Imagine a neighborhood where you could live, work, shop, participate in the arts and worship — all within walking distance of your front door.
That’s the vision for The Cathedral District, based on a strategic plan developed by the Urban Land Institute North Florida District Council.
It’s also the vision that’s been held by the Very Rev. Kate Moorehead since she became dean of St. John’s Cathedral nearly seven years ago.
“ULI gave us the path we can walk on. It’s exactly what we need,” she said.
A two-day analysis was performed Jan. 12-13 by a seven-member ULI Technical Assistance Panel of professionals in architecture, land-use planning, law and marketing.
The area defined as The Cathedral District is bordered on the north by State Street, on the east by Hogan’s Creek, on the south by Adams Street and on the west by Main Street.
At its center, on what was known more than a century ago as Billy Goat Hill, is St. John’s Cathedral.
The church’s legacy goes back to 1829, when the first Episcopal services in Jacksonville were held along the bank of the St. Johns River.
The church’s first building was dedicated in 1851. It was burned down during the Civil War and its successor was destroyed along with almost all of Downtown in the Great Fire of 1901.
The current Gothic Revival church was designated in 1951 as the first cathedral in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida.
The panel reviewed the district’s history, demographics and current land uses. They also walked throughout the neighborhood to get the “boots on the ground” perspective.
The result is a 38-page report released last week that addresses issues such as capital investment, redevelopment, infrastructure, transportation and pedestrian access.
Moorehead said many members of the church embraced her vision.
Eventually, she said, several began taking part in weekly breakfast meetings of the “Village Group.”
The inspiration was there, as was the dedication, but the expertise was missing.
“I went to seminary. I have no idea what to do about urban development,” Moorehead said.
Downtown Investment Authority CEO Aundra Wallace said Friday he hasn’t fully reviewed the report, but having a well-thought-out plan and people dedicated to its implementation is a combination that can lead to success for the neighborhood and for Downtown in general.
“They bring the financial and technical resources to the table. They are in a very good position and they are a very good partner,” he said. “We are ready to help them in any way we can.”
The report sets out a strategy divided into three segments: immediate actions, short-term benchmarks to be accomplished within five years and longer-term goals that extend to 10 years and beyond.
The first step, according to the report, is to establish a community organization to unify the district’s faith-based groups, nonprofits, property owners, businesses and residents to work together toward the common goal of neighborhood improvement and investment.
Moorehead estimates establishing the organization and hiring a director and small staff will require a budget of at least $1.5 million for the first four years.
“We need people who can put their feet on the ground and work every day,” she said.
A capital campaign will soon begin, seeking support from the church’s membership as well as from government and private-sector sources.
“We have enormous connections and capacity within our organization and we’re also applying for grants,” said Moorehead.
Another immediate action recommended is to improve lighting in the district.
With empty lots and buildings and deteriorating sidewalks scattered throughout the area, safety has been a concern for some time, Moorehead said.
St. John’s has a head start on that part of the plan as well. Light fixtures have been installed on the cathedral to discourage vagrants from sleeping in previously dark areas.
In the medium-term view, the advocacy organization would promote development of multifamily market-rate housing and student housing and creating a mixed-use performing arts and community center.
Florida State College at Jacksonville has begun a $6.2 million project to convert a former office building along West Adams Street just outside the boundary of the study area, into student housing and a restaurant for the college’s culinary arts program.
Possible expansion into Downtown has been a topic of discussion for years among officials at Jacksonville University and at Florida Coastal School of Law, both or either of which could create an increased demand for student housing, possibly in the Cathedral District.
More for-profit businesses are needed in the district. That’s another area in which the cathedral has a head start.
A building previously occupied by a law firm was purchased and is being renovated. Negotiations are underway with a potential tenant, Moorehead said.
The report recommends the advocacy organization identify key properties for purchase from willing sellers and that it act as steward for a land banking program in anticipation of future development opportunities.
The church already is the largest land owner in the district, with 628 apartments in three rent-subsidized high-rise communities for seniors operated by Aging True Community Senior Services, one of its nonprofits.
The cathedral owns a low-rise building where services are provided for the disabled and a skilled nursing home.
Also within the district are some of Jacksonville’s most historic and significant churches: the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Historic Mount Zion AME Church, First Presbyterian Church and First United Methodist Church.
Long-term goals include working with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to begin trolley service between the district and Brooklyn, Riverside and Avondale; establishing a pre-K to eighth-grade magnet school focused on visual and performing arts; and creating a branding campaign for the district.
It’s a complex and bold plan, but having direction, vision and resources makes the path clear.
“We are eternally grateful to ULI for giving us the roadmap to follow. Our next step is to begin to get this done,” said Moorehead.
@DRMaxDowntown
(904) 356-2466