JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Springfield’s business district has emerged as a vibrant retail destination, hosting approximately 250 businesses that range from boutiques to specialty shops, according to the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council(SPAR).
Michael Haskins, the executive director of SPAR, said the main commercial corridor of the neighborhood is Main Street and Eighth Street.
News4JAX took a stroll down Main Street, one of Springfield’s main commercial corridors, to check out the neighborhood’s shopping scene.
Our first stop was Ashanti Boutique and Emporium.
Owner of Ashanti Boutique and Emporium Darlene Johnson said her business model is to support local entrepreneurs, where vendors can rent a space in her shop to display their products.
“Our goal is to bring infrastructure,” Johnson said.
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Some of the shop vendors include Lanese Avery, who creates handmade jewelry for her line Charm Me Baby Jewelry. Latera Dennard makes candles that melt down into massage oils, in her line titled The HomeBody Essentials Club.
The business, which opened in Springfield about a year ago, is also home to artist Andrea Hagans.
“A lot of my work explores vulnerability in the Black community,” Andrea Hagans, who sells her art at Johnson’s store, said. “I feel like in minority communities often times we have to be so tough and aggressive, it’s always another cause and sometimes we lose sight of that…it’s just my way of putting Black stories and narratives into galleries.”
Akim Wilson, owner of Soulseed Apparel, adds to the boutique’s diverse offerings. “What I do is take different mediums and I use words and pictures to elevate the self image of people in my community,” Wilson said.
And just down the street is Meta Earth — one of Jacksonville’s largest rock shops.
Their primary mission is to bring accessibility back to the rock and mineral industry.
“We want to make sure that every person who walks through the store feels like an individual that has a place,” Meta Earth employee Samuel Rayne said.
Springfield is also home to Block Skate Supply, which opened in 2017 after undergoing major renovations.
“We’re constantly trying to invite the community into the shop, whether they skate or not. And that’s one of the best reasons or one of the main reasons we love Springfield. Community’s great,” The Block Skate Supply general manager Adam Washell said.
The shop features a mini skate park, creating a safe space for young skaters.
“With the skate park we’ve got out back, the kids can come skate for free. So parents can come drop their kids off and go down to Crispy’s and get a slice of pizza and have a drink, and the kids are having a good time here,” James Smith said.
And Haskins said he is optimistic more businesses will continue coming to the Springfield neighborhood, especially ones that offer space for creatives to flourish.
He also suggested people explore the area, and he said with it being so walkable, they can just park their car and walk from store to store to explore.