During a recent Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) budget workshop, a newly appointed board member expressed interest in understanding DIA’s plans for acquiring additional downtown parks. DIA’s CEO replied that new neighborhood parks are needed in two locations: Cathedral District and LaVilla’s Ritz Theater district.
The board member also suggested that a downtown parks board workshop might be in order. Given that four out of eight DIA board members are new to the authority, a workshop on downtown’s common spaces—especially those located on the Northbank—is a good idea.
No doubt the board member’s interest was spurred by a $1.18 million budget item titled “Park Acquisition and Capital Improvements,” whose description states that “lands for several new neighborhood parks on the Northbank should be located and acquired, or City owned parcels set aside, and developed to provide missing recreational and park amenities in proximity to residents within Downtown Jacksonville neighborhoods.”
The Northbank Park Plan
Given the budget line-item description, we too wonder about Northbank park plans.
Are parks central? or are they an after-thought?
Two years ago, DIA engaged GAI consultants to inventory existing downtown neighborhood parks and develop a plan for activation and expansion, not including parks located along the river’s edge. GAI’s found seven existing Northbank parks.
Pocket Parks
Most of these are commonly understood as “pocket” parks, or neighborhood parks, which typically encompass little more than a lot or two.
Maybe not small enough to actually fit in one’s pocket, and certainly a nod to the importance of common space, but not expansive. Think James Weldon Johnson in front of city hall, Main Street behind the library, and Jesse B. Smith across from Florida Theatre.
Little respites.
GAI’s vision included creating new parks—in the Cathedral District and near Ritz Theater—and adding dog runs, multi-purpose lawns, play areas, and shaded outdoor seating among existing and additional pocket park amenities.
We found no actual designs and no mention of trees or landscaping. Just the idea that Northbank neighborhoods need more park space.
In addition to GAI’s vision, Jacksonville’s Parks Department is presently updating its master park plan which should be available in June and cover the entire county, presumably including downtown’s Northbank.
Together, these documents might give us a better sense of where parks fit in our historic downtown redevelopment efforts.
Central, or after-thoughts? Distinctive? or strikingly similar?
Valuing Urban Parks
Setting aside the bizarre notion that Mother Nature needs justification—seriously people—numerous city and state studies indicate that urban parks provide economic benefits rarely calculated in prioritizing public dollar investment in park development and maintenance.
As Jacksonville’s renowned architect Ted Pappas opined recently in the Florida Times-Union, the “value and positive impact of parks throughout the country are well-documented.”
Indeed, Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Louisville, Massachusetts, Illinois, among others, have calculated the economic return generated by public park investments—including investments in smaller downtown parks. For states, returns are in the billions; for cities, in the millions.
Urban parks attract residents, increase property values and taxes, improve physical and mental well-being, lower health care costs, cool heat islands and lower air conditioning bills. Not to mention that spending time in parks—especially parks populated with trees, plants, and water features—renews the human spirit.
Seems we need Mother Nature, even if she doesn’t need us.
Think Bigger
While not nothing, the vision of developing only two new Northbank parks is not what one would call a stretch goal. It’s small.
On top of our losing valuable Northbank outdoor natural space to a Riverfront Plaza “water’s edge restaurant,” together with DIA’s continued commitment to develop a mid-to-high level rise building on the former Landing site’s northeast corner, we have precious little acreage devoted to parks in historic downtown. And this despite their intrinsic and economic value.
Maybe we should be grateful, for it might be a miracle that we have any downtown parks at all.
What’s Next
DIA’s board meets again on Wednesday, April 17, at 2 p.m. in downtown’s main library.
Come out, ask about the historic downtown parks plan, individual designs, and completion dates.
Sources:
https://dia.coj.net/getattachment/a9d12afe-9bfe-443e-961b-6e96732c806f/.aspx
https://dia.coj.net/getattachment/50445553-6da7-44ee-a657-eeeec91eadfa/.aspx
https://land8.com/7-top-pocket-parks-small-spaces-with-a-huge-impact/
https://www.urbanaparksfoundation.org/the-economic-impact-of-local-parks/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10049315/
https://pittsburghparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/PPC_RPP_Benefits_Case_0911-4.pdf
https://cityparksalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CPA_3-Infographics_2022.FINAL_.pdf
Just ask people who live/lived in Atlanta what the restoration of Piedmont Park and the creation of the rails-to-trails Beltline from disused railroad track beds into a linear park connecting dozens of neighborhoods and Piedmont Park - did for Atlanta: it breathed life into the inner urban core of the city as people chose to live near the Park, the Beltline, and adjacent neighborhoods.
Thank you Sherry for bringing this study to our attention.
Far Be It From Me not to endorse Urban Parks - but with 6 identified new parks in the study, 66% are to be promoted as pet-friendly; 2 with Dog Runs and 2 with Dog Parks.
The city began its Whack-a-Mole efforts in 2017/18 - to rid its downtown parks of seating. First it covered all the seat walls in Hemming Plaza with containerized planters and removed chairs and benches. When the un-housed moved from hanging out in Hemming into Main Street Park, the city decided to fence Main Street and create a dog park. The city quickly "learned" from many advocates that there was no need or demand for a dog park behind the library, so they simply covered the seat walls in the Main Street Park with the same type planters.
Thankfully, the city is now having Hemming (nka, James Weldon Johnson Park) completely re-designed. I think they need to do the same with the underutilized Main Street Park.
More importantly, I think the city should fully fund, and totally build-out (in a single phase) "Celebration Park" (Mr. Pappas' appellation) / "Central City Park" (ne, Riverfront Plaza).
The city should narrow their park investment "targets", focus funding on completing those park improvements in short, condensed time frames and commit to creating and maintaining great, inspirational, signature parks - not just more.
For example, take a close look at Treaty Oak Park - everything other than the magnificent tree itself (paths, boardwalks, lawn, landscape, parking, signage, lighting) is tired, worn and unkept.
Take a thorough walk through Riverside Park and you will understand that there is far more need in the park than just a re-work of the Duck Pond. The second oldest park in the city and it doesn't even have identifiable pedestrian portals and gateways.
The city has demonstrated that it really can't be good stewards of the Largest Municipal Park System - but it could be the owners and caretakers of the Best and Highest Quality Park System.
Something to think about - the city has an incredible opportunity to usher in a whole new era of civic park offerings - all they have to do is start with the +-7.5 acres of available space on the riverfront in the heart of the downtown.
Thank you very much.