Lost Jacksonville: The Theater District

[heights unknown]

I used to go to the Center Theatre as a Child (downtown); I wasn't allowed much to go outside of our neighborhood which was in LaVilla, so, I mostly attended the Ritz, Roosevelt, and the Strand Theatres which were totally black/African American.  The Center, when I attended as a Child, the blacks had to sit in the balcony, and the whites sat down below; blacks were not allowed down below.  But in the black Movie Theaters we could sit anywhere we wanted.  The Roosevelt did not have a balcony, the Ritz and Strand did if I remember correct.

We moved from Jax in 1968 and by the time I came back to Jacksonville in 1974, most all of the Movie Theaters downtown were gone for the exception of the Center and the Florida.  The Roosevelt and the Strand were gone also.

I rarely went to any Movie Theaters downtown because of the racist problem and my Mother did not allow me to go to any of the other Movie Theaters downtown; this was in the mid to late 60's.

Heights Unknown

[stjr]

Looking at the pix for this article, I would say Jax is a SMALLER city today than it was 50 or 60 years ago!  We may have more people in Duval County or the First Coast, but, in every other way we are SMALLER AND SMALL-MINDED.

This is why quality of life counts for more than population and growth bragging rights.  When will people here get it?

Downtown today looks like a back water compared to downtown of old.  And, don't think residents and visitors can't perceive the difference.  Want to fix our self image?  Get Downtown back to these glory days.  Historic and street friendly buildings with retail, restaurants, and entertainment at ground level, not parking garages, city and other government offices, empty lots, suburban style office buildings and unapproachable and detached edifices (e.g. new courthouse, Modis, CSX, and BBT buildings).

[Doug San Diego]

It is very sad to see all the historic fabric that has been lost. It is very important, in my opinion, that you bring these planning disasters, in their entirety, to the attention of the citizens and the powers that be so they can learn how and why your formerly vibrant downtown has been so damaged.

Your work is very important. Don't lose faith.

Your site came to my attention a year or so ago when I was researching a topic on San Diego, my hometown. You have some commentaries on San Diego which I read.

It is very interesting to read the comments of others about the place one calls home.

One thing San Diego has that I think might help Jacksonville are city recognized community planning groups elected by the citizens in each planning area. Projects for a said community are vetted by the citizens. A vote is held to recommend denial or approval. (These are projects that do not conform to the adopted community plan.) City planning liaison staff are available to provide information at the meetings which are held monthly in each planning area. If a project fails to pass muster, it is returned to the city to be re-worked. The city council can over ride, but I have not heard of this happening for many years. I believe there are approximately 54 planning groups in the city. They have been around for + or - 30 years.

[stjr]

One thing San Diego has that I think might help Jacksonville are city recognized community planning groups elected by the citizens in each planning area. Projects for a said community are vetted by the citizens. A vote is held to recommend denial or approval. (These are projects that do not conform to the adopted community plan.) City planning liaison staff are available to provide information at the meetings which are held monthly in each planning area. If a project fails to pass muster, it is returned to the city to be re-worked. The city council can over ride, but I have not heard of this happening for many years. I believe there are approximately 54 planning groups in the city. They have been around for + or - 30 years.

Doug San Diego, welcome to MetroJax (and Jacksonville!).  Hope you find us entertaining if not informative. 

The above is a great idea and should not only be considered in Jacksonville/Duval County, but throughout Florida and maybe the entire U.S.  I hope someone on this board with input into such an idea can run with it to the powers that be.

Look forward to more of your ideas from San Diego or elsewhere.

[Ocklawaha]

Gerry Rafferty, BAKER STREET LYRICS

Windin' your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You'll drink the night away
And forget about everything
This city desert makes you feel so cold.
It's got so many people but it's got no soul
And it's taking you so long
To find out you were wrong
When you thought it had everything

You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy
But you're tryin'
You're tryin' now
Another year and then you'll be happy
Just one more year and then you'll be happy
But you're cryin'
You're cryin' now

OCKLAWAHA

[shanshan1218]

It is simply amazing to me that most of those beautiful buildings are now home to "city owned surface parking lots", i.e. what is left of a foundation of a once amazing piece of architecture.
what a shame

[JaxNative68]

Sometimes this site has a way of making me really depressed.  Thanks to everyone who has participated in my emotional change today.

[copperfiend]

JaxNative68, I am right there with you. I have shown many things on this site to people and they say stuff like "that's what Jacksonville used to look like!". Depressing indeed.

[stjr]

One thing San Diego has that I think might help Jacksonville are city recognized community planning groups elected by the citizens in each planning area. Projects for a said community are vetted by the citizens. A vote is held to recommend denial or approval. (These are projects that do not conform to the adopted community plan.) City planning liaison staff are available to provide information at the meetings which are held monthly in each planning area. If a project fails to pass muster, it is returned to the city to be re-worked. The city council can over ride, but I have not heard of this happening for many years. I believe there are approximately 54 planning groups in the city. They have been around for + or - 30 years.

The above is a great idea and should not only be considered in Jacksonville/Duval County, but throughout Florida and maybe the entire U.S.  I hope someone on this board with input into such an idea can run with it to the powers that be.

San Diego's idea should be forwarded to the Charter Revision Committee under way.  Any volunteers?

[grimss]

I'm a big believer in the "echoic" effect of history, as so beautifully defined in Peter Ackroyd's master work, "London."  Essentially (as he explains it), the ground on which we tread is saturated with the footsteps, and character, and personalities of those who came before us--and, in surprising ways, those initial imprints still influence the personality of these sites, however altered, today.  Look at Riverside, where so much of the early, amazing structures were destroyed, and yet the character of what was then Jacksonville's most urban--and yet urbane and eclectic--neighborhood still bleeds through to today.  What was energetic and artistic and extravagant then is, on the same spot, still echoing today.

BTW, RAP has started a new http://www.riversideavondale.org/that sort of mimics this notion that "you can't appreciate where you live today without knowing where you're stepping," although it's not so inelegantly stated.

[grimss]

Okay, didn't get the link quite right. Meant to say the RAP has started a new series called Backyard Treasures that tries to get people to make historic connections to the places they see everyday.

[finehoe]

it has successfully filtered out anyone who would rather not live in a cultural wasteland with no identity

How very true.  I know that's why I left.

[DavidWilliams]

it has successfully filtered out anyone who would rather not live in a cultural wasteland with no identity

How very true.  I know that's why I left.

I wouldn't go that far. I don't think it is a cultural wasteland with no identity. There is quite a bit of culture if sought. Hope you are happy where you are currently.

[stjr]

it has successfully filtered out anyone who would rather not live in a cultural wasteland with no identity

How very true.  I know that's why I left.

I wouldn't go that far. I don't think it is a cultural wasteland with no identity. There is quite a bit of culture if sought. Hope you are happy where you are currently.

I take the term "cultural wasteland with no identity" as a relative term.

Compared to other cities that are the age of Jacksonville and that were blessed with far less quality and/or quantity of historic structures than us, yes, we have wiped a great deal of our "cultural identity" off the map.  Jax could have easily been a Charleston or Savannah or on par with the historic district of any city in the U.S.  But sadly, both quantitatively and qualitatively most of it has been destroyed.

The worst part, we continue to destroy what little history is left with no outcry from our civic leadership.  We need to recognize that the best representation of our culture is our history.

[Dog Walker]

One thing San Diego has that I think might help Jacksonville are city recognized community planning groups elected by the citizens in each planning area. Projects for a said community are vetted by the citizens. A vote is held to recommend denial or approval. (These are projects that do not conform to the adopted community plan.) City planning liaison staff are available to provide information at the meetings which are held monthly in each planning area. If a project fails to pass muster, it is returned to the city to be re-worked. The city council can over ride, but I have not heard of this happening for many years. I believe there are approximately 54 planning groups in the city. They have been around for + or - 30 years.

The above is a great idea and should not only be considered in Jacksonville/Duval County, but throughout Florida and maybe the entire U.S.  I hope someone on this board with input into such an idea can run with it to the powers that be.

San Diego's idea should be forwarded to the Charter Revision Committee under way.  Any volunteers?

The Florida Hometown Democracy amendment to the Florida Constitution does this very thing.  It makes the public approve or disapprove any changes to the comprehensive plans of each city.