JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An effort to save hundreds of dilapidated homes across some of Jacksonville’s historic neighborhoods is officially getting underway.
City Councilman Jimmy Peluso is leading the charge with help from a city task force, meeting with local leaders to begin working through what comes next.
In neighborhoods like Historic Springfield, renovated and modern homes often sit close to older, deteriorating structures. Over time, many of those homes have racked up millions of dollars in fines and liens to the point where the city can step in and foreclose.
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“I just think, for the purpose of rehabilitation and preservation, to do something is better than to do nothing right now,” Peluso said.
Peluso is floating the idea of the Historic Preservation Commission identifying one or two properties to move forward with foreclosure. From there, the commission could enter into an agreement with a nonprofit, potentially the city’s Historic Center, to take ownership, restore the homes, and sell them.
The hope is that money from those sales would then be put into a revolving loan fund, allowing future renovations to be funded and repeated across other historic neighborhoods.
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“The goal of this is to try and find a path forward and make sure that we’re able to make sure that these properties have a new lease on life,” Peluso said.
Right now, city leaders are still working through the logistics, like deciding how renovations would be funded, who would manage the work, and which homes would be first.
Peluso says he’s also searching for initial seed money to get the revolving loan fund started, with hopes that nonprofits like the Historic Center could add additional funding over time.
Members of the Historic Preservation Commission say that for the plan to succeed, it has to be done carefully and professionally.
“In order to do this right and inspire public confidence in it and attract sufficient capital to really do it effectively and make a difference, it has to be a professional operation,” said Alan Bliss, Executive Director of the Jacksonville History Center.
For now, leaders say the conversations are just beginning, but the goal is clear: preserve Jacksonville’s historic neighborhoods before more homes are lost for good.
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