We are excited to announce the second round of awards from the SPAR + SAMBA facade grant program. Congrats to the following projects!

We are proud to have selected as a featured partner in LISC's national annual report, highlighting just a portion of the work we do in our community. 

We are excited to announce the first wave of awards from the SPAR + SAMBA facade grant program. Congrats to the following projects!

Statement Regarding Proposed Ordinances 2017-36, 2017-68 and 2017-69

Summary

On Monday evening the Board of Directors of Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, Inc. (SPAR) held a special meeting to review proposed City of Jacksonville Ordinances 2017-36, 2017-68 and 2017-69. The board members in attendance voted unanimously to oppose this legislation, on the grounds that the recommended changes to the Springfield Zoning Overlay and Historic District Regulations were drafted without appropriate community input; are unnecessary; are unfairly applied; and are potentially harmful to future development of the historic district. Further, the proposed changes do not accomplish the stated goal of the settlement agreement, which is to protect the rights of disabled citizens to live wherever they choose in Jacksonville. Instead, the effect of the agreement is to single out Springfield to be the default and de facto area in Jacksonville for disabled housing.

(Read below for the full statement)

2016 was a busy year for SPAR, and for Springfield.  Our signature annual events – the Historic Springfield Tour of Homes, the July 4^thCelebration and Throwback Baseball Game, and Jacksonville PorchFest – were all bigger and better than ever, with record attendance and lots of great publicity for our community. 

We hosted preservation workshops, worked with the City and its agencies on dozens of issues, completed numerous neighborhood cleanups, and activated our parks.  We brought street light banners and a beautiful “Welcome to Springfield” mural to Main Street, supported proposed and existing businesses, and welcomed many new neighbors.

None of these activities would be possible without the support of hundreds of Springfield residents. The SPAR Board and I are deeply appreciative of each and every contribution of time and other resources. (Continued)

The Springfield Historic District neighborhood is lucky to have a number of parks within our community. A variety of park improvement and maintenance projects are now underway. Here's an update . . .

At the November 10th, 2016 annual community meeting, SPAR members will vote on candidates for our Board of Directors. The current Board of Directors is confident these four candidates would be valuable assets in helping lead the Springfield Historic District forward, are proud to present them to Membership for their approval.

If you have any questions for these candidates, please submit them prior to the annual meeting via email to the SPAR office at sparoffice@sparcouncil.org, and the candidates will provide their answers at the annual community meeting on November 10th.

Meet this year's candidates . . . 

We're happy to announce an exciting new project supporting arts and culture in our community. Work recently began on a "Welcome to Springfield" mural at 1101 N. Main Street (aka Main Space) which will serve as a bold visual key to visitors and be an iconic symbol of Springfield's support for the arts.

The mural is being installed by Grant Thornton, a Georgia-based artist, and was commissioned by SPAR with funds generated through its annual Jacksonville PorchFest. PorchFest is a free event showcasing local and regional musicians, visual artists and the beautiful architecture of Historic Springfield. The third annual Jacksonville PorchFest is Saturday, November 5th, 2016.

We're excited to partner with Florida State College of Jacksonville (FSCJ) on a photographic and historical study of the Springfield Historic District! 

Earlier this year, SPAR Council was awarded a grant to employ additional staff through the Americorps program. We're pleased to introduce Kevin O' Halloran as that new staff member, our Community Engagement Coordinator.

Click the link below to learn more about Kevin and what he'll be involved with in our community. Say "hello" if you see him around!