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Redeveloping North Port St. Joe implementing the communitys plan
Updating the 2009 North Port St. Joe Master Plan.
Creating a new illustrated plan.
Paving the way for redeveloping the community. December, 2016
North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
94
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Acknowledgements
Board of directors Chester Davis - President
Dannie Bolden - Vice President
Letha Mathews - Treasurer
Iris Gathers - Secretary
Sub-committees Economic Development
Otis Stallworth - Chair
Dannie Bolden
Charles Gathers
Tan Smiley
Education and Workforce Development
Johnny Bryant -Chair
Jai Bryant
Lois Byrd
Deborah Crosby
Willie Ash
Lynn Peters
Tourist Development
Timothy Pittman - Chair
Johnna Pittman
Vince Addison
Affordable Housing
Dannie Bolden - Chair
Chester Davis
Dannie Bolden II
Finanacial Literacy
James Chambers - Chair
Inez Mathews
David Woods
Jai Bryant
Beverly Ash
Public works
Inez Mathews - Chair
Lewis Vereen
Dannie Bolden
Public relations
Willie Ash
Dannie Bolden II
Trustees Leroy Davis - Chair
Marty Lanahan - Vice Chair
Thomas H. Jeavons
Rev, Eddie E. Jones
David Llewellyn
Mary K. Philips
Staff Sherry P. Magill, President
Katie Ensign, Senior Program Officer
Board of directors David Ashbrook
Rex Buzzett - Chair
Kaye Haddock
Bill Kennedy
Brett Lowery
Bo Patterson - Vice Chair
Andy Smith
William Thursbay
Consultant team WIM Associates, Inc. (Walter Miller - project leader)
PacificXanh (John Hendry, Philip Giang)
PORT ST. JOE REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY
North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
Table of contents
Introduction
Community Themes Updating the 2009 Master Plan
The 2016 Conceptual Master Plan
02 10
20 46
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Preface
The many people that have participated in meetings, conference calls, community events and workshops over the last six months are impatient for success.
Now we must raise community involvement, while maintaining the momentum that has built steadily since February 2016.
We have worked hard: organizing events like this year s Juneteenth Celebration and the recent community-wide healing gathering. Plans for a neighborhood clean-up day are underway. Meanwhile, we are assisting the City Commissioners and their Staff to help owners clear blighted properties.
Towards the end of this document, there are details of a catalyst project that we hope will symbolize the beginning of the redevelopment process for this community.
In the final pages you will find an illustrated conceptual plan and detailed narrative that reflects the communitys work over the last several months. We will be presenting this plan to the City Commission and its Redevelopment Agency for its formal adoption. Our intention, then, will be to work with the Citys Staff on rezoning parts of our neighborhood and amending the Comprehensive Plan to reflect the communitys aspirations.
In February this year, a group of North Port St. Joe residents and property owners formed the North Port St. Joe Project Area Committee (PAC). We were frustrated by the blight and decay in our community that confronted us daily. We had seen no real change for the better since 2010 when North Port St. Joe was included in the expanded Port St. Joe Redevelopment Area.
We decided to carry out a community-wide review of the 2009 North Port St. Joe Master Plan. We wanted to update the plan and begin the redevelopment of our neighborhood.
This document is the culmination of the hard work of the PAC, its consultants and numerous supporters within and beyond the boundaries of North Port StJoe. Chester Davis, President,
North Port St. Joe Project Area Committee
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
Introduction
Location
History The 2009 Master Plan
The North Port St. Joe Project Area Committee PAC objectives
The current social and economic environment Updating the 2009 Plan: process
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5
6 7
8 9
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Location
Port St Joe
The North Port St. Joe redevelopment district
NorthweSt.Florida
North Port St. Joe, FloridaOctober 2016 1PHASE II - SCOPE OUTLINESJune 16, 2016 WIM Associates, Inc.NPSJ-PAC October 6, 2016 Implementi ng the North Port St. Joe Master Plan
EXISTING SITE
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P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
History
A compact community bordered by railroad tracks, the paper mill and wetlands, North Port St. Joes families formed a close-knit, self-contained community served by churches, an Elementary and High School and the small but vibrant Main Street.
Desegregation changed North Port St. Joe dramatically and forever. Main Street (renamed Martin Luther King Boulevard) began to decline in importance as the communitys primary shopping destination. The Elementary School and George Washington High School were closed and their pupils enrolled in the desegregated schools elsewhere in Port St. Joe.
When the paper mill prospered, North Port St. Joes decline slowed. But in the early 1990s, the paper industry experienced a downturn from which the Port St. Joe mill never recovered, finally ceasing production and closing its doors in 1998.
Families throughout Port St. Joe and beyond were deeply effected by the loss of so many well-paid jobs but the pace of decline in North Port St. Joe became most visible as its housing stock deteriorated and the negative social metrics associated with blight increased.
North Port St. Joe, in Gulf County Florida, is an historic African American neighborhood. It pre-dates Port St. Joes renaissance, brought on by the opening of the paper mill in 1938. Prior to that, the residents of North Port St. Joe had been drawn to the region by its turpentine, fishing and lumber industries.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The 2009 Master Plan By 2006, it was clear that North Port St. Joe should become part of the Citys Redevelopment district which had been established in 1989 to revitalize Reid Avenue and its immediate surroundings.
The 2009 Master Plan concentrated on seven areas of critical concern:
Martin Luther King Boulevard.
US Highway 98.
Washington High School campus.
Avenue A.
A new proposed town center for Port St. Joe
The rail corridor.
Vacant, under-utilized land.
NORTH PORT ST. JOE M A S T E R
P L A N Prepared For: PORT ST. JOE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Prepared By: W.I.M. ASSOCIATES, INC.
J U N E
9
2 0 0 9
The 2006 Finding of Necessity enabled North Port St. Joe to become a Redevelopment Expansion Area. The same year, a Strategic Plan for North Port St. Joe was prepared by Florida State University. Then, in 2009, the community came together to create the North Port St. Joe Master Plan.
These efforts were almost immediately undermined by the rapid decline in the national economy. The St. Joe Company, for generations the regions major local landowner, was forced to abandon its real estate development plans and reduced its workforce accordingly. The North Port St. Joes Master Plan was, in effect, shelved and remained so until earlier this year.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The North Port St. Joe Project Area Committee (The PAC)
The PACs intent was to galvanize the community and revisit the 2009 Plan; this time with the objective to implement it. The PAC convinced the Jesse Ball duPont Fund and the Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency to finance the technical support needed to assist the local community to update the Master Plan.
The technical assistance would help the PAC:
1. Hold three public meetings to:
Revise the 2009 Master Plan.
Refine the themes of a new Plan.
Review the new draft Illustrated Master Plan that will take the community forward.
Early in 2016, seven years after the Master Plan had been written, a group of North Port St. Joe residents and land owners created the North Port St. Joe Project Area Committee (NPSJ-PAC).
2. Inform and involve stakeholders, including local government and its agencies, the Port Authority, the St. Joe Company and Ascension Health and elicit their formal support.
3. Re-register the Gulf County Community Development Corporation and the Gulf County Community Land Trust as implementation arms of the community.
4. Work with local property owners to involve them in the redevelopment process.
5. Draw up a detailed scope of work for the second phase of the project.
6. Identify catalyst projects able to jump start the redevelopment process.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
PAC objectives The PACs role in implementing the 2009 Master Plan is critical. The PAC is the face of the community for local government, investors and development partners.
The PACs three fundamental community development objectives are to:
Eliminate the blight that undermines its neighborhood.
Enable the community to flourish without displacing its residents.
Recognize that job creation is the primary catalyst for change.
One of the 2009 Plans most important objectives remains and overarches the PACs activities:
It is paramount that we do all we can to sustain our communitys engagement in the redevelopment of North Port St. Joe. To unify and
make whole Port St. Joe
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The current social and economic environment
5. The Sacred Heart Hospital has become an established stakeholder in Gulf County and beyond.
6. The BP Oil Well RESTORE funds are beginning to flow into the community.
7. North Port St. Joes average appraised property values and the concomitant tax revenue remain below 2010 levels. This means that the community has not generated a tax increment fund since it was designated a redevelopment area.
8. Community blight and all that goes with it continues to advance in North Port St. Joe.
1. The Port Authority has persevered and is about to enter into various partnerships that will bring jobs to Port St. Joe.
2. The St. Joe Company has ceased being a real estate developer in Gulf County and now focusses on asset management and land sales.
3. The economic impact of tourism has been growing steadily in recent years.
4. There have been visible improvements to the retailing on Reid Avenue, the waterfront area between the boat ramp and the marina and the City park system, in general.
How has the overall socio-economic environment in Port St. Joe changed since 2009?
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Updating the 2009 Plan: Process
The meetings were held in July, August and October 2016. Every meeting was attended by 30 to 60 participants.
Some of the community feedback during the first meeting:
Involve young people returning to the community.
Emphasize the role of housing in any mixed-use development.
Help local business start-ups.
Attract visitors by engaging them in the communitys history
Build a community swimming pool
Each community workshop comprised a slide presentation and an open forum for group discussion. Every meeting was attended by neighborhood residents, at least two City elected officials, as well as participants from the wider community and beyond.
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Community Themes
Jobs
Mixed use development Housing for everyone
Land assemblies Smart streets
Open spaces Local heritage
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12 13
14 15
16 17
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Jobs
The port of Port St. Joe is entering a new phase of its development. At least two active users have made meaningful commitments to invest in the ports future. The revitalized port should be considered a realistic source of jobs for North Port St. Joe residents. Some in Gulf County believe that the port could have a negative impact on the regions growing popularity as a tourism base. However, It will be several years before this hypothesis is truly tested.
In the meantime, the impact of visitors to the region cannot be ignored. Tourism provides North Port St. Joe with a growing source of jobs and, most importantly, new enterprise opportunities . In addition, an active port could offer North Port St. Joe a customer base for a variety of commercial activities. The community must ensure it has access to enterprise opportunities and jobs whether they be generated by a port or the growing demands of tourism.
Revitalized Reid AvenueA restored port facility promises to create jobs
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The community must ensure it has access to enterprise opportunities and jobs; whether they are generated by a port or the growing demands of tourism.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Mixed use development
North Port St.Joe was once anchored by its vibrant retail street. If Martin Luther King Boulevard is to be redeveloped as the heart of the community, it must comprise not only shops, but also offices, homes and other uses that will grow and sustain it as a financially viable, unique location and an attractive place to live and visit.
Avenue A has undeveloped land along its southern edge that would also benefit from mixed use development and meet the needs of Port St. Joes community as a whole.
A Floridian Main Street. The Villages, near OrlandoA mix of uses creates a vibrant and attractive Main Street
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Housing for everyone
Seniors must also find modern, comfortable, safe places to live if they are to stay in the community to which they have given so much.
The Paces Foundation is building affordable rental apartments but this is only the start. Other choices must be added to North Port St. Joes housing pool.
Small, affordable studio-homes on an infill site in Bronzeville, Chicago.
North Port St. Joes population has been declining and aging as young people have left to seek jobs and better housing options elsewhere. The port, the hospital and the local tourism industry may offer a growing, stable pool of job opportunities but housing for this workforce will have to be provided locally. Otherwise, Port St. Joe will become little more than a destination on Highway 98 for workers commuting from within the surrounding region.
The Bronzeville project was a competition winner and is now under construction.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Land assemblies
This is a daunting and complex undertaking for any property owner. A single demonstration project on Martin Luther King Boulevard will help allay the concerns of those owners for whom land assembly remains of interest but little more.
Before. Empty lots blight the neighborhood
Neighboring property owners on Martin Luther King Boulevard are considering combining their lots to create land assemblies large enough to realize a significant mixed use development.
After. Redeveloped land assemblies restore the neighborhoods heart.
The land assembly process, if managed sensitively, will encourage redevelopment, improve the area and raise property values without displacing the current property owners.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Smart Streets
These systems can help with surface water management as part of a larger, comprehensive plan for North Port St. Joes infrastructure. Such a plan is essential to the communitys redevelopment aspirations, particulalrly along Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Redevelopment will create new impervious surfaces that, in turn, will require additional rainwater management. North Port St. Joe straddles two major wetland systems that eventually empty into the Gulf of Mexico.
North Port St. Joes surrounding natural system.
D e p o t C r e e kG e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n S w a m p
Wetlands
18
Smart Streets. An increasingly important component of community redevelopment
15
Infrastructure improvements are a high priority and an essential component of the redevelopment plan
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Open spaces
North Port St. Joe has not figured in these plans and Peters Park remains disconnected from the bike path and trail system. The redevelopment of North Port St. Joe must include new links to the trail system and a purposeful open space strategy that will appeal to the local residents and visitors, alike.
Port St. Joes public open spaces have always been important community amenities. An impressive new trail and bike path network connects residents and visitors to the improved water front and the relocated lighthouse.
Port St. Joes scenic trail system. The next phase should focus on North Port St. JoeWell-designed, colorful shades transform this playground
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Community Theme : Local heritage
Community blight undermines the physical and mental wellbeing and pride fostered by heritage, culture and identity.
North Port St. Joes heritage is manifest in the extended families that comprise its population. Its heritage lies, too, in the buildings that have been homes to those families as they have grown, left their community and spread out across the nation. Its heritage also lies in the many achievements of these people. Expressing the neighborhoods heritage, culture and identity differentiates it from the places that surround it while enriching them with its diversity.
Project Row Houses, Holman Street, Houston, present day. A community restored.Abandoned row houses, Holman Street, Houston TX, 1990s.
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North Port St. Joes identity is born of its proud heritage and culture.
Heritage, culture and identity underpin and inform this redevelopment process.
North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
Updating the Master plan
Martin Luther King Boulevard Restoring its heritage Covered sidewalks Architecture Homes Important buildings
Summary
Avenue A and a new town center Connecting the community Traffic calming A new town center
Avenue A gateways Avenue A development opportunities
George Washington Highschool A regional vision Local resources
The Lake Gateways & way finding
Paths and trails The pocket park A catalyst project Phase one
Phase two
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33
37 38
41
43
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Updating the Master Plan
What has changed?
Connecting Reid Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard was functional, symbolic and central to the St. Joe Companys plan for the new town center for Port St. Joe. It was never built and the Company abandoned its ambitious real etate plans as the economy receded.
Nevertheless, a group of Martin Luther King Boulevard property owners have emerged in recent months, intent on developing their land.
The implications of change. Martin Luther King remains the heart of the communitys redevelopment aspirations. The link to Reid Avenue that was never completed satisfactorily continues to be a priority for the residents of North Port St. Joe.
2009 priorities and themes
Historical significance
Infrastructure
New mix of uses
Security and affordability
Linkages to the community and access
Martin Luther King Boulevard, November 2015
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North Port St. Joe
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Restoring its heritage
Martin Luther King Boulevard was once a vibrant, busy retail street serving not only its own local community but also the rest of Port St. Joe.
Campus Corner was a well-known destination, along with Driesbachs Dry Cleaners and the Starlight Restaurant.
2016 redevelopment themes
Where identity, culture and heritage come together.
Bringing enterprise back to North Port St. Joe.
Mixing retail and residential uses.
Recreating a unique part of Port St. Joe, supportive of, but different to, Reid Avenue.
Former businesses located on, or near, Martin Luther King Boulevard. Recalled by attendees of the 2016 Juneteenth Celebration.
Visitors to Port St. Joe are increaing in number. The gateways to Martin Luther King Boulevard are more important than ever. The 800 feet long, three block walk along Martin Luther King Boulevard from Avenue A to Avenue D provides the ideal starting point for redevelopment.
Gants Preschool
Starlight Restaurant
Eara Buies Beauty Shop
Mary Rileys Beauty Shop
Adele Jacksons Boarding House
Driesbachs Dry Cleaners
Alma Bryants Beauty Shop
Ike Mincys Taxi Service
Mamie Gafneys Beauty Shop
Eva Gants Beauty Shop
Peters Laundromat
Eddie Beverlys Bait Business
Allens Grocery
Kings Barber Shop
Georgie Boys Restaurant
Portias Beauty Shop
Dow McNairs Store
Gardners Store
Club Heatwave
Claras RestaurantJones Market
Russ Hair Care
Big 10 Club House
Halls Dentistry, Drug & Liquor Store
Williams Funeral Home
Kings Service Station
Bells Store
Harris Beauty Shop
Campus Corner
Dixie Jewelry
Peters Grocery
The Tavern
The Pool Room
Walter Durens Grocery
Sanders Grocery
Stallworths Grocery
Junior Davis Barber Shop
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Covered sidewalks
There are remnants along Martin Luther King Boulevard of buildings that overhang the sidewalk, providing pedestrians with shade from the sun and protection from the rain. Throughout the southeastern United States there are well-established communities that adopted this form of architecture as a practical necessity.
By widening the sidewalk beneath these canopies, especially on the corner of each block, the street can become more inviting, particularly if shops and restaurants are encouraged to spill out onto the street.
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Arcade covered walkway
30
31A large second-floor balcony overhangs the street, providing shelter to pedestrians.
On some lots, more parking can be provided at the rear of the building.
Parallel parking helps the wide sidewalk feel a secure comfortable zone for pedestrians
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard : Architecture
Rosemary Beach, FL.
Mobile, AL.
Columbus, GA
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Avenues A to D
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Arcade/ Covered
walk way
Homes to be
preserved
CAMPUS CORNER
MARTIN LUTHER KING
PLAZA
81028
Mixed use development is deliberately contained in a three block area, anchored by the iconic Campus Corner.
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Homes
This is a quieter residential part of Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Baldwin Park, Orlando, FL.
The upper floors of the retail premises, planned for Martin Luther King Boulevard south of Avenue D, should include apartments for rent and for sale and, possibly, office space. The plan for the Boulevard north of Avenue D visualizes town houses, apartments and studios. There is also an opportunity to develop senior housing and a childrens day care centre at the terminus of Martin Luther King Boulevard. This mix of residential uses will help increase density, security a greater sense of community and pedestrian activity on the three northernmost blocks of Martin Luther King Boulevard.
810
35
Proposed street section. Greener landscaping replaces the overhanging balconies of the blocks between Avenues A and D
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Important buildings
A very visual and memorable building. The Town Hall and Post Office at Rosemary Beach
A large parcel of land, owned by Philadelphia Primitive Baptist Church, book ends Martin Luther King Boulevard where it terminates at Avenue G. This would be an ideal location for senior living, a use that could provide the Boulevard with an important community center, visible to all those driving and walking its length. At the opposite end of the Boulevard is land owned by the St. Joe Company. It has, once again, been mooted as the ideal location for the Citys new Town Hall; highly visible and a symbol of the new center of Port St. Joe.
Walkable Distance
1,620
Important Building
Columbus, Georgia
Important Building
Rosemary Beach, Florida
3 7
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Martin Luther King Boulevard: Summary
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Residential
district
Senior housingDay carecenter
Campus
Corner Covered
sidewalks
Renovated homes
Martin Luther King Plaza
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REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Avenue A and a new town center: Updating the Master Plan
What has changed?
The St. Joe Company believed its new town center concept would be the catalyst for change; bringing Port St. Joe together by creating a highly visible front door on Highway 98 to Reid Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard .
The implications of change
The old ball field was dismantled but there is still an opportunity to change fundamentally the way that Port St. Joe relates to Highway 98, the manner in which Martin Luther King Boulevard connects with Reid Avenue and how the division created by the railroad tracks can be eliminated.
2009 priorities and themes
The old ball field: a park and entertainment center
A farmers market
Government & institutional uses
Connecting Martin Luther King Boulevard to Reid Avenue
The St. Joe Companys new town center for Port St. Joe. October 2004.
The St. Joe Company remains the largest local landowner and is, therefore, a stakeholder in Port St. Joes growth aspirations. If the port moves ahead as planned, the Companys interest in Gulf County will grow. The residents of North Port St. Joe have a considerable role to play in how the Companys land along Avenue A can be put to use.
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A new town center: Connecting the community
Seaside and Rosemary Beach are located on County Road 30A in Walton County, Florida. Thousands of visitors pass by these communities daily and are drawn to their attractive village greens and their highly visible stores, restaurants and parking. The village greens are also valuable amenities for the communities that they serve.
2016 redevelopment themes
Linking Martin Luther King Boulevard and Reid Avenue.
Creating the new heart of Port St. Joe.
Encouraging visitors to stop, shop and linger.
Rosemary Beach, FL
This Town Green is a new gathering place and civic center for the residents of Port St. Joe and beyond. Equally accessible from Reid Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard, pedestrian-friendly areas encourage outdoor community-wide events and happenings.
Seaside, FL
Connecting MLK and Reid Avenue28
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A new town center: Traffic calming
Carefully landscaped medians and dense tree canopies help Rosemary Beach and WaterColor, next to Seaside, slow traffic and allow pedestrians a degree of safety. Port St. Joe, meanwhile, straddles an unforgiving four to six lane Highway with the minimum pedestrian crossing points.
CR 30A at WaterColor, FL.
42
The proposed Town Green, bounded by Highway 98, Avenue A and First Street
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CR 30A at Rosemary Beach, FL.
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A new town center
The new Town Hall overlooks Martin Luther King Plaza and is visible from Reid Avenue. A pedestrian area links the Avenue and the Boulevard. Town Green becomes the main entry point from Highway 98.
City Hall
Hotel
Inn & cottages
Town Green
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Martin Luther King Plaza
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Avenue A Divided by the railroad tracks, the two neighborhoods that comprise North Port St. Joe are connected along their southern edge by Avenue A. The undeveloped land along this edge is owned by the St. Joe Company. Its value to the community is twofold; as eastward expansion land for the new town center and for more apartments, whether for rental or for sale.
Quiet residential streets
Alternative access to new apartmentsEntrance to
Washington High School
campus
Entrance to Martin Luther
King Boulevard
Potential development sites
Green buffers
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Avenue A: ArchitectureThe land along Avenue A provides natural buffers, commercial and recreational uses and the potential for denser housing, such as rental apartments.
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George Washington High School: Updating the Master Plan
What has changed?
The proposed port will reactivate the rail system, prohibit any realistic chance of connecting Robbins and Garrison Avenue and, in so doing, will underline the fact that the former High School campus is not only an under-utilized resource for Port St. Joe but also the entire region.
2009 priorities and themes
Preserve buildings
Add new service-based uses
Connect Robbins Avenue and Garrison Avenue. Garrison Avenue
Robbins Avenue
Highway 98
Washington H.S. campus
The implications of change
Like the Sacred Heart Hospital, the ambition for the campus should be to serve as wide a population as possible. The campus is the largest area of developable, publicly-owned, serviced upland in the region. Its heritage as a community center of learning demands a broad and ambitious vision for its future.
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George Washington High School: A regional vision2016: The four redevelopment themes
Restoring a community gathering place
Creating a new center for enterprise
Making a destination for visitors
Celebrating local natural resources
Four themes connect and reinforce each other. Their components can be phased to meet changing community priorities. The campus is greater than the sum of its parts and is active throughout the day and into the evening, addressing the diverse needs of its users. It mixes learning with making, work with play, residents with visitors, children with adults of all ages and it does so in an open and embracing environment.
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Community enrichment
Job training
Gathering places
Community pool
Enterprises and jobs
Innovative environment
Start-up businesses
Flexible workspaces
Celebrating local food
Back yard farming
Local products
Process center
Attracting visitors
Destination park
Campus coffee shop
Local culture center
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George Washington High School
A revitalized campus; based around indoor-outdoor structures and the reused shells of buildings. Or innovative ideas, like adapted shipping containers delivered to the nearby port facility.
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Community
gardens
Public
park
Training
center
Community
pool
Gymnasium
Community
museum
Innovation
center
Community
barn
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George Washington High School: Local resourcesEmpty land and abandoned lots that surround the former High School could be put to use growing produce, as well as buffering railroad tracks and supporting local enterprise.
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The Lake
This is a creative use of land that was passed by the City to the Paces Foundation and is being developed, in part, as affordable rental housing. It:
Creates a new way of experiencing North Port St.Joe.
Harnesses the benefits of smart water management.
Adds to Port St. Joes wider lake system.
Leverages the Paces Foundation development and raises further the surrounding land value.
The Lake creates an environment attractive to commercial ventures, as well as providing a valuable local amenity and a visitor destination. The road to the lake allows additional access to the Paces Foundation apartments. A working farm manages the remaining land, reinforces the concept of locally-grown produce and provides a unique identity for the Inn and its cottages.
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Paces Foundation apartments
Lake trailLakefront Inn & Cottages
Garden
Farm facilities
Avenue A
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Gateways & way finding What has changed? The 2013 Port Master Plan proposes an industrial land use for the former Paper mill bulkhead. This replaces the St. Joe Companys 2004 planned water front neighborhood that was to be carefully connected to North Port St. Joe.
2009 priorities and themes
Define gateways to North Port St. Joe, off Highway 98
Upgrade the infrastructure along the Highway
Create new retail uses on Highway 98
What are the implications of change? The ports industrial waterfront will require careful buffering to mitigate blight rather than be the cause of it. The gateway Avenues A, B, C and D are more important than ever, directing attention away from the industrial activities of the port and drawing people to the historic neighborhood of North Port St.Joe.
P OR T
S TU D
Y AR E
A
H i gh w a
y 98
MLK
BC AD
? ??
B u ff e r
M I
L L
R E
D E
V E
L O
P M
E N
T
M L K
H i gh w
a y
9 8
R e t a i l a n d o f f i c e s
The 2004 St. Joe Company plan
The Port Study Area, implying an active, industrial site close to North Port St. Joe
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Gateways & way finding
2016 Redevelopment themes
Announcing an historic neighborhood and its heritage
Reflecting the communitys culture
Reinforcing North Port St. Joes identity
The srtreet pattern and boundaries that define North Port St. Joe have been in place for generations; certainly before the paper mill was built in the late 1930s. Now there is an opportunity to signify and define the community more formally. Street renaming, to better reflect this neighborhoods heritage, was discussed enthusiastically at the community workshops.
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New street names should be adopted using a signage system that expresses the communitys pride in its culture and identity.
North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Gateways & way finding
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D
C
B
A
72
810
Through gateways, along streets, to the corners that punctuate Martin Luther King Boulevard. Every visitor should be able to appreciate immediately the communitys heritage, culture and identity.
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Paths and trails
2016 Redevelopment themes
Pathways that connect the community
Pathways that invite visitors to explore
Pathways to a destination
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Regional bike path
Proposed bike paths & trails
Existing bike paths & trails
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Proposed bike paths & trails
Regional bike path
Existing bike paths & trails
The Port St. Joe bike and trail system has been improved and augmented considerably over the last several years. It is now an important visitor attraction and a major community asset. It must be extended to North Port St. Joe, as Martin Luther King Boulevard and the High School campus are improved, becoming visitor and community destinations in their own right.
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
Paths and trails What has changed? For several years, the A & N Railroad has been cut off from Port St. Joe by an unsafe bridge near Apalachicola. The closure of Arizona Chemicals and other local railroad users made bridge repair unviable. The plans for reopening the port of Port St. Joe have changed radically the railroads outlook. Vital funding, subject to the ports opening, is available to aid the repairs necessary to reopen the railroad.
In 2009, the priorities and themes for connecting the community by a path system assumed that the St. Joe Company would abandon its railroad corridor.
What are the implications of change? An active port will reactivate the railroad. New track will be laid to the canal and across St. Joe Company land to the bulkhead overlooking the bay. The railroad shop and switching areas will be reopened. North Port St. Joe and the Port Authority must begin a conversation about how the railroad will be buffered to secure and protect the community.
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The pocket park: A catalyst project
The project objectives are to:
Energize the community by implementing a relatively fast-track project.
Create a secure and pleasant place for families, kids and adults to meet.
Remove blight with a highly visible demonstration project.
Preserve existing trees to provide shade.
This project has emerged during conversations concerning the need to address blight on Martin Luther King Boulevard. The Pocket Park concept was identified as one of several means by which empty lots in the community could be turned into valuable community assets and provide a public place, close to Martin Luther King Boulevard, for people to gather in their leisure time .
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The pocket park: Phase one
An empty site has been identified. It comprises two contiguous lots; one vacant and the other occupied by a derelict building. The owner and the City are in discussion with the PAC about converting the site into a Pocket Park.
8 4
Alley Greenway
Pocket Park
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Street side 50 50
30
6 fence84
30 retaining wall
Wood Fence on concrete retaining wall
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Open Lawn/ Play ground
6 Tall fence
6 Tall fence
Existing trees
Planters with seats
Etched concrete
Toilet
Gravel band
Random pavers
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The pocket park: Phase two Toilet
Lawn Area
Drinking fountain
Splash Pad
6 tall fence6 tall fenceBenches with canopy
30 retaining wall
Planters
Checker tables
Existing trees
The Pocket Park is a symbol of people coming together to redevelop their community. It represents civic pride in this place. It is a small, yet highly visible, sign of change.
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
The 2016 Conceptual Master Plan
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The North Port St.Joe 2016 Conceptual Master Plan
The Conceptual Master Plan embraces the Redevelopment Expansion Area while focussing on the communitys priorities. It is an important first step in the redevelopment process.
This document updates the communitys 2009 Master plan. Priorities have been adjusted to meet the economic and social changes that Port St. Joe has undergone over the last seven years. Nonetheless, key objectives of the previous plan remain; to remove blight by systematically redeveloping North Port St. Joe and to unify and make whole the wider community.
This Conceptual Master Plan is an illustration that embraces the entire Redevelopment Expansion Area, while focussing on the communitys priorities. It illustrates land uses and development ideas that reflect the themes explored during three workshops. It is a snapshot of what North Port St. Joe could look and feel like when implementation of this plan is complete.
This conceptual plan necessarily presumes that every property owner, including the City of Port St. Joe, will develop their land in the manner shown. Inevitably, this will not be the case and the plan will change over time.
Nevertheless, the communitys vision, values and aspirations that underpin the themes outlined in the previous pages should be respected throughout the redevelopment process.
To this end, this document and its Conceptual Master Plan will be presented to the Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency and the City of Port St. Joe Commission for adoption. Following this, the document will form the basis of community rezoning and textual amendments to the Citys Comprehensive Plan.
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North Port St. Joe
P . A . C project area committee
REDEVELOPING NORTH PORT ST JOE: Implementing the communitys plan 2016
The North Port St.Joe 2016 Conceptual Master Plan
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1
Inn & Cottages
Apartments
Lake Cottage Resort
Paces Foundation Residences
Wetlands
Gateway
Sign Posts
Public Park Existing Gymnasium
Innovation
Center
Community
Food
Community Pool
Day Care Center
Campus Corner
Heritage
Walk
New Town Center & Green
New City Hall Martin Luther
King Plaza
Training Center
Dollar General