We promise we will be getting back to some non-Springfield facelifts soon, but couldn’t resist doing an infill on the same block of past UFP #3 (1632-1636 N Main Street). Obviously, rehabilitating existing buildings is only part of the equation in regards to transforming blighted blocks, we also have to focus on adding smart infill projects into the existing fabric. As we stated in an earlier post, the stretch of Main Street has a vast amount of potential. Its dotted with vacant car lots, empty lots, deteriorating buildings, wonderful contributing buildings, and a huge new 3 story construction project, the first commercial new construction in decades, at the northeast corner of 3rd and Main.

The site we’re focusing on is just north of the more modern Wachovia Bank / Postal Service building and just south of the 3 story Florence Court Apartments:

For more information on Florence Court Apartments, and to see how it looks today, please see this article at Metro Jacksonville.

When looking at the guidelines set forth by the City of Jacksonville’s Historic Preservation Commission for the Springfield Historic District, careful thought of the below was used in the design:

Successful infill design does not have to imitate demolished or extant buildings to be successful. Rather, it picks up significant themes, such as height, materials, roof form, massing, set-back, and the rhythm of openings to insure that a new building blends with its context.

Recommendations:

1. Keep new construction to a minimum.

2. Design new buildings to be compatible in materials, size, color, and texture with the surrounding buildings.

3. Employ contemporary design that is compatible with the character and feel of the district.

Avoid:

1. Designing new buildings whose massing and scale is inappropriate and whose materials and texture are non-historic.

2. Imitating an earlier style or period of architecture in new construction, except in rare cases where a contemporary design would detract from the architectural unity of an ensemble or group.

existing site:

rendering:

slideshow:

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