Hemming Plaza to be Destroyed?

[Metro Jacksonville]

Hemming Plaza to be Destroyed?



Looking to convert Hemming Plaza into a space that attracts people, a meeting has been called by Council members Denise Lee, Bill Gulliford, and Don Redman to discuss an ordinance to restrict card games in the park as well as authorize the removal of benches, tables, and chairs.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-oct-hemming-plaza-to-be-destroyed

[fieldafm]

http://transformjax.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hemming-plaza.pdf

Hemming Plaza Issue Paper
When analyzing Hemming Plaza and what should be done with this space, we feel that first it is important to distinguish it as a “Public Square” and not a park. Squares are traditionally centers of civic life in cities. They are typically used to hold festivals, events, rallies, and similar gatherings. Essentially, their purpose is social in nature. Historically, the plaza, once known as Hemming Park, has been a center of civic life and activity for Jacksonville. Therefore, we believe solutions for improving Hemming Plaza should focus on how to make it a more socially viable space and not on regulating its usage.
We are well aware of the issues with the homeless population that frequent Hemming Plaza and feel that there have been many valid points raised by the City Council Ad Hoc Committee. However, the committee should be focused on ways to bring more people to Hemming Plaza, not removing those that are already there. We cannot solve downtown Jacksonville's homeless issues by simply removing them from Hemming Plaza. Who is to say their removal from the square will not lead to worse issues with the homeless in other parts of Downtown? A separate task force or committee needs to evaluate solutions to downtown's widespread homeless and vagrancy issues.
We feel that there is an array of ideas that will reinvigorate Hemming Plaza and turn it into the center of civic and cultural life in Jacksonville. Since Hemming Plaza is one of the most important public spaces in all of Jacksonville, we hope that City Council and the Mayor's Office do not act with haste in their decision making. We believe the general public needs to be more involved in the planning process. This can be done through open public meetings, design charrettes, more detailed surveying, and interaction with the groups, organizations, and institutions that can help bring life to the square. As a group of urban planners
and advocates with the specific mission of helping revitalize Downtown Jacksonville and its surrounding neighborhoods, TransForm Jax has developed our own list of ideas and recommendations for Hemming Plaza. These are detailed below, along with some background on designing great public spaces.
Making Great Public Spaces Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Founded in 1975, PPS has worked on projects in over 2,500 communities in all 50 states and 40 countries. PPS states that civic spaces are: “…an extension of the community. When they work well, they serve as a stage for our public lives. If they function in their true civic role, they can be the settings where celebrations are held, where social and economic exchanges take place, where friends run into each other, and where cultures mix. They are the “front porches” of our public institutions – post offices, courthouses, federal office buildings – where we can interact with each other and with government. When cities and neighborhoods have thriving civic spaces, residents have a strong sense of community; conversely, when such spaces are lacking, people may feel less connected to each other. Great civic spaces are really great public places. They are recognized and valued in their cities and towns as places with their own special flavor that relate to and nurture the larger community and bring the public together.”
Public squares have traditionally been the center of communities, helping define their identity. Squares are often tied to the civic buildings adjacent to them, such as churches, city halls, or libraries. PPS has identified ten principles for successful squares. They include:
1. Image and Identity
2. Attractions and Destinations
3. Amenities
4. Flexible Design
5. Seasonal Strategy
6. Access
7. The Inner Square and Outer Square
8. Reaching out like an Octopus
9. The Central Role of Management
10. Diverse Funding Sources
We believe that many of these principles are being proposed as part of City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Hemming Plaza. However, some may be misunderstood or misrepresented.
Case Study – Houston’s Market Square Park
As part of the Ad-hoc Committee, Bryant Park in New York City was cited as an example of what could be done with Hemming Plaza. We feel that making a comparison with the lone major park space in the office district of midtown Manhattan is not appropriate. Houston’s Market Square Park may be a more suitable case study for Jacksonville to examine, especially given that the Jax Chamber visited the city in 2011 as part of its Annual Leadership Trip.
The park had been neglected and underutilized for decades, becoming little more than an open green space in downtown Houston. Stakeholders committed to “transforming it into a destination for residents and visitors.” Following a visioning process conducted by PPS in 2007, the park was rebuilt and opened to the public in 2010. The site is now bustling with an on-site café, central lawn, regular performances, shaded seating, children’s play area, a water feature, bike racks, and a dog run. But they key is programming. Market Square Park regularly hosts performances, art shows, farmers markets, movies, and even exercise classes. The park redevelopment was undertaken by Houston’s Downtown Development Authority, a worthy idea for Jacksonville to consider.
Recommendations for Hemming Plaza
Historically, Hemming Park served as the civic focal point for downtown Jacksonville. That began to change when the Landing opened in 1986, and its courtyard became the center for events and performances. TransForm Jax believes that a new vision for Hemming Plaza, that includes its role and identity, needs to be defined prior to commencing with any physical changes to the space. Included below are some ways to reinvigorate the square.
Programming, Programming, Programming
In today's digital world, where people are living more and more behind a computer screen; it is important we not lose touch with each other. Events, markets, rallies, and other social activities are excellent ways to unite people and to forge a shared identity. Basically there are two such places to hold open events in Downtown Jacksonville - Hemming Plaza and the Jacksonville Landing Courtyard. The Landing has a beautiful location on the waterfront but it is privately owned. This means that a single owner gets to determine what type of events are appropriate and may occur there. Hemming Plaza on the other hand is a public square. The City of Jacksonville, Downtown Vision, and other organizations have the ability to transform the square into a place with events and activities for citizens of all types. There are literally hundreds of programming ideas that could be implemented, from festivals and markets to concerts and movie nights.
The primary reason Hemming Plaza struggles to attract a diverse amount of users on a regular basis is because of a lack of amenities and activities to draw them there. Hemming Plaza and downtown are completely different places when events are going on. The area becomes more vibrant, more people frequent local businesses, and downtown feels like a city that’s alive and full of energy. We all have heard numerous people say, “Wow it feels like we're in a real city” during Artwalk or Jazz Fest. Why do we limit this to once a month or once a year? Why not attempt to create a vibrant downtown every day? The solution is to program Hemming Plaza with as many events and activities as possible. This will produce numerous economic and social benefits for the core of downtown.
Another benefit of programming is the “homeless problem” becomes barely noticeable in Hemming Plaza when Artwalk or other events are occurring. We suspect that many do not feel comfortable in large crowds and simply leave the area. The homeless who do stay are not nearly as noticeable amongst a large crowd.
Activate the Inner Square
Visionary park planner Frederick Law Olmstead’s idea of the “inner square” is just as relevant today as it was a century ago. Any great public square has a variety of smaller “places” within it to appeal to various people. These spaces can include outdoor cafes, fountains, sculptures, or bandshells for performances. Historically, Hemming Plaza has been home to several smaller “places” within it, including a gazebo, fountain, monuments, a comfort station, and a tourist bureau. All of these attractions combined to make the square an everyday destination.
Today, there is room to add features to the square, primarily on the west side. As we've already mentioned, we feel that programming should be the number one focus for reinvigorating Hemming Plaza. As such, it will be important to have a stage for events, concerts, plays, rallies, etc. During Jazz Fest, a stage is used in the western part of the park under the Skyway. This is an excellent spot for a stage. If programming is going to frequently occur, it is important to have either a fixed stage or one that can be easily and readily assembled. Not all events can be planned months in advance or have the financing to build a proprietary stage.
Furthermore, the terrain facing the stage area is gradually sloped making it ideal for viewing. There is also significant open space in this area, enabling it to hold large crowds. The large brick-paved area in front of the stage could be converted into a lawn space, which would allow for flexible seasonal programming as well as accessible green space in the park.
We also believe that the City should consider issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for operating a café and/or retail kiosk in the square. Issuing an RFP offers the possibility of a use that attracts people to the space on a daily basis, being funded with private dollars while also generating long term revenue for the City. There are several potential locations in the square where this could be placed, including at the Skyway station or the northwest corner. There could even be partnerships with adjacent entity, such as UNF.
Another possible addition to the square would be the inclusion of a no-frills children’s play area. With so many families visiting the library, we would expect a play area would be heavily used. Successful play areas include flexibility for diverse activity. Rather than installing play structures that only do one thing, allow for a space that can be continually changed by those using it.
Another key is providing a variety of small spaces, with changes in levels textures, surfaces, and colors. The play area should be designed for a relatively wide age range and encourage creativity. Finally, the play area needs to be in a visible location. Assuming a food kiosk is constructed at the northwest corner, the play area could be accommodated in the southwest corner of Hemming Plaza. Alternately, the planting beds across from MOCA could be repurposed as a play area.
Finally, we recommend that the City support the development of a bike sharing program. Bike sharing systems are being installed in cities throughout the country and we believe that the urban core of Jacksonville could support a starter system. Hemming Plaza would be an ideal location for a station that would hold up to 10 bicycles.
Encourage Food Trucks and Other Vendors
Many cities, including Portland, Tampa, and Philadelphia, have found that food trucks and other temporary vendors have brought new energy and additional foot traffic to their downtowns. This affordable programming method is known as tactical urbanism. Food vendors bring activity to the street, creating a festive atmosphere that improves public safety. The north side of Hemming Plaza (along Duval Street) would be an ideal location for food trucks. We understand the concern of “brick and mortar” establishments that food trucks might siphon off some of their business, so full-time installations would need to be explored in more detail. But regular rallies, perhaps on Saturdays, that bring more people to the area could be ideal. For example, the City of Tampa hosts the monthly Mayor’s Food Truck Fiesta, where trucks locate next to one of the downtown parks. Interestingly, many merchants see increased business on the food truck days.
Do Not Remove Trees from Hemming Plaza
Downtown Jacksonville often feels like a heat island, with little greenery and shade. The trees at Hemming Plaza are one of the unique aspects of the space and help cool the downtown area, as well as offer shade on a hot summer day. The trees absolutely should not be removed for perceived public safety reasons. If trees are removed from the square in order to empty the homeless from the square, doesn’t everyone else suffer? In essence, doesn’t the space become less desirable for the “desirables”?
We could probably come up with a multitude of reasons not to remove the trees from the square, but we hope that City Council and the Mayor's Office realize that the court of public opinion appears to be strongly against removing the trees. Additionally, if the justification for tree removal is that some are “unhealthy”, then multiple arborists should be asked to give their expert opinion on the matter. Furthermore, we hope that any trees removed are replaced by healthy trees to protect the Plaza’s unique urban canopy.
Have the Police Actually Police
There is a constant JSO presence at Hemming Plaza, but where are the police? The JSO cannot possibly monitor the goings on of the square if they are perceived as being physically disconnected from what is happening in the community around them. Officers sequestered in their squad cars on the Monroe Street sidewalk doesn’t convey the right message, and instead more downtown-appropriate foot and bicycle patrols should be utilized. More officers within the plaza itself and interacting with its visitors is preferable to having police monitoring video camera feeds from a remote location.
Closing
As stated earlier, TransForm Jax believes that the primary identity for Hemming Plaza needs to be further defined prior to commencing with any physical changes to the space. The addition of regular programming will go much farther in creating a vibrant space than any single redevelopment strategy. Nonetheless, there is room for adding some physical elements to the square, such as a stage, food kiosk, and a children’s play area. Moreover, it is important to note that some of our recommendations can be revenue generators. Rents and fees paid by vendors can be used to support programming and other improvements. Finally, we are concerned that the initial reactions to the homeless and vagrant problems in Hemming Plaza will do more harm than good. Removing trees will just make the overall space less desirable for everyone. TransForm Jax hopes that the City will take the time to engage in a holistic visioning process for Hemming Plaza (the internal square) and the surrounding area (the outer square) prior to making any major changes.
Wiatt Bowers, AICP
Ennis Davis
Mike Field
Aaron Glick, LEED AP
Jeremy Hubsch

[Bridges]

Where are DVI and DIA on this?

[fieldafm]

Houston's Market Square is almost a 100% identical model to Hemming Plaza.

They went from this:





To this:

[thelakelander]

http://transformjax.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hemming-plaza.pdf

Here is a clearer version:

[fieldafm]

Cincinnati's Washington Park just underwent a similar transition:












[/img]

[thelakelander]

Cool.  I didn't realize that Washington Square Park had reopened.  It was still under construction when I visited the city in June.  It will be a stop along the modern streetcar line the city is planning to construct.  Now that was a space you didn't want to walk through, a couple of years ago.  Hemming has nothing on the what Washington Square and the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood surrounding it, used to be.

[jcjohnpaint]

It keeps getting better every day.  I think we need to think about getting rid of some council members instead of some benches. 

[Overstreet]

Let me get this straight. People are using the park.  They're  just not the right people?

[thelakelander]

Pretty much.

[Debbie Thompson]

The meeting is during work hours.  Assuming someone who can attend will bring these pictures and the info about the square in Houston.

[Doctor_K]

I really wish that, during the public input portion of the meeting, someone would actually challenge them on the whole "the wrong kind of people" and make them publicly state who they feel are the "right kind of people" to be allowed to use this public space.

Make them make their response publicly known and on-record.

Then blog, tweet, and Facebook the shit out of it.

Nothing stirs public awareness and outrage quite like social media and citizen journalism.

(outside the confines of this fine site, of course)

[fsujax]

Just program the darned thing. How hard can it be? It looks to me the examples being shown above show programming is taking place.

[vicupstate]

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper just to put those 'pigeon spikes' that you see on building ledges, on all the chairs and tables in Hemming?   It makes just as much sense, and would accomplish the same thing.

[MEGATRON]

Let me get this straight. People are using the park.  They're  just not the right people?

Yep, and I agree with the sentiment.