Or Would You Rather See A Parking Lot?

We need your help to save this house and to preserve the integrity of our Historic District.

Channel 4's lead story on their 5:30 news yesterday (Tues 6/27) brings to light just one of the many battles in your district that RAP wages on an ongoing basis. This is one that needs your input and support.

Check out the story over at the Local Station and then these four facts for your consideration...
1. The Historic Preservation Commission on 5/24/06 unanimously denied Mr. Rubin's Certificate of Approrpiateness (COA-06-304) to relocate 1662 Stockton Street. He has since filed an appeal which will take this matter before City Council.

2. The house at 1662 Stockton Street is a contributing structure that was built in 1906 and is one of the few Dutch Colonial Revival houses in our Historic District. You can read more about the house on page 171 of Wayne Wood's book "Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage".

3. One of Mr. Rubin's companies, Trump Properties, Inc., purchased the building on 4/20/05. Trump Properties sold the building to Riverside Square, LLC on 5/19/06. Therefore, Mr. Rubin is no longer the legal owner the building and is only acting as the agent of Riverside Square.

4. Based on the site plans provided to RAP, they want to remove the building in order to put in a surface parking lot to support their proposed mixed-use project at the corner of Riverside and Stockton.

So contact Councilman Corrigan and the rest of the City Council and let them know how you feel about this situation. If you listen to what Mr. Rubin has to say, the only thing we, as residents of the district can do to preserve our heritage is pack it off to San Marco where the historic homes aren't protected and then enjoy the wonderful surface lots. That kind of thinking was probably what lead to the wonderful progress of Brooklyn and LaVilla.

We're sure you have some stories about this beautiful house. We'd love to hear them.

Note: The Planning Department Report dated 4/26/06 recommending denial in response to the COA Mr. Rubin filed, as well as the Appointment of Agent Letter and the State of Florida Division of Corporation's website showing that Mr. Rubin is not a partner or member of Riverside Square, LLC. are all now linked in the above article.

Roofing for Historic Buildings

A weather-tight roof is basic in the preservation of a structure, regardless of its age, size, or design. It is the system that allows a building to work as a shelter, the roof sheds the rain, shades from the sun, and buffers the weather. During some periods in the history of architecture, the roof imparts much of the architectural character. It defines the style and contributes to the building's aesthetics. The hipped roofs of Georgian architecture, the turrets of Queen Anne, the Mansard roofs, and the graceful slopes of the Shingle Style and Bungalow designs are examples of the use of roofing as a major design feature.

But no matter how decorative the patterning or how compelling the form, the roof is a highly vulnerable element of a shelter that will inevitably fail. A poor roof will permit the accelerated deterioration of historic building materials-- masonry, wood, plaster, paint--and will cause general disintegration of the basic structure. Furthermore, there is an urgency involved in repairing a leaky roof since such repair costs will quickly become prohibitive. Although such action is desirable as soon as a failure is discovered, temporary patching methods should be carefully chosen to prevent inadvertent damage to sound or historic roofing materials and related features. Before any repair work is performed, the historic value of the materials used on the roof should be understood. Then a complete internal and external inspection of the roof should be planned to determine all the causes of failure and to identify the alternatives for repair or replacement of the roofing.

Visit the government site for more information.

ShAdCo Meeting This Tuesday

Here is your monthly reminder for to attend the ShAdCo meeting. It is Tuesday, June 27 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. This event repeats on the fourth Tuesday of every month. the substation is located in the old Cedar Hills Shopping Center at 3726 Blanding Blvd.

The police have their hands full in our city this year. If you have any complaints the best way to be heard is in person. There seems to be a small crime wave hitting the district and we still have a graffiti problem. The police need your help. If you don't report the crimes, they can't do anything about it. Here are a few numbers to keep handy:

Non-Emergency: 630-0500.
To report graffiti call:630-2160.
Code Enforcement: 630-2489.

Call the Zone 4 Substation at 573-3165 if you have any questions.

Underground Film Series at JMOMA

The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg plays tonight at 7:00 pm at JMOMA. This profile explores his life from his early years, his formative college years, were he was instrumental in establishing the Beat literary scene with the likes of William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, and his political activism. Originally released in 1993, this film was endorsed by Ginsberg himself and was updated after his death.

This film is part of the Underground Film Series. Admission is $5 for members and students and $7 for non-members. Limited seating is available. Contact JMOMA for more information. (904) 366-6911 x 214.

New Show at the Cummer

A New Narrative: Marden, Fitzpatrick, Stella, Warhol
A new exhibition recently opened at the Cummer. It runs from June 15, 2006 through August 6, 2006. This collection presents four discrete bodies of work from the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s by these artists working in a narrative mode. Brice Marden’s Ten Days (1971), Andy Warhol’s historical Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century (1980), and Frank Stella’s Illustrations after El Lissitzky’s Had Gadya (1982-1984).

Mark your calendars:

All Aboard the Bus
Saturday, June 24 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Begin at the museum with a guided tour of A New Narrative: Marden, Fitzpatrick, Stella, and Warhol then board the bus and visit a corporate collection of modern art and local printmaker's studios. Return to the museum for lunch.
Members: $45; Non-members: $65; Active Docents: $25. Price includes transportation and lunch.

Cummer Café Night
Thursday, July 13 from 6 to 9 p.m.
A New Narrative: Marden, Fitzpatrick, Stella, Warhol
Be inspired to make art, listen to live music, enjoy great people and this exciting exhibition in a lively setting.
Members: free: Non-members: $8 museum admission.

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is located at 829 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville. The museum is open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM. Call 904-356-6857 for more information.

Bloggers Making Noise

The Times Union posted their article on Jacksonville bloggers today, Bloggers in Duval Proclaim Their Role. We got a mention. Many others were more prominently featured and rightly so. They do manage to keep much more current than the RAP blog.

I do hope that I can do better in the future and I know I can with your help. Please help me keep you, the reader, and the rest of the world in touch with what is happening in the district. If you have any news or would like to have an event listed send me an email. I'll do my best to spread the word.

If you are visiting for the first time – thank you and welcome. Riverside Avondale Preservation is here to maintain a certain quality of life here in the district. We are deeply concerned with maintaining the historic integrity of our neighborhood as well as improving the quality of life for those who live and work and visit our beautiful neighborhood.

I encourage you to join us in our efforts by getting involved. You can do this in many ways – become a member, volunteer your time, join us for the events we bring to the district and patronize the many businesses in the district. Riverside Avondale boasts a wide variety of retail and professional businesses from the unique and eclectic shops in Five Points to the more conservative and upscale shopping district in Avondale to the wide variety of the many other areas such as Stockton Street, Park and King and the many businesses that dot the district.

We are currently working on a redesign of our website that will make joining and volunteering much easier. In the meantime, please call our office for more information. 904-389-2449.

College and Post Street's Saga Nears End

Last Monday night, there was a town meeting sponsored by Councilman Corrigan to review the upcoming changes for College and Post Streets. There was a brief description of what is to occur and an open forum for questions by the residents of the neighborhood. Also in attendance was our state representative, Audrey Gibson and various city and state transportation officials.

There is a great article about the meeting in the Florida Times-Union. If you know of any other streets that need fixing or problems in the community and would like to have the paper look into it, they would like to hear your story.

More News for Post and College Streets

Expect some delays on these streets. Resurfacing is scheduled on Post Street from Roosevelt Boulevard to Riverside Avenue and on College Street from Margaret Street to Roosevelt Boulevard. Lane closings can occur between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on College Street and between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Post Street.

Developments In and Around the District

MetroJacksonville.com has a great list of the developments that are under construction, proposed and in development for Riverside-Avondale complete with project details and, in many cases, artist's renderings. There is a lot currently happening in the district, and by the looks of this list, much more to come.

Image of the proposed Residences of Bishopgate courtesy of SkyscraperPage Forum.

Another Post & College Street Meeting

Councilman Michael Corrigan is holding a Town Meeting on June 12th at Riverside Presbyterian Church, Bittinger Hall, 849 Park Street, 6:00-7:00 p.m., regarding the Post & College Streets Two-Way Conversion Project.

Here's the official notice from Councilman Corrigan.