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The “fortified” State Office Complex takes up a large portion of Hansontown. In 1942, the Blodgett Homes public housing complex was completed on this site. By the 1980s, the development had become ridden with crime. In 1990, 394 families were relocated, eventually paving the way for the $42 million State Office Complex. In addition to the ills of urban renewal, a major reason for the continued underutilization of land in the area, has been Jacksonville’s tendency to design for automobiles and cultural separation, as opposed to embracing diversity and walkability.
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The FSCJ Urban Resource Center on State Street between Jefferson and Broad Streets.
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West 1st Street is another street widened as a part of the Hogans Creek Urban Renewal Project. Home to several wide streets with little traffic, Jacksonville is long overdue to vision how the Hansontown section of the urban core could benefit the revitalization efforts of downtown.
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The current location of Hansontown’s St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church is on West 1st Street.
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In 1911, the State Board of Health opened at the intersection of Julia and Bucky Street. Expansions at the Florida Health Department of Vital Statistics over the years have led to the creation of a self-contained super block.
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The redevelopment of Hansontown resulted in the abandonment of Julia Street between State Street and Springfield. Here, a closed section of Julia Street is used as a parking lot for the Florida Health Department of Vital Statistics.
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On Laura Street in Springfield, looking south through “The Space Inbetween” (Hansontown) and into downtown. The redevelopment of FSCJ’s downtown campus, in a manner where buildings line the street, would seamlessly connect Springfield with downtown.
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The Bethel Baptist Institutional Church building was constructed in 1904. The structure, which combined elements of Greek Revival and Romanesque Revival architecture, replaced the sanctuary that was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1901.