by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
In an interview with the Daily Record in May 2009, artist Jim Draper explained a program that was about to be unveiled to bring artists Downtown.
Draper had set up a studio in the Greenleaf Building on Laura Street. Although it didn’t have a name at the time, what he was describing — and doing — would eventually be called “Off the Grid.”
It’s the partnership among Downtown Vision Inc., the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and Downtown property owners who had vacant space. The other part of the equation was members of the creative community who were looking for a place to work and exhibit their art.
“Look what started in New York City in the 1950s. Artists started moving into Greenwich Village and property values started going up. Then they moved to SoHo and Chelsea and Brooklyn and Tribeca,” said Draper.
“You can chart the evolution. It was led by artists, not real estate developers,” he said.
In the past two years, “Off the Grid” has grown from an idea to a collection of 14 galleries in the Northbank core.
The next step in the evolution of Downtown’s arts community is now before the City Council. Resolution 2011-254 was introduced at the April 26 meeting. If approved, it will express the City’s support for the Planning and Development Department’s “Creating the Spark — a Redevelopment Cultural Plan for the Northbank Core.”
Using the arts as a means for revitalization, the 30-page document outlines a way to combine economic development, transportation, housing and community involvement to activate the Northbank core.
The plan points out that during the past decade, more than $1 billion has been invested Downtown with the addition of five new or upgraded cultural or entertainment facilities and 1,500 residential units.
Despite that effort, more than 40 retail spaces and 10 historic buildings are empty, meaning fewer businesses Downtown than in years past and the lack of an active street life.
Much of the plan is based on the conclusions of a feasibility study conducted by Urban Focus LLC, a community revitalization consulting firm. The study is expected to be published next month, but many of its findings were used as the basis of the Spark Plan.
“The arts can transcend demographic and geographic boundaries and provide the impetus for redevelopment and related efforts,” states the study.
One of the areas cited in the report as “one of the more urgent needs” of the Downtown community is the development of projects containing work force housing.
A survey of more than 600 artists conducted by the Cultural Council determined that Downtown is a desirable location among the artists expecting to secure living and working space in the next three years.
Twenty-seven percent responded that Downtown is the primary choice of location and another 24 percent regarded it as the secondary choice. The survey also determined that artists in the near-term market are younger and have lower incomes, reinforcing the importance of projects to provide units at an affordable monthly cost.
The target area for the Spark plan is a 10-block area including Hogan, Adams, Newnan and Forsyth streets.
Short-term goals of the plan are the legislative recognition of an arts-focused target area, convening cultural partners, promoting business and vitality through regulatory policies, facilitating partnerships between the arts and development communities and promoting public engagement.
“The Spark Plan does a good job codifying a lot of ideas that have been around a while,” said Amy Crane, deputy director of the Cultural Council.
She said the Spark boundaries were selected as a “walkable corridor” that can connect arts venues from the Florida Theatre to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The idea, said Crane, is to “create a street-level experience that lets people know arts and culture are important in Jacksonville.”
She said one of the most important parts of the Spark Plan is that it paves the way for the City to apply for state and federal funding that is earmarked for arts partnerships, including programs administered through the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Having a unified effort supported by the City is also an important element.
“The ‘Off the Grid’ partnerships helped artists and helped property owners. Real change will only come from people working together,” said Crane.
To request a copy of the Spark Plan, email the address below.
356-2466