It’s an issue that has been recognized, discussed and studied for at least 50 years and it came up again Wednesday at Downtown Vision Inc.’s quarterly operations meeting.
The issue is making Hemming Plaza, the public park space in the middle of Downtown bordered by Duval, Laura, Monroe and Hogan streets, more appealing to people who work Downtown or come to the neighborhood to shop, eat or visit the Main Library and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Many of those people perceive Hemming Plaza as a place that is not safe, ridden with crime and generally a place to avoid.
The most common complaint is the number of homeless people who spend most of the day at the tables and chairs and the behavior, some of which is against the law, of a minority of the people in that group.
Dan Macdonald, Council member Denise Lee’s executive assistant, attended the meeting Wednesday.
He reported about a meeting called Sept. 28 by Lee and Council member Robin Lumb to invite Downtown business owners and other stakeholders to discuss the topic of how the park is being used and to explore ways to improve the experience of the park for the general public.
“The park is what needs to be addressed, not the homeless people,” said Macdonald.
He said comments from that meeting included that many people don’t use the park because the tables and chairs are occupied by people who use homeless shelters.
“One suggestion was to provide a day center for the people in the shelters, but there no money for that now,” Macdonald said.
Another issue was food distribution by church groups and others who take it upon themselves to give out food in Hemming Plaza, an activity that requires a City permit.
Macdonald said other cities have outlawed feeding people in public parks and “well-meaning people should take food to the shelters.”
Another suggestion from Lee and Lumb’s meeting was to remove the tables and chairs from Hemming Plaza to discourage people from playing chess, checkers and cards.
That would eliminate some of the gathering areas, Macdonald said. “But there’s still ample seating along the edges of the fountains.”
Another suggestion was to increase the programmed activities in the plaza.
“It wouldn’t have to be a jazz festival, just some UNF students or a dog show – anything to make it a more active place,” said Macdonald.
Roy Thomas, owner of Jacobs Jewelers, commented Wednesday that some of the laws governing Hemming Plaza aren’t enforced, particularly the regulation closing the plaza between sundown and sunup, seven days a week.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rusty Bonifacio said the recent layoff of police officers due to City budget cuts has reduced the coverage available for Downtown from 10 officers to four and “the officers go home at sundown.”
Bonifacio said that other than a shooting three years ago, crime in the plaza is generally limited to drinking and urinating in public and panhandling.
“The park is not the prettiest thing, but it’s not a violent place,” he said.
Macdonald said that when police officers are on duty around the plaza, “people would rather see them walking the area instead of standing together and talking.”
Thomas said Hemming Plaza has been an issue ever since he went into business Downtown.
“You’ve got to change the people in the park. That hasn’t changed since 1960 when I got here,” he said.
DVI Director of District Services Amy Harrell chaired the meeting Wednesday.
“The best place to have this conversation is with Council members who can do something about it,” she said.
“It will take a couple of years of concentrated effort, but if we all work together, we can get it done,” she said.
Macdonald said Lee and Lumb are “looking to form a committee to study options for the park.”
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