ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.-- Cracked sidewalks, blighted boarded up homes and a drainage system so old it doesn't do its job anymore are all in one of St. Augustine's most celebrated historic residential sections: Lincolnville.
Homeowner Alex Mansure says those problems are just the tip of the iceberg.
"It just adds up over the years, and you let it fall apart and it's a lot all at once," he said.
But the city is taking the first steps to clean up the mess. It is paying a planning company tens of thousands of dollars to study the neighborhood in need and make recommendations for revitalization.
"Really just identifying what are the ideas that are holding the neighborhood back," said Anthony Robbins, senior planner with Prosser Hallock, the company in charge of the study.
One suggestion that sticks out: redistricting Lincolnville's taxes.
"This effort is more to see if the opportunity exists to create a special District that keeps tax dollars from Lincolnville back into Lincolnville," said Robbins.
For Mansure, this first step in revitalization may be a small one, but it certainly is a step in the right direction.
"It's great to see everybody get together and make this place beautiful as it was years ago," he said.
The study is expected to take about two months, but the revitalization process could take years.
