Torti Gallas + Partners is working with Cathedral District-JAX, Inc. to develop a vision for neighborhood revitalization and a roadmap for implementation for Jacksonville's Cathedral District. The Cathedral District was once a thriving downtown
residential neighborhood with five churches that were the centers of community
life. While the Cathedral District has many
remaining architectural masterpieces – from religious and civic buildings to
commercial buildings and houses – this once-vibrant neighborhood has
experienced disinvestment and significant population loss where parking lots
now predominate. On June 14, 2016 St.
John’s Cathedral sponsored a Neighborhood Ecumenical meeting that included
Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, First United
Methodist Church, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, and the First Presbyterian
Church to discuss the condition of the neighborhood, their individual needs,
and their overlapping missions. An ecumenical vision for redevelopment has
emerged with the following goals:
· To bring diverse
denominations together to work towards the common goal of neighborhood
revitalization
· To revitalize the
Cathedral District so that it becomes a desirable place to live
· To provide
opportunities for congregants to not only serve in this neighborhood, but also
to live there
· To create a safe and
pleasant environment
Following
the Ecumenical Meeting, Cathedral District-JAX, Inc. (a 501c3 corporation) was
formed to further pursue these shared goals. After reaching out and speaking with members
of the community (residents, churches, property owners, developers, elected
officials, and the Downtown Investment Authority), a Vision and Master Plan has
emerged that leverages the many strengths of the district and is organized
around 7-Key ideas:
·
Create a residential core, returning people and life
to the District
·
Make improved connections to surrounding neighborhoods
and existing resources
·
Bring a mix of uses, including neighborhood-serving
retail
·
Create safe, friendly, walkable, and bike-able
streets
·
Add open space/parks
·
Attract a charter school
· Develop a
district parking strategy to make infill development possible
The vision can be summarized in the following
statement, “The Cathedral District is a leafy downtown historic neighborhood
where you can live, work, learn, play, serve, and pray together with your
neighbors.” The vision has been
developed to be implementation-oriented where the proposed projects can be
realistically developed by the Churches, land owners, and private developers
with the City assisting with community improvements.