They were using
their heads when they thought of their feet.
The folks interested in reviving and preserving Springfield
thought about how they like walking the sidewalks of the historic
neighborhood, how much fun it is to bump into friends, see familiar
faces -- and the idea hit them.
Why not have anair market? Though the revitalization of the
area has surged in the past decade, there's still a shortage of
retail outlets.
"The idea of anair market just seemed like a natural fit,"
said Louise DeSpain, president of the Springfield Preservation and
Revitalization Council.
"Occasionally, we'll set up a kind of bazaar and the residents
respond well to them. It fits this area. So we decided to come up
with a permanent location."
That location is at Ninth and Main streets in a huge corner
building called "9th and Main." The building, which used to be a
Firestone Tire store, isfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays with
dozens of vendors selling a variety of wares -- farm produce,
flowers, potted plants, statuary items, water garden supplies, fresh
bread, handmade soaps, artwork.
Craig Van Horn of Symbiosis Investments owns the building. He
says his sister lives at Ninth and Laura streets and so he's learned
how interested the community is in "becoming an even more
pedestrian-friendly neighborhood."
 |
Louise DeSpain,
president of the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization
Council, says anair market in Springfield, was "a
natural fit."
-- John Carter/staff
|
"Theair market is just part
of helping the neighborhood maintain its uniqueness," he said. "It's
helpful, convenient and contributes to a sense of community."
DeSpain said she likes to walk around Springfield and take in the
hundreds of two- or three-story Victorian-era homes. In fact, she
and SPAR Council staffers maintain files and photos on 1,800
historic Springfield homes.
"When I walk around the neighborhood, I'll commonly run into
eight to 10 people I know," she said. "That's why the idea of more
shopping areas here is so appealing. We get to socialize and chat,
the way it used to be. Sometimes I contrast that with the experience
of going to a mall where no one knows me or wants to know me."
Walking around Springfield will be even nicer soon, DeSpain said.
Main Street, which bisects Springfield, is undergoing a major
multimillion-dollar makeover that will turn Main Street into a
landscaped boulevard from First to 12th streets with large shade
trees, historic-style light fixtures and decorative brick in the
sidewalks.
"The perspective of someone walking is much different from that
of someone riding in a car," DeSpain said. "You just happen upon
people and things when you walk. Besides, it's good for the soul."
Staff writer John Carter can be reached at
or via e-mail at jcarterjacksonville.com.
