Urban Infill: First Baptist Academy Recreational Area

[fsujax]

Again where is DVI on this issue? I am sure the leadership at FBC and any other church would be interested.

[thelakelander]

I'm glad they included a lot of trees in the design, and it is better than the empty lot that is currently there.  Can someone who better understands the streetscape deviation explain it to me?  Are they asking for a smaller sidewalk or larger one?  I guess I have a problem with granting an exception to the way the rest of Main Street looks.  And are they eliminating or adding parking along the street?  Perhaps, Lake, you or someone else can better explain this for me.

It does not appear they have plans to modifiy the recent Main Street improvements.  The deviation, along Beaver and Ashley Streets, will allow them to match the sidewalk design that aready exists around the Academy next door.

Example:

The Beaver Street sidewalk will match what is on the right instead of the city's gateway design on the left.


The sidewalks along and near Main will match the recent Main Street improvements (right) instead of the city's business-inter district design (left).

[thelakelander]

Again where is DVI on this issue? I am sure the leadership at FBC and any other church would be interested.

Who knows for sure.  I know we did have a FSCJ representative speak at a SAMBA meeting two months ago.  She mentioned their new building entrance at State & Julia, is designed to have an art gallery at street level.  They wanted this location to participate in Art Walk but were told they were too far away.  Anyway, I don't have the numbers at this moment, but they have something like 5,000 people coming in and out of that campus every day.  Imagine the benefit on downtown and Springfield if it could be better integrated into the surrounding area?  The new entrance illustrates that FSCJ may be willing to work on this from their end.

[comncense]

...daydreaming but wouldn't it have been nice if we could swap UNF with FBC downtown. Hell, I'd even swap FCCJ with FBC for that matter.

[stephendare]

well said tufsu1, just imagine what that part of downtown would be like without the church there. Day laborers, homeless, vacant lots, boarded up buildings.....guess that is better than a church. I gave DVI an idea one time to have a Sunday afternoon event for all the church goers Downtown.....remember FBC is not the only church downtown. I told Terry Lorince she should work with the restaurants, museums and other downtown establishments to open on Sundays and have specials, etc. anything to get people to hang out downtown after chruch is over. what could it hurt?

I don't think I could possibly agree with you more, FSUJAX.   Its ridiculous that the city doesnt help celebrate a part of its identity by doing this.

Gospel, Christian Contemporary, Fried Chicken and Barbeque mixed in with a fair amound of hellfire and brimstone is an indelible part of this city and its history. While its not everyone's cup of tea, neither are gay curio shops, country western line dancing, ridiculously low riding pants or adults only bars that charge three extra dollars for the privilege of being under 21 but over 18.

It was actually nice to see a bunch of kids hanging out on main street this past event that they had there.

And Lake you are right.  Its thickskulled to the point of neanderthaler not to incorporate the largest blocs of people who actually use the downtown into the fabric of the community.  At least in the churches, the only people panhandling are a safe distance away behind an altar.

[stjr]

What would be nice and a win-win for everyone would be if someone could integrate a Downtown master plan with FBC's master plan.

I would think the church would have an interest in building structures that might contribute to life downtown during times when the church wouldn't need them for its programs.  Most religious facilities are used outside the hours of most commerce so there should be a complementary interest.  The church could maybe collect some additional revenue, community goodwill, etc. by building dual purpose facilities.  A missed opportunity was not putting ground level retail in their parking structures.  Maybe we could miss fewer of these opportunities in their future construction.

As mentioned, someday, their property would make a great ready-made college campus.  That would be a much greater contributor to the vitality of downtown.

[downtownparks]

This isn't infill. Its the suburbanization of our Urban Core. It sucks, if you ask me.

[stephendare]

I guess its better than a big empty lot like the one where the Park View Inn will have been though.

[downtownparks]

I would love to have seen the Park View inn used for something. Too bad the owner didnt.

[stephendare]

The owner didnt want to use the property for something?

Interesting.

What is it when you actively lobby to have something torn down?  Is that suburbanization?  Urbanization?  Im not sure what I would call that. 

[downtownparks]

Oh, is this where you blame me for the Park View not being used for anything again?

[thelakelander]

Lets keep this thread on topic.  The topic is about the First Baptist Academy's recreational project. No you's and I's needed.

[lindab]

Doesn't First Baptist own a couple of streets in this area? Will this design open or close more streets?

[thelakelander]

FBC has been using this site as surface parking for years



The recreational space will complement the urban school next door and replace the surface parking use.



No streets will be closed.

[stephendare]

I can't remember if they actually took posession of the Laura street stretch when they repaved and curved that area between the two main buildings or not, LindaB.  It was controversial at the time for sure.

The Church is going through a pretty stressful time in terms of its membership and history (as the entire denomination is nationwide).  Since Homer Lindsey left the congregation, the numbers are down shockingly from their peak in the late 80s and early 90s.

Congregation losses nationally are alarming for the denomination and there is a special effort being made to appeal to younger people.

The church isnt as legendarily liquid as they used to be either.  Declining congregations mean declining revenues.

Who really knows whats going to happen in the way of further development?