September 4, 2024 | Photographs by Caron Streibich @CaronEats
The long awaited official ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Historic Eastside's The Corner at Debs Store, took place at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. A partnership...
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June 17, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
On Tuesday, June 11, Mayor Deegan filed formal legislation for the $1.4 billion stadium development agreement between the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, one of the most...
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May 2, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The heyday of the enclosed shopping mall in Florida is long gone. However, Florida's first shopping mall has weathered the storm and continues to survive.
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April 9, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Regional enclosed shopping centers across the country are in decline. Charleston's Citadel Mall is one that ownership has continuously attempted to revamp to respond to changing retail demographics and trends....
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February 27, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located in Brunswick, Georgia, Glynn Place Mall is the only enclosed regional shopping mall within 75-miles, between Savannah and Jacksonville.
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January 30, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For decades, Bradenton's DeSoto Square Mall was one of the most popular retail destinations in the Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan area. Now a ghost of its former self, the 678,000-square-foot shopping complex...
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January 17, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Completed in 1977, Sarasota Square Mall was the premier shopping destination in Sarasota County for 37 years.
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January 2, 2024 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A brief virtual look at the rise and survival of an enclosed mall that strives despite the decline of enclosed malls nationwide: Ocala's Paddock Mall
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December 19, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
During the 20 years following the creation of the country's first enclosed regional mall in 1956, so many were built in Florida that they started to cannibalize each other. Here's...
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October 24, 2023 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
The rapid transformation of Pensacola's Palafox Street serves as a revitalization example for Jacksonville's Northbank to follow.
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August 21, 2023 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Current plans for the Daily's gas station proposed for LaVilla don't match the community's vision for the future of the neighborhood. Here are five simple steps that would allow a...
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August 17, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
On August 16, 2023, ALDI announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets as part of a larger divestiture of Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers to...
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May 4, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
While several former enclosed malls throughout Jacksonville have found new adaptive uses, the revitalization of Normandy Mall may be one of the most unique. The most interesting part of this...
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April 18, 2023 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A brief virtual look at the rise, fall and survival of Daytona Beach's first enclosed shopping center: Sunshine Mall
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March 3, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
At the time of its completion in 1913, the Eastside's Union Terminal Warehouse Company was the largest commercial building to be constructed in Florida.
Read moreJanuary 27, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Modern Cities and The Jaxson take a look at a pedestrian friendly historic African American neighborhood commercial district featuring a cluster of locally owned businesses: The Deuces.
January 12, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A brief look at the rise and fall of Florida's second largest industry behind tourism.
October 19, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Completed in 1966, Searstown Mall was built to serve a city in the midst of an economic boom during the height of NASA's Apollo program to get man on the...
June 16, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A virtual tour of Atlanta's Castleberry Hill. Designated as a National Register Historic District in 1985, Castleberry Hill is home to one of the largest concentrations of Black owned businesses...
May 26, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
In danger of demolition to pave way for a ship repair project, here is a comprehensive story of the rise and fall of Jacksonville's historic Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant....
December 29, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A brief virtual look at the rise and fall of Orlando's Fashion Square Mall.
December 3, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
How well are you familiar with Northwest Jacksonville and the 32209 zip code? Kinnard is a neighborhood with a unique story that the average Jaxson may not have ever heard...
November 15, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A look into a plan to leverage affordable housing as a solution for neighborhood revitalization in Jacksonville's Historic Eastside.
July 19, 2021 | Bullet of Abandoned Florida
With the 2020 closure of JCPenney, Jacksonville's Regency Square Mall has been delivered a punch that may represent the final nail in the coffin of its demise. Courtesy of Abandoned...
April 19, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
Sites and scenes from Savannah's largest historic industrial adaptive reuse project: Plant Riverside District
December 8, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
As Jacksonville debates the merits of Shad Khan’s Lot J proposal, Tampa is moving forward with a major infill project of its own that’s similar in price if not in...
December 1, 2020 | City of Jacksonville Press Release
In celebration of Northeast Florida joining in Black Restaurant Week, a national celebration of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine, The Jaxson shares a map illustrating the location of Black-owned...
November 18, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
With an extensive and rich Gullah Geechee heritage, Jacksonville’s Black culinary roots run deep. Our city’s Black-owned restaurants are a must-taste experience. Foodies can raise their forks to events showcasing...
July 21, 2020 | Quint Studer
A guest article by Quint Studer, founder of Pensacola's Studer Community Insitute, highlighting the importance of how investing in the little things can lead to great revitalization impact.
June 11, 2020 | Bullet of Abandoned Florida
With the recent announcement of JCPenney's decision to close, Jacksonville's Regency Square Mall has been delivered a punch that may represent the final nail in the coffin of its demise....
April 10, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Between 2012 and 2017, the First Coast witnessed every local Kmart store being closed as the long time national retail chain struggles to survive. In a city filled with an...
March 12, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Facadism is a practice where the facade of a structure is preserved with a new building constructed around or behind it. During the latter half of the 20th century, facadism...
November 13, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Established in 1829, D. G. Yuengling & Son is the oldest continuously operating brewing company in the United States. Based on volume of beer sold in 2018, it is also...
November 12, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Once a poster child for the negative impact of urban renewal, Uptown Charlotte is now a revitalization example for other Sunbelt cities to follow. With that in mind, here are...
August 22, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Often drawing opposition when proposed, affordable and workforce housing projects can serve as viable adaptive reuse projects that can bring life back to a neighborhood while preserving its unique sense...
July 31, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Columbia, South Carolina once faced a problem many communities attempting downtown revitalization have had to overcome. That problem was overcoming the challenge of turning a 9-to-5 weekday environment into one...
July 9, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Adaptive reuse is a form of development that gives new life and purpose to old buildings. Many cities have embraced the concept to turn around areas that once suffered from...
June 19, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
While 45 of 50 states recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday, ceremonial holiday, or day of observance, many things we take for granted today such as the coffeehouse, tea...
May 30, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
What happens when city after city makes the same expensive mistake in their quest to revitalize downtown? Here's a look at how another failed 1980s urban retail marketplace was converted...
May 17, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In a cooperative effort with the City of Lakeland, a long time privately owned surface parking will soon be going away for good. In its place, a mixed-use project that...
March 11, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
What happens when city after city makes the same expensive mistake in their quest to revitalize downtown? Here's a look at how another failed 1980s festival marketplace was converted into...
February 28, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Very few urban revitalization innovations have generated as much popularity as the festival marketplace craze by the Rouse Company during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
December 14, 2018 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Since its opening, Anheuser-Busch has offered free guided tours to anyone willing to drop by to explore their Jacksonville brewery. However, these days are coming to an end. On December...
November 30, 2018 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Hall on Franklin in Tampa's Tampa Heights neighborhood is a European inspired food hall featuring 7 unique vendors. However, it may be the country's first to combine the food...
November 5, 2018 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Does your city have an aging urban retail center that has seen better days? If so, the recent renovation of Miami's Bayside Marketplace should serve as a visual example of...
September 20, 2018 | Ennis Davis
A collection of aging nondescript warehouses that once served as the terminus for fruit and vegetable barges arriving from the Everglades to access West Palm Beach’s Municipal Market, now make...
August 7, 2018 | Sophee Payne
Can Historic Preservation Help Protect Communities from Gentrification?
June 13, 2018 | Ennis Davis
If you live in one of the 40 largest markets in the U.S, an e-commerce fulfillment center or flatbed distribution center is likely headed your way. With its online sales...
April 8, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Tallahassee Mall was once the city's premier enclosed regional mall. By the 2000s, it was well on its way to becoming a dead mall. Now it has a new interesting...
March 4, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Located just northeast of Downtown Orlando, Mills 50 was recently recognized as one of the top 12 neighborhoods across America about to get crazy popular.
February 25, 2018 | Mike Field
While Millennials are coveted by marketers and consumer goods companies, young adults of color are not equally sharing in the benefits of Millennials' economic popularity.
February 19, 2018 | Ennis Davis
A look at the architectural evolution of Florida's first industrial corporation and retail chain to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
February 1, 2018 | Mike Field
Low-income renters are requiring longer periods of rental assistance, and the trends show housing costs are a leading cause.
January 23, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Now proposing to add another 900 stores in 2018, Dollar General continues to rapidly expand throughout the U.S. However, their push for a smaller more urban format is something seriously...
January 2, 2018 | Mike Field
Central business districts serve as a magnet for economic growth and employment. The following is an overview of the top 10 largest CBDs in the country.
January 1, 2018 | Mike Field
While commercial real estate outlook remains strong in 2018, leading economist predicts that prices will be at a standstill.
December 22, 2017 | Ennis Davis
One thing we learn in life is that businesses come and go. Even the places once thought to be large enough to last forever. Here's 12 popular North American restaurant...
December 21, 2017 | Ennis Davis
During the 20 years following the creation of the country's first enclosed regional mall in 1956, so many were built in Florida that they started to cannibalize each other. Here's...
December 6, 2017 | Ennis Davis
One thing we learn in life is that businesses come and go. Even the places once thought to be large enough to last forever. Here's 12 popular North American restaurant...
October 29, 2017 | Mike Field
Data shows that homeownership rates for people under 35 have dropped by 21 percent since 2004, and this under participation by millennials is causing problems in the housing market.
October 18, 2017 | Mike Field
E-commerce giant Amazon doesn't think brick and mortar retailing is dead, and has been slowly growing a fleet of physical stores. While the company's acquisition of Whole Foods has grabbed...
October 11, 2017 | Ennis Davis
A new innovative crowd investment project promising to stimulate grassroots revitalization in inner city Detroit is born. Could this concept be an applicable solution for the revitalization of similar urban...
September 11, 2017 | Mike Field
Hurricane Harvey's impact on Houston's commercial real estate market is substantial. 27% of Houston’s gross leasable area may be flooded today, representing an estimated $55 billion in property value.
September 10, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Seeking shelter from Hurricane Irma, the First Coast shrimping and fishing fleet brings a little nostalgia back to the days when downtown Jacksonville was known as being an active working...
July 31, 2017 | Mike Field
The production of housing is one of the most regulated and micro-managed industries in the industrialized world, and attempting to meet the needs of renters and buyers continues to be...
July 7, 2017 | Mike Field
Struggling retailer sees opportunities to improve shopping experience by activating empty parking lots.
June 12, 2017 | Mike Field
Affordable urban living for millennial families with children has the potential to become one of the largest market demands in the near future.
June 7, 2017 | Mike Field
As the face of retail continues to evolve, tremendous opportunity exists for out-of-the-box concepts and creative retail strategies.
May 2, 2017 | Mike Field
Strong Towns shares five stories that showcase creative strategies for increasing affordable housing.
April 7, 2017 | Mike Field
If you wanted to eat only locally-produced food for a month, could you? In most towns, the answer is probably 'no.' Below are five ways to shift the dial in...
March 16, 2017 | Mike Field
Shared ownership model of artist housing transforming Indianapolis blocks from vacant to vibrant as artists and developer teamed up to develop affordable housing for working creative professionals.
March 6, 2017 | Mike Field
Struggling Minneapolis-based retailer is thinking big by betting on a small store, urban revolution.
March 1, 2017 | Mike Field
Survey: Commercial and Multifamily Originators Expect Strong, Steady Market in 2017.
February 14, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Is it time to re-evaluate the amount of public money utilized to subsidize sports stadiums at the expense of other community needs? The editorial team at FormSwift believes so. With...
February 5, 2017 | Mike Field
Charles Marohn of Strong Towns breaks down why poor neighborhoods are profitable while the affluent neighborhoods are not, and makes the case as to why investing in the poor neighborhoods...
February 3, 2017 | Mike Field
Camron Bridgford of DenverUrbanism disescts the affordable housing crisis that has led to the rapid displacement of artists in urban centers across the United States.
January 24, 2017 | Mike Field
37% of all American residents rent their homes and yet the voice of renters is often underrepresented in local decision-making.
January 20, 2017 | Mike Field
The difference between stability and sameness and allowing a city to change.
January 19, 2017 | Mike Field
Innovative retail center constructed from repurposed shipping containers activates an empty lot, looks to spark a retail revival in downtown Tulsa.
January 13, 2017 | Mike Field
Karen Parolek discusses the 'Missing Middle' that is too often overlooked in discussions about affordable housing.
January 10, 2017 | Mike Field
Charles Marohn, the Founder and President of Strong Towns, shares five low cost initiatives that every city across the country should prioritize.
December 29, 2016 | Mike Field
A strong town needs strong local businesses. Local businesses provide jobs and opportunities for wealth creation. They can become a draw, encouraging visitors from outside your community, as well as...
December 21, 2016 | Ennis Davis
A look inside the last brewery built in the country before Prohibition and one local entrepreneur's plans to create jobs and economic activity in the inner city by bringing it...
December 19, 2016 | Ennis Davis
For the past year, I've been working on my pet project called the Baywalk pop-up. Over time I've recruited an internationally acclaimed architecture firm and collected an assortment of public...
December 6, 2016 | Ennis Davis
2017 is less than a month away and housing forecast predictions are starting to come in. According to Realtor.com,'s 2017 housing forecast, Next year’s housing market will see slow yet...
December 1, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Here's the country's top five housing trends for 2017, according to Realtor.com.
November 14, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Palatka Mall opened to great fanfare in 1981. Today, a walk inside exposes a post apocalyptic scene of a small town enclosed mall's struggle to stay relevant into the 21st...
November 7, 2016 | Ennis Davis
M. Jason Fisher of Content Architecture + Interiors provides us with very useful information regarding the current costs of construction for residential projects.
October 20, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Prized for its easy commute to Chicago, Hinsdale is a suburban community teetering between the economic reality of teardowns and the desire of preserve as much of its historic character...
October 13, 2016 | Ennis Davis
A vibrant public realm leads to successful businesses and additional economic opportunity. Here's seven sure fire ways to reactivate your community without breaking the piggy bank.
October 10, 2016 | Mike Field
According to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Americans’ income mobility has declined after reaching an all-time high just before the Great Recession in 2007. Worse,...
August 7, 2016 | Ennis Davis
A look inside Anheuser-Busch's economic, environmental and cultural impact involved in operating a Jacksonville-based brewery where 99.6 percent of everything utilized in the manufacturing process is recycled.
July 21, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Detroit is a place on the move. Largely overlooked by negative media coverage , the reactivation of a great American city's urban core is well underway. As of 2015, there...
July 8, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
July 4, 2016 | Mike Field
A report from JP Morgan Chase Institute titled ‘Paychecks, Paydays, and the Online Platform Economy’ has taken a deep dive into the demographics and sources behind an alarming trend of...
May 16, 2016 | Ennis Davis
A list ranking US metropolitan areas by total manufacturing jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You'll find many of the results to be quite shocking.
March 9, 2016 | Mike Field
Research shows that consumers’ everyday spending on most goods and services in 15 major U.S. metropolitan areas has slowed dramatically, from 5% in the second quarter of 2014 to 0.5%...
March 9, 2016 | Mike Field
In 2016, foreign real estate investors plan continued US investment. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Seattle, and Boston are top targets for foreign real estate investors.
March 9, 2016 | Mike Field
Commercial real estate finance leaders expect favorable market to continue in 2016. The majority anticipate a continuation of the past year’s positive market despite concerns of increased volatility and liquidity...
October 1, 2024 | Editorial by Bill Hoff
Since 2019, the Great Cities Symposium has brought remarkable civic and business...
August 14, 2024 | Bill Delaney
Shortly after they established Southern rock in Jacksonville in 1969, the Allman...
August 12, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located in West Palm Beach, the ongoing revitalization of the historic Northwest...
August 6, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Historic Hampton House Museum of Culture & Art is a good...
August 1, 2024 | Article by Bill Delaney
Jacksonville’s unique history has given the city a richly varied – if...
July 23, 2024 | Article by Bill Delaney
Ostrich carts, Ax Handle Saturday, 'that' Consolidation moment, and many more: photography...
September 9, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A natural getaway within the city limits of Jacksonville, Cedar Point Preserve...
July 31, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located 20 minutes north of Downtown Atlanta, the Galleria Specialty Mall is...
July 26, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Stranded in Minneapolis due to Delta's CrowdStrike outage struggles, The Jaxson took...
April 3, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city...
March 7, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A visual tour of one of the last intact Sea Island Gullah...
February 14, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, AG Lafley served as the guest speaker...
September 19, 2024 | City of Jacksonville Press Release
The City of Jacksonville has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from...
July 30, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Consuming nearly 800-square miles of land area, the City of Jacksonville contains...
July 12, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Jacksonville and much of Florida owes a lot of gratitude to this...
June 11, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A 1914 map of Jacksonville's streetcar system. At the time, Jacksonville's streetcar...
May 16, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The North Florida TPO is partnering with Duval County to determine the...
May 6, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A virtual tour of Brightline. Operating between Miami and Orlando with a...
September 4, 2024 | Photographs by Caron Streibich @CaronEats
The long awaited official ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Historic...
June 17, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
On Tuesday, June 11, Mayor Deegan filed formal legislation for the $1.4...
May 2, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The heyday of the enclosed shopping mall in Florida is long gone....
April 9, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Regional enclosed shopping centers across the country are in decline. Charleston's Citadel...
February 27, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located in Brunswick, Georgia, Glynn Place Mall is the only enclosed regional...
January 30, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For decades, Bradenton's DeSoto Square Mall was one of the most popular...
September 16, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
In 1900, Florida was the 32nd largest state in the country with...
September 2, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Moncrief’s Two Spot was said to be the finest dance palace in...
August 19, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Considered to be the brains behind John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co.,...
July 17, 2024 | Florida Trust for Historic Preservation
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced this year’s 11 to...
June 25, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
It can be argued that Jacksonville is a city that has lost...
June 10, 2024 | Article by Bill Delaney
From Timucua two-spirits to bisexual blues musicians to the continued celebration of...
October 3, 2024 | Article by Marisella Veiga
A product of Florida's centuries-old Cuban community, the Cuban sandwich is one...
October 1, 2024 | Editorial by Bill Hoff
Since 2019, the Great Cities Symposium has brought remarkable civic and business...
September 19, 2024 | City of Jacksonville Press Release
The City of Jacksonville has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from...
September 16, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
In 1900, Florida was the 32nd largest state in the country with...
September 9, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A natural getaway within the city limits of Jacksonville, Cedar Point Preserve...
September 4, 2024 | Photographs by Caron Streibich @CaronEats
The long awaited official ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Historic...