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Sure there are neighborhoods that may be more expensive and tidy, but none of them have the history and attitude of Springfield! And if you want to see a good return on your investment, Springfield is definitely the place to be.
I know this is an old thread, but I guess it has been reborn. So... Here we go.
My company was one of the pioneers in "bringing back" Springfield in the late 1970' and early 1980's. We have won numerous awards for historic renovations from SPAR and The City of Jacksonville and have put unknown amounts of money (well into the millions) into the Springfield community. Though I don’t live in Springfield, I am there every single day and a lot of nights and weekends. It is my understanding that the area has been in a constant state of limbo since the early 1980’s. The neighborhood will experience an enthusiastic growth spurt for a few years (like it did between 2002-2006) and then start to decline (as it is starting to do again in 2007). This has been going on and on, back and forth for the last 30 years. I desperately want the area to experience a successful turnaround. But, it’s not going to happen until attitudes from the city and the community change. You are right in saying that no other area of Jacksonville has the history and attitude of Springfield. But, the area residents need to stop thinking in terms of investment and start thinking as a community. Will you see a good return on your investment if you purchased a home in Springfield between 2003 and 2007? Probably not. And this change of attitude is what the community needs. The area needs to get together as homeowners and not “investors” to help fight the crime and fix up the neighborhood. Until this happens, Springfield will never see a sustained turnaround.
I know this is an old thread, but I guess it has been reborn. So... Here we go.
My company was one of the pioneers in "bringing back" Springfield in the late 1970' and early 1980's. We have won numerous awards for historic renovations from SPAR and The City of Jacksonville and have put unknown amounts of money (well into the millions) into the Springfield community. Though I don’t live in Springfield, I am there every single day and a lot of nights and weekends. It is my understanding that the area has been in a constant state of limbo since the early 1980’s. The neighborhood will experience an enthusiastic growth spurt for a few years (like it did between 2002-2006) and then start to decline (as it is starting to do again in 2007). This has been going on and on, back and forth for the last 30 years. I desperately want the area to experience a successful turnaround. But, it’s not going to happen until attitudes from the city and the community change. You are right in saying that no other area of Jacksonville has the history and attitude of Springfield. But, the area residents need to stop thinking in terms of investment and start thinking as a community. Will you see a good return on your investment if you purchased a home in Springfield between 2003 and 2007? Probably not. And this change of attitude is what the community needs. The area needs to get together as homeowners and not “investors” to help fight the crime and fix up the neighborhood. Until this happens, Springfield will never see a sustained turnaround.
I feel for Springfield, I really do. I think you summed it up perfectly David.
There are other areas that fell into decline and somehow rebounded stronger than ever - I'm thinking specifically of San Marco. What makes one area come back strong and another waver? I think Springfield's residents want it as bad as San Marco's did, so I don't think it's anything the residents are or are not doing, and I'm not so sure it's the city to blame either.
I really do believe that one big factor that might be overlooked at times is actual location itself - what surrounds an area, what the main roads connect to - the things that can't be changed.
I'm sorry but I grew up in Jax and until Springfield is completely transformed like the area in downtown Orlando - Springfield is still considered "the ghetto" to many people - no matter how many renovations the area has recently undergone and I'm sorry but this is a suburb city - people leave downtown and five pm and don't return until 8 the next morning... no offense to anyone living in springfield... we saw some very nice condos there recently when a friend of ours tried to convince us to invest but in the very same visit we heard 2 conversations of stolen cars and when we were leaving we literally turned the corner and found ourselves in the mist of some serious drug activity....
springfield = downtown = dangerous and unsavory...
I'm sorry but I grew up in Jax and until Springfield is completely transformed like the area in downtown Orlando - Springfield is still considered "the ghetto" to many people - no matter how many renovations the area has recently undergone and I'm sorry but this is a suburb city - people leave downtown and five pm and don't return until 8 the next morning... no offense to anyone living in springfield... we saw some very nice condos there recently when a friend of ours tried to convince us to invest but in the very same visit we heard 2 conversations of stolen cars and when we were leaving we literally turned the corner and found ourselves in the mist of some serious drug activity....
springfield = downtown = dangerous and unsavory...
sorry...
I disagree with what you said about JAX being a suburb city since most people live near the city's core and the suburbs are actually very small compared to most cities. But, you are exactly right about the "ghetto" aspect of Springfield and what you said about "investment" is one of the major problems with Springfield. Many cities have revitalized areas in similar or even much worse condition than Springfield. They have done it by 1) fighting crime through neighborhood / police interaction and 2) starting with a core area and fixing up homes to LIVE IN on a block by block basis. The idea of buying a home or condo to sell later as an investment is one of the major things keeping Springfield down. It is going to take long term block by block community action to get things safe and livable. When people only want to buy up homes, slap a coat of paint on them, and try to sell them for a profit, the problem never gets solved. Trust me, I’m a capitalist and I’m all in favor of making a profit. But, what is going on now is not going to help out Springfield long term. It's also a good thing you didn't take your friend up on that "investment". One of the worst investments a person can make is buying a condominium. And a condominium in Springfield sounds like a complete financial disaster.
One of the things we have neglected on this thread is Avondale. Avondale vs Springfield? If I could live in any part of Jacksonville it would be Avondale. The area is beautiful, the homes are beautiful, the pocket parks are everywhere and very well maintained, it is very close to downtown, it is one of the safest parts of the city, etc, etc, etc. Unfortunately my wife prefers the beach so it’s 50 / 50 right now on which way we will be going.
I disagree with what you said about JAX being a suburb city since most people live near the city's core and the suburbs are actually very small compared to most cities. But, you are exactly right about the "ghetto" aspect of Springfield and what you said about "investment" is one of the major problems with Springfield. Many cities have revitalized areas in similar or even much worse condition than Springfield. They have done it by 1) fighting crime through neighborhood / police interaction and 2) starting with a core area and fixing up homes to LIVE IN on a block by block basis. The idea of buying a home or condo to sell later as an investment is one of the major things keeping Springfield down. It is going to take long term block by block community action to get things safe and livable. When people only want to buy up homes, slap a coat of paint on them, and try to sell them for a profit, the problem never gets solved. Trust me, I’m a capitalist and I’m all in favor of making a profit. But, what is going on now is not going to help out Springfield long term. It's also a good thing you didn't take your friend up on that "investment". One of the worst investments a person can make is buying a condominium. And a condominium in Springfield sounds like a complete financial disaster.
One of the things we have neglected on this thread is Avondale. Avondale vs Springfield? If I could live in any part of Jacksonville it would be Avondale. The area is beautiful, the homes are beautiful, the pocket parks are everywhere and very well maintained, it is very close to downtown, it is one of the safest parts of the city, etc, etc, etc. Unfortunately my wife prefers the beach so it’s 50 / 50 right now on which way we will be going.
Springfield: I don't know the answer to this, but maybe you do David, isn't SRG the primary driving force behind the 'revitalization' of Springfield? I ask because you brought up a good point about how it is done. SRG seems to have been able to buy a lot here, a lot there, do a tear-down, and then build their old-looking-but-brand-new home and sell it. When you hit upon a block with a few SRG homes interspersed with some genuine renovated older homes, those streets can look pretty good. Overall though, it's spotty and there doesn't seem to be a real master plan........
Avondale: Very pretty . We detour through the neighborhood there anytime we're on the Westside just so I can look at the nice homes and get some gardening ideas .
I don't know the answer to this, but maybe you do David, isn't SRG the primary driving force behind the 'revitalization' of Springfield?
No. SRG is a homebuilder in the area (and other areas) who has made a big push since the early 90's to build new homes that look like the older homes in Springfield. Their homes are very beautiful inside and out (and very expensive) and do match the period architecture of the area. I wouldn't say that they are a primary force but more of a homebuilder who specializes in areas "hot" for revitalization. They are what ICI is to Julington Creek (just an example), a builder who specializes in that type of area. I would say that The City of Jacksonville, the Springfield Small Business Association, and SPAR Council are the driving force behind the revitalization. One of the problems is that the SPAR Council is now into the whole “investment” thing where they are now worried more about their home appreciation (and now depreciation) than really helping the community.
Avondale: Very pretty . We detour through the neighborhood there anytime we're on the Westside just so I can look at the nice homes and get some gardening ideas .
Funny - so do we. It's beautiful there. If I wasn't a beach person, I'd want to live in Avondale.
We looked very seriously at Springfield last year. I loved the spirit of the neighborhood and the beautiful architecture. I really believe it will be wonderful someday. I was disappointed that it had so little interesting commercial development though. It needs more density to support a healthy main street, but the place is actually getting lower density as multifamily homes are getting converted back to single family.
In the final analysis, I decided it was just too expensive. It is still a transitional neighborhood but the housing prices did not reflect that. Moreover, I've lived in a lot of transitional neighborhoods and I've never seen any quite like this. The restoration is so spotty. You had houses listed for up to $700,000 next to ramshackle houses. Everything in my price range needed at least $100,000 in work. My husband and I have renovated two old (100+ years) houses before and we love renovating, but we have never taken on anything as neglected and derelict as the properties that I saw in Springfield. In the end, I decided that the risk was too high given the prices that were being asked. One contractor told me that lots of people underestimate how much work they need to put into these homes and end up having to sell them before they even finish. That was a situation I definitely did not want to end up in.
In the final analysis, I decided it was just too expensive. It is still a transitional neighborhood but the housing prices did not reflect that. Moreover, I've lived in a lot of transitional neighborhoods and I've never seen any quite like this. The restoration is so spotty.
That's so true, Tulipseason, they are expensive considering all the things you mentioned.
I think it's interesting to note that not all of those homes have been restored - many of them are brand new, done in an old style. There is a developer that specializes in tear-downs and they build a modern home with a historic-look. They're going lot-by-lot doing this.
Nothing wrong with that, but the people who can afford one of these brand new houses are in a different financial position than someone hoping to earn a little sweat equity. The late 20-something who can plunk down $300k for one of these is living in a different Springfield than the one living in a former crack house.
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. We detour through the neighborhood there anytime we're on the Westside just so I can look at the nice homes and get some gardening ideas 
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Stolen car
