Brooklyn was platted in 1865 by Miles Price, a Confederate veteran, who named a couple of the streets after famous Southern generals “Stonewall” and “Jackson”. By the time it was annexed into Jacksonville, it boasted over 1,000 residents. After decades of neglect, two mega infill projects were recently announced potentially giving the community a new identity, with 1,750 additional housing units. While this will be a boon for the community, Metro Jacksonville urges the Mayor and the JEDC to save and incorporate Brooklyn’s few remaining historic structures into those plans, preserving a link to the community’s past.
Brooklyn Photo Tour
Brooklyn housing
Years ago, Brooklyn was a vibrant inner city community with a diverse collection of housing. Although in very poor shape, this house on Spruce Streets still stands.
Elm Street Shotgun Houses
During Brooklyn’s heyday, shotgun housing was the norm. Although over the years this form of housing in the neighborhood has died out, this row of homes on Elm Street still remains.
Magnolia Homes
Most of the homes, east of Park have already been demolished. However, this one block of Magnolia gives us a glimpse of what Brooklyn once looked like.
Brooklyn Mixed-Use Development sites
Brooklyn Park (Miles Development) and Hallmark Partners projects will inject new infill mixed-use development into Brooklyn. Once constructed, these projects will take up nearly ˝ of the area today known as Brooklyn.
Skyway Maintenance Yard
As a part of the Miles and Hallmark infill development projects, JTA plans to construct an elevated skyway station at this site. Once complete, this will give Brooklyn residents the option of traveling to the North and Southbanks without the use of automobiles or buses.
Riverside Partners
The 13 story Riverside Partners office building is the latest addition to Brooklyn. Directly next to it is Fire Station #5, which was constructed in 1910 and is the last remaining historic structure on this Riverside Avenue stretch. Unfortunately, the JEDC wants to demolish or remove the building. If the old fire station, which is still in good shape, isn’t worth saving then what is?
Park Street Commercial corridor
Park Street is littered with a collection of older warehouses, many of which catered to the textile industry. As the neighborhood is revitalized into a vibrant community, hopefully city leaders will see the potential in saving a few of the older structures, such as this brick building, on the corner of Park and Jackson Streets.
ALSCO
This attractive brick warehouse/manufacturing facility is home to a textile company called ALSCO. As the neighborhood reinvents itself, city planners should do everything in their power to save unique structures like this because they provide a direct connection with the community’s past.
The Dance Warehouse
The Dance Warehouse is housed in a small, attractive brick commercial building that was originally constructed in 1927. The location and interesting brick detailing is ideal for potential retail or dining overlooking the planned Brooklyn Central Park. Unfortunately, the city plans to demolish the structure for green space.
Intersection of Jackson & Chelsea Streets
This old small store is located a block west of Park on Jackson Street.
643 Edison
For those who don’t see the value in saving the few older brick buildings this city has, 643 Edison is a good example of what these structures can resemble, once fully renovated.
Myrtle Avenue
This street connects Brooklyn with Durkeeville. This picture was taken just north of the McCoy’s Creek bridge.
Annie Lytle (Public School No. 4)
You can’t mention Brooklyn and preservation without bringing up the endangered Annie Lytle school. Constructed in 1917, a developer and the JEDC are currently pushing for its demolition in order to construct a retirement home on the site. If anyone has any ideas towards saving it or believes in preserving it, let your opinions be made known to Councilmen Shad (AShad@coj.net, (904) 630-1382) and Corrigan (Corrigan@coj.net, (904) 630-1390).
Riverside Avenue (Before & After)
Once a 5 lane road lined with commercial buildings, Riverside Avenue now boasts 6 lanes of traffic, bicycle paths, wide medians and wide sidewalks. While the improvements were needed, the planning did a disservice to the community by turning the road into a suburban highway, instead of an urban parkway.
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Jimmy
September 20, 2006, 08:42:29 AMThis is an excellent article. Very timely given the fight to save the Annie Lytle!
The Brooklyn community is a microcosm of the problems and opportunities that confront Jacksonville. The problems are obvious: neglect, poor infrastructure planning, and an uninspired lack of leadership. FDOT has sliced up the neighborhood, shrinking it, and isolating it from communities due west and north. There are aspects of the Riverside Avenue "enhancement" that were bad for the neighborhood and not well planned. The Annie Lytle school building has been nearly back-burnered to death.
But the opportunity to preserve what's left while at the same time improving infrastructure through Skyway and/or Trolley access, TOD mixed-use developments that are slated as in-fill, and the chance to preserve existing historic structures is real.
All that we need is to develop and apply political will to Brooklyn and the important task of preservation alongside development can occur. When I'm elected to the City Council, I will be proud to fight every day for Brooklyn, it's remaining residents, and what the neighborhood represents for the New Jacksonville that we seek to create.
While the towers rise and the new mixed-use projects take shape, it could be necessary to set aside some space for an "historic Brooklyn" plan, perhaps around Jackson or Magnolia, where we could relocate some of the old shotgun and other homes. I would just hate to see us lose those old houses, warehouses, and storefronts that have defined the neighborhood for almost 100 years. (Not to mention some of the residents who've held on and I believe should not be left behind.)
McCoy's creek and it's greenway are vital aspects of the Brooklyn rebirth. Capital must be focused on environmental remediation of the creek and investment in infrastructure that will tie McCoy's and its greenway to the Brooklyn neighborhood and link it with the Riverwalk for another pedestrian link to downtown and/or Riverside.
The Brooklyn Master Plan should be followed to the extent possible.
JJ
September 20, 2006, 09:59:25 AM"Skyway Maintenance Yard
As a part of the Miles and Hallmark infill development projects, JTA plans to construct an elevated skyway station at this site. Once complete, this will give Brooklyn residents the option of traveling to the North and Southbanks without the use of automobiles or buses."
How great does this sound?
thelakelander
September 20, 2006, 10:45:41 AMIt sounds great and its the type of way we should look at the rapid transit system and work to take advantage of it, instead of continuing to cry about its lack of passengers and the expense maintaining it.
CB
September 21, 2006, 02:56:56 PMI am not trying to be ignorant or negative in anyway, I am only trying to understand when you say we need to keep the shotgun houses. I can understand revitalizing brick and concrete buildings, but who is going to pay to rebuild a 100 year old wood (not just frame but WOOD siding) building? I dont know of anybody that would insure it either. I can understand a modern VERSION of this architechural style to help save some of our history, but to keep the actual origionals does not seem practical, nor a good use of our tax dollars.
Just a thought....
thelakelander
September 21, 2006, 03:57:02 PMNo one is suggesting that our tax dollars be used to refurbish those buildings. The city's responsibility is to take care and maintain infrastructure, pick up trash, k etc., not develop (that's how we lost LaVilla and East Jax). Its best to leave development (including home renovations)to the private sector.
As for is renovating Brooklyn's remaining shotguns, there can't be anymore than about 10 to 15 left in a neighborhood that once had hundreds. If its possible to set a row of them aside and plan new development around them, then we should make every effort to do so.
Use this link to see how these structures can be renovated, once the thumb of public government is lifted from the picture.
http://www.metjax.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1272&highlight=columbia
Ayesha Covington
September 27, 2006, 01:04:50 PMThe preservation of the history of Brooklyn will be done under the current revitilation plan. After the civil war African American union soliders had settled in Brooklyn . We definelty plan to save some of those buildings. However, moving structures is a very expensive gesture. and refurshing structures.I appluad Jimmy for making his recommondation but there are decades of neglect in Brooklyn. The problems can't all be corrected overnight. It will take years of thoughtful planning to correct all of the problems that exist in our communities.
Durkee
September 29, 2006, 01:04:44 PM"It will take years of thoughtful planning to correct all of the problems that exist in our communities."
Bull#$%^. That's the problem. "years of thoughtful planning". It's being destroyed right now. The city needs to get out of the private sector and stick to their job of maintaining infastructure. What's the sense in refurbing a house if the city won't even pick up a pile of old tires in the lot next door. Plus, if they do clean it up, they place a lein on the property.
ok.....breathe, it just pisses me off when the city tries to do everything but take care of their basic responsibilities.
Durkee
September 30, 2006, 11:01:10 PMsorry for being a little over zealous. i just get frustrated watching a great city being run assunder by a city government only concerned with development and profits.
i heard a quote the other day that basically said "if you were to look at all the programs and tax cuts being levied by the government, the main problem they are addressing is that the rich don't have enough money".
Ayesha Covington
October 02, 2006, 07:26:02 AMMaybe you misunderstood my comment. I meant the Neighborhood Assoication. The people who live in the neighborhood should be involved in planning their neighborhoods not the city. The city should only help to encourgae economic development. But that has to been in tune with the vision of the community.
Maggie
June 13, 2007, 05:08:00 AMwe boarded up that green house on Spruce...if someone would renovate it and get it of course and amazing alarm system...it was amazingly beautiful! I wish I would've been able to get that house...but sadly its in a disalarming state....
Timkin
February 03, 2008, 12:37:50 AMIts definitely time that the Annie Lytle come off the back burner. IF nothing more , repaired to the point that it isnt blighted until a use is reached.
Skot David Wilson
February 03, 2008, 01:06:43 AMYou need to understand something about Jack-us-ville....
Developers pay big money to elected officials in their campaigns and when they compensate them other ways we might not always know about.
Look at the Craig Field issue... ALL of the local neighborhood associations wound up getting ignored, as did Pay-Me-A-Ton's promise to veto and the JAA/JTA promise never to put it on the table...
People have become resigned to think that they can get away with it, because we allow them to and have for so long.
I suggest we start getting regular people to run for and get into office, and make a real grass roots effort to make some real changes... but that takes knocking on doors and getting non-puppets elected.
COJ cares nothing for history unless it serves one of their "club"....
I just think we can do better
Coolyfett
February 26, 2008, 08:06:50 PMIm not exactly sure what is Brooklyn's perimeter??? I know it starts and ends at Stonewall or Jackson Str. Sometimes i get Brooklyn and Mixontown confused. What exactly is the Brooklyn area?
Charles Hunter
February 26, 2008, 10:13:29 PMUntil someone less geographically challenged shows up ... I think it bounded by McCoys Creek on the north, the St. Johns River (or maybe Riverside Avenue?) on the east, and I-95 on the west and south.
Jason
February 28, 2008, 03:25:25 PMBingo!