long. Yes, I know that Europe is filled with many, many historic buildings and that many cities seem prosperous even with saving it's hundreds of years old buildings. But don't forget to figure in a couple of world wars. There are plenty of empty places to build new after a war so why would they need to tear anything down? OK, that is stretching it a bit, but you get the point. Not every old building got saved in Europe either. And don't forget that this is the US of A. We are "brand new" in many ways even after a few hundred years. And we do save many, many historic buildings through out the country. It should not surprise you that a reasonably successful city would be very much comprised of every conceivable architectural style from every possible era - in fact, I for one would be very disappointed if it didn't. Aren't any of you wondering what new building is being designed today that someone will be calling historic in fifty or a hundred years? Don’t forget that the new library will probably be on someone’s “must save” list someday.
All that said, don’t stop complaining or nothing will get saved. And yes, it is time to return to the “old ways” and have a pedestrian friendly downtown again. We all know it is time because we all are lamenting the loss of the old historic buildings. Instead, save what is really worth saving and then lets see what new and exciting “historic building of the future” they will build next.
Lunican
May 12, 2008, 06:03:12 PMI guess the main difference in Jacksonville is that these buildings are not being torn down to make way for structures such as the Empire State Building or the Guggenheim museum, or any structure at all. Look at that photo, all you see is parking lots.
gatorback
May 12, 2008, 06:15:15 PMHow about a casino or two, perhaps a dog track? the baptist would roll over. lol