Main Street loses its steeple?

[sheclown]

Extensive damage because of lack of maintenance. It was negelected by the owners. Just look at the soffit, that was rotting off and falling on the sidewalk, I mean they couldnt even keep the church cleaned, it needs a good pressure washing and new paint.

I'm sure that many a good church has been very hard hit during the past couple of years.  Any church worth its salt has put its money into helping those hurt by the economy.  I can only imagine the draw on the resources that this economic crisis has caused.

I don't think we need to attack the church.

The problem is that the neighborhood was not given notice by the city and the city did not protect the historic fabric "contributing" or not.

With notice, there could have been fund-raising attempts, volunteering, help from people willing to do so. 

Now, after the fact, repair and replacement is much more difficult and expensive, if not impossible.

This is what is so disturbing to me.

[fsujax]

I am not attacking them. Just pointing out a fact. I remember seeing the church when I was a kid, it was beautiful. I am willing to help out anyway I can. I just think for the steeple it is too late.

[Timkin]

So ..... back to the question.. What became of the Steeple?  was it destroyed? Where is it ?

[carpnter]

So ..... back to the question.. What became of the Steeple?  was it destroyed? Where is it ?

Most likely it was taken down and the steel sold as scrap metal. 

[mbwright]

I think it is safe to say the Jacksonville considers Springfield non-contributing the the city, so any demolition is fine and dandy.  This is really sad.  Too many of the churches in Springfield have been altered, or no longer used.  They are all significant structures of the community.

[iloveionia]

I think it is safe to say the Jacksonville considers Springfield non-contributing the the city, so any demolition is fine and dandy.  This is really sad.  Too many of the churches in Springfield have been altered, or no longer used.  They are all significant structures of the community.

ding! ding! ding!
spot on. 
as it was said in another thread, maybe even on another site, just line up the bulldozers at 20th Street, and raze it all into Hogan's Creek. 
It is what the city wishes anyway.

[stephendare]

I think it is safe to say the Jacksonville considers Springfield non-contributing the the city, so any demolition is fine and dandy.  This is really sad.  Too many of the churches in Springfield have been altered, or no longer used.  They are all significant structures of the community.

ding! ding! ding!
spot on. 
as it was said in another thread, maybe even on another site, just line up the bulldozers at 20th Street, and raze it all into Hogan's Creek. 
It is what the city wishes anyway.

This is a major problem.

And it should become a major problem for every asshat down the line of succession that had anything to do with clearing a demolition of this magnitude, starting with the historic preservation commission and rolling downhill to the permitting department.

How in seven fracking hells do you allow something this prominent to the skyline of a historic district to be "accidentally" permitted for demolition without even talking to the alleged historic district?

[sheclown]

I think it is safe to say the Jacksonville considers Springfield non-contributing the the city, so any demolition is fine and dandy.  This is really sad.  Too many of the churches in Springfield have been altered, or no longer used.  They are all significant structures of the community.

ding! ding! ding!
spot on. 
as it was said in another thread, maybe even on another site, just line up the bulldozers at 20th Street, and raze it all into Hogan's Creek. 
It is what the city wishes anyway.

This is a major problem.

And it should become a major problem for every asshat down the line of succession that had anything to do with clearing a demolition of this magnitude, starting with the historic preservation commission and rolling downhill to the permitting department.

How in seven fucking hells do you allow something this prominent to the skyline of a historic district to be "accidentally" permitted for demolition without even talking to the alleged historic district?

That's it.

[John P]

I hate to splash cold water on the idea that the city doesnt care about Springfield. But the city has invested more money in the one square mile of Springfield hd over the past 15 years than any other square mile in the city because it has been seen as very important to downtown growth. It is the first example of the city reclaiming a neighborhood and it has worked as planned. A reinvestment is needed because of Main St conundrum but the residential housing side of things is doing ok considering the market.

[John P]

I think it is safe to say the Jacksonville considers Springfield non-contributing the the city, so any demolition is fine and dandy.  This is really sad.  Too many of the churches in Springfield have been altered, or no longer used.  They are all significant structures of the community.

ding! ding! ding!
spot on. 
as it was said in another thread, maybe even on another site, just line up the bulldozers at 20th Street, and raze it all into Hogan's Creek. 
It is what the city wishes anyway.

This is a major problem.

And it should become a major problem for every asshat down the line of succession that had anything to do with clearing a demolition of this magnitude, starting with the historic preservation commission and rolling downhill to the permitting department.

How in seven fucking hells do you allow something this prominent to the skyline of a historic district to be "accidentally" permitted for demolition without even talking to the alleged historic district?

That is a good question

[duvaldude08]

Im a lost. Do we know what ACTUALLY happened or are we still speculating at this point?

[Timkin]

Im a lost. Do we know what ACTUALLY happened or are we still speculating at this point?

I suppose someone at the Church could clarify this.  That they would just be able to destroy (speculating) the steeple makes no sense at all. Why would they WANT to do this to their own building?

Even more disturbing is that a demolition like this is done "FASTER THAN FAST-TRACK"  as if public input matters not.  It makes me painfully aware yet again that a few people are making bad decisions on behalf of the people and destroying or greatly altering our landmarks , and they DO NOT GIVE A DAMN what we think, nor are they going to wait around for us to protest.

ASSUMING this is what actually has happened to the steeple.   

I have no idea what repairing it would cost, but again I would gladly have chipped in.  Not that myself or any of us are rolling in money.

[John P]

There is a link in the first comment of this topic. It says it was being repaired but it was worse than they thought. Read it

[Timkin]

Okay.......... SO ...

1) Perhaps we should do a fund-raiser to help the Church replace the Steeple?  ( I wholeheartedly agree IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE STEEPLE REPLACED
2) What can I do to help?

[sheclown]

While 100 eager people walked around in the hot summer sun with clip boards jotting down broken sidewalks and graffiti on street signs…one week earlier the city had quietly allowed the largest visual blight to occur in Springfield, ever.  And the city kept its secret until it was all over and too late to do anything about it.

I'd like my clipboard back.  I'd like to add "missing steeple" on that list.

It just seems that the community of Springfield deserves more respect.