The first real estate plat was recorded in 1822, but Jacksonville’s first neighborhood was established years earlier — when the second log cabin went up near the north bank of the St. Johns River, probably near what’s now Forsyth and Newnan streets.
It took nearly 200 years, but a major portion of Downtown has been designated by the National Register of Historic Places as an official “historic district.”
The application process began more than one year ago, said Joel McEachin, city planner supervisor.
At the direction of the Downtown Investment Authority, the Planning Department and the Historic Preservation Commission, working with a consultant, applied for the designation.
The application was reviewed by the state Historic Preservation Office before it was submitted to the federal Department of the Interior and the National Park Service.
Inclusion on the list of America’s historic sites was granted in May.
The Downtown Historic District comprises 158 acres on 56 blocks bordered by Beaver Street on the north, Liberty Street on the east, Pearl Street on the west and the river on the south.
After an extensive analysis of Downtown’s real estate inventory, it was determined 179 of the 225 structures within the defined district qualify as properties that contribute to the zone’s architectural, historical or cultural importance.
“It’s the largest concentration of contributing buildings in the city,” McEachin said.
Historic district designation can serve several purposes, including protecting and preserving historically significant elements, enhancing public appreciation of the district and fostering a sense of civic pride through recognition of the area’s heritage.
Ensuring future development is compatible with the district is another advantage of historic designation, but that won’t really come into play in Jacksonville, McEachin said.
The Downtown Development Review Board administers the Downtown zoning overlay, which requires development and redevelopment to conform to the city’s established historic preservation policies.
McEachin said the commission won’t be involved in design or other redevelopment issues unless an application is made to demolish a contributing structure within the district.
There won’t be any impact on property owners until an owner wants to improve a building.
In that case, McEachin said, the historic designation “elevates the status of the district, legally and financially.”
Property within the historic district could more likely qualify for state historic grants and the designation puts in place two tax credits.
There’s a 20 percent credit on federal income tax on funds invested in improving a contributing building, as well as a 10-year local property tax exemption on the increase in value after improvements are made to a historic building.
“For a big project, that could be substantial,” McEachin said. “This can be a strong economic development tool.”
Guy Parola, DIA redevelopment manager, said goal No. 1 in the authority’s Community Redevelopment Area plan is to reinforce Downtown “as the epicenter for business, history, culture and entertainment and one of the strategic objectives of the plan is to protect and revitalize historic assets.”
The designation of Downtown’s core as a historic district “creates an avenue for building owners to access historic preservation tax credits and other incentives to promote continued preservation and investment,” he said.
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