In recent years, Jacksonville has seen several of its older, less glamorous neighborhoods experience something of a renaissance.
Once-struggling communities like Springfield, Murray Hill, and Oceanway have been reignited by renewed interest from businesses, developers, and their own residents. Springfield in particular has made quite the comeback, going from relatively derelict to a close-knit, local business-oriented neighborhood that is among the most desirable areas for investors within the city’s urban core.
But once those communities max out their potential, who’s next?
We’ve highlighted four other older local neighborhoods that could be next in line for revitalization, with details on what makes these areas ideal candidates for a renaissance.
Located just to the east of Springfield, Phoenix has for many years essentially operated as the neighborhood’s industrial annex.
Though the area’s origins can be traced to a neighborhood called Campbelton, which itself was more of an extension of Oakland to its south, it became almost solely industrial once Springfield’s growth exploded in the early 1900s.
Many of those industrial buildings have now been vacant for decades, giving the area a somewhat eerie lack of activity. But plans have been in works for the past few years to reimagine the warehouse wasteland as a revitalized arts district, complementing Springfield’s increasingly younger and more progressive demographic.
Led by local entrepreneur Christy Frazier, Phoenix Arts District seeks to convert multiple former warehouse buildings into an “artistic hub” featuring studio spaces, an art school, apartment units, and more.
Progress has been slow on the project, but once completed, it’s easy to see how such a development could catalyze the surrounding area and inspire other investors to get their hands on similar vacant buildings for complementary projects.
