Collectively, Martha Schnable, 86, Shirley Sapp, 73, Pam Winn, 83, and Kenneth Richmond, 46, have lived in downtown proper for almost 50 years. And Richmond spent part of his childhood in Springfield. Today, they live in Cathedral Residences and have seen the evolution of a district that is now in the beginning stages of drastic change. Daily Record staff writer Sean McManus met recently with the downtown residents, and Ann Thompson, administrator of Cathedral Residences, to talk about what they have seen in the city’s core over the years and how they think downtown should brace for the coming population wave. Mary Williams joined the discussion near the end.
Question: Do you like living downtown?
Schnable: Right now there is nothing to do but the Landing. There are no department stores, no movie theaters — like in the old days. We are close to everything, though. And they’re going to be bringing in millionaires with the new residential developments. That should really make a difference in terms of amenities.
Sapp: We have a wonderful view here, over the Gator Bowl [Alltel Stadium] and you can be anywhere in just a few minutes.
Winn: We still have a bit of a homeless problem. We’ve got to get those people off the street. I’m not really afraid of them, but in terms of aesthetics, it would be nice if they weren’t here. But I love living downtown. The view is beautiful. I like having Jacksonville at my fingertips.
Q: What was the evolution with the homeless problem and when did the changes occur?
Richmond: It’s certainly has gotten a lot better. I remember when it was pretty dangerous.
Winn: When I first moved downtown a few years ago, I would get up to get breakfast in the morning and they were everywhere. That changed a lot, I heard, since in the 1950s and 1960s when they would be in homes for the mentally disabled. Then, when those institutions closed down, it got worse. The Landing still has a problem with people sleeping on the benches by the river.
Schnable: I think the City should do everything it can to support I. M. Sulzbacher and the other homeless shelters.
Richmond: The mayor knows about the problem, and it’s still bad around Market Street near Winn-Dixie. There are still a fair amount of people sleeping on Market Street. But I remember about five years ago when the police started regular patrolling with golf carts in the neighborhood, that helped a lot. You just have to take them to jail. It is helpful when the cops, along with the Downtown Development Authority and the Cathedral Foundation all coordinated an effort to clean things up. That definitely stopped the car break-ins.
Schnable: We can’t forget about the fact that the economy in general is a factor in crime. And if there were more people living downtown, there would be more activity on the streets — and less crime.
Thompson: Of course, I think it’s important to remember that crime statistics are better here than they are in Baymeadows or Arlington.
Richmond: I think when working on planning issues, it’s important to think about what you do when you build. The backside of the new courthouse is going to continue to be blighted, unless we have pedestrian areas on all sides. That was what happened with Hemming Plaza, before St. James was renovated.
Q: What was downtown like in the 1970s and 1980s?
Sapp: I had such a nice time shopping and window shopping at May Cohen’s. The Capital Theatre at Eighth and Main streets used to be where we could go see movies. I remember Woolworth’s and Akra’s Department Store.
Richmond: When I was growing up, my family moved near First Street and Main Street, which used to be a great place to walk around, especially for window shopping at Christmas time. We’ve really got to do something with Main Street. I suppose the new library will help. I am really looking forward to what’s happening in Springfield — that used to be the wealthiest part of Jacksonville. It started crumbling in the late 1960s.
Sapp: I remember the rotating restaurant on top of the old Charter building [now the JEA building]. It was great for out of town guests.
Q: When was the beginning of the downturn?
Thompson: Well for one thing, equal housing laws went into effect 37 years ago and we began having white flight. It’s unfortunate, but it’s taken us this long to correct the way people used to think.
Winn: I’d say we have finally gotten to the point where the race thing is no longer a factor. There are bad people of both races that can bring down a neighborhood and as long as people care about where they live, then our neighborhoods can be nice again.
Richmond: The government provided loans for housing but didn’t maintain any rules.
Q: What changes can be made to make downtown, and Jacksonville in general, better?
Schnable: We’ve also got to make sure we don’t perpetuate stigmas about the Northside. I’ve personally heard stories about realtors telling people not to live on the Northside.
Richmond: One thing the city needs to do is regulate the money they give out for HUD housing. For example, if they catch people with drugs, they shouldn’t get subsidized. And I hope they remember the value of preserving the historic buildings downtown.
Winn: Personally, I’d like to see public transportation, like a Skyway, run across to Arlington and different places in the city. Everything is so far away in this city, we need ways to get around without driving.
Thompson: We need to remember that parking downtown is going to be an issue. We need to solve that problem, especially with all the new development. And I think the trolley should make loops around downtown. Right know it only goes from the parking lots at the stadium to the Landing.
WInn: We need a general marketplace where everyone convenes. I really like the public market in Roanoke.
Sapp: Or like the Quincy Market in Boston.
Q: Do you wish there was more entertainment downtown?
Richmond: I’ve been pretty happy with the different concerts and events that come to the Florida Theatre.
Sapp: I volunteer at the Florida Theatre sometimes and I like it. FridayFest should continue. That has gotten very nice. I think there have been problems with noise but we are willing to compromise. There has to be events for kids and I’m willing to put up with a little noise now and then.
Richmond: There used to be lots of clubs for young people in the 1950s. Eventually people complained that there was too much noise and people hanging out outside.
Winn: I hope there’s more entertainment downtown. I really like fireworks.
Sapp: I’m really looking forward to the Super Bowl just to see what happens. And I really like the new baseball park. They need to make sure they don’t take it out of the price range of families.