Top Newsmaker: Suzanne Pickett: Advocate for city’s Historic Eastside

Business

Suzanne Pickett, president and CEO of the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation, continued to be a force in the transformation and revitalization of the Jacksonville neighborhood north of EverBank Stadium.

Historic Eastside CDC’s partners include LIFT JAX, a nonprofit organization working to eradicate poverty in the Eastside,

On Nov. 27, LIFT JAX anounced that the Eastside was accepted to the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of places worthy of preservation across the United States.

Pickett has said the designation would be a turning point in the Eastside’s revitalization.

A LIFT JAX news release said it “will play an integral role in preserving the neighborhood for years to come.”

The release said nonprofit organizations, like LIFT JAX and the Historic Eastside CDC, are dedicated to supporting the vision of resident leaders, and being on the National Register will further their efforts. “Now, as part of the National Register, leaders in the Eastside can apply for funding opportunities to complete revitalization projects,” it said.

Pickett, a visual artist by trade, is also an adviser to Miami-based Future of Cities, which wants to regenerate 8 acres in North Springfield as the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District, or PHX JAX. The property is near the Eastside.

In April, Pickett said Future of Cities plans a place for artists to engage with the communities of Eastside, Phoenix and Springfield. She said she was helping to identify organizations to work with the group.

“I hope to see a destination in Jacksonville where artists can have studios but also a creative place for people to come,” Pickett said.

“We really would like for it to be community-centered and we would like this community to be beneficiaries of this project,” she said.

Pickett said there are about 3,300 families on the Eastside who can benefit, in addition to residents of Springfield.