Keeping on keeping on

It may seem like Save the Strip Fondren has been quiet during the dog days of summer, but thanks to many neighbors talking to neighbors, the petition has been quietly gaining signatures. Seems like the more people find out about the proposal to demolish The Strip, the more people want to save it. We're now up to 370 and still gaining! If you haven't signed yet, make sure to head over to the petition site and add your voice!

The Northside Sun recently ran an update on the situation, noting that the petition continues to grow and also that the proposed development was supposed to begin as early as this fall. Checking in with Jason Watkins, the Sun reports that the project has stalled due to the economy and difficulty in obtaining credit. While we at STSF don't oppose development surrounding the Strip, we are pleased that the rushed timeline reported earlier has been delayed. We hope that this will give us time to get the word out about this proposal and to bring our vision of an intact Fondren Strip as part of any larger development.

We continue to be concerned about the proposed development, especially given developer Jason Watkins' continued insistence on demolition in this article, apparently believing a few Art Deco touches will make it ok:

WATKINS addressed other concerns as well. He said he and his dad have no desire to build something that will take away from the Fondren area. “We have no intention. I love the area and want it to be true,”he said.

He said the project will be built in an art deco form to blend in with Fondren Corner and Fondren Place.

Additionally, he plans to work with business owners currently in the strip to ensure that they can remain in the area. He said developers will subsidize rent for businesses that relocate from the strip to Whitney Place.

He pointed to renovations he and his father made at Campbell’s Bakery to prove their willingness to work with business owners.

“Even knowing we’re about to tear down or remodel the strip, we have given the new owner significant reductions in rent, and have put significant dollars into the renovation of the building,”he said.

Read more: northsidesun - Save the strip

Join with us in helping Save the Strip--sign the petition, pass the link along to your neighbors, and get the word out that Fondren's heart is important to you!

Blasting past the 300 mark!

In case you missed it in Saturday's Clarion-Ledger, Save the Strip made the front page! While we wish the headline had been worded differently--"Foes want area saved"seems to take a position that the article itself didn't take--we were happy to see the capital city's most widely read newspaper take notice in such a big way.

On the strength of that new publicity, the Save the Strip petition has now reached 320 signatures! If you haven't signed it already, read over the petition, and if you agree, add your voice to this conversation!

More Press for Save the Strip Fondren!

Be sure to pick up a copy of the Northside Sun this week, where Save the Strip Fondren is the featured story on the first page! Sun Staff Writer Anthony Warren interviewed several Save the Strip advocates as well as several Fondren business owners. The article "Save the Strip: Residents rallying to preserve buildings in Fondren" begins:

A strip that some say is the heart of Fondren's existence is being threatened, and some residents are rallying together to save it.

A group led by Elizabeth Knight, Arin Adkins and Larry May has started an online petition called Save the Strip, Fondren!

In two weeks, the site has obtained more than 230 signatures and numerous comments. 

Speaking of downtown Fondren, the Sun also just published an article about a $2 million grant for upgrades to sidewalks and lighting in our commercial district. Planning is underway and design should begin soon, which will make it even more walkable and pedestrian friendly and help out our neighborhood businesses.

The Save the Strip Fondren petition now has over 250 signatures! If you haven't signed yet, please head over there and add your voice!

Save the Strip in Jackson Free Press

Save the Strip Fondren caught the attention of the Jackson Free Press this week: http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/group_forms_to_save_fondren_strip_02011/

The same day, the Save the Strip petition hit 200 signatures. Not bad for little over one week! If you haven't signed yet, give it a read over and add your signature. Your voice counts!

150 and Counting!

The Save the Strip Fondren petition has hit 150 signatures today, and is still rising! If you haven't signed the petition, we invite you to read it and add your signature. If you've already signed, make sure to pass the link along to neighbors and friends.

You can view the list of signatures, along with a number of interesting comments on the Signature tab on the petition site.

As noted on the petition, your e-mail address is used only for verification to help ensure no duplicate signatures. Your e-mail address will NEVER be published online or in any public way.

Some have also inquired about whether they can sign without their name appearing. While we prefer that real names be used, we also understand that personal and business relationships might make this difficult at times. To sign anonymously, simply fill out the signature form and unclick the box labeled "Show my name in the online signature list." Your signature line and comments will appear on the signature list, but your name will be listed as "Anonymous."

Keep the petition going strong--pass it along!

Seabrook or Protective Paint?

One of our favorite blogs here at Save the Strip Fondren, or STSF as the hipsters are calling us now, is Photos from Fondren by native Fondrenite Frank Ezelle. Check out his vintage picture of the Fondren strip in 1960, with the Pix prominently featured in the background along with the Protective Paint Co. next door. Protective Paint Co.began in this location in 1957, taking over space previously occupied by Nickle Stores (1940), Jitney Jungle #7 (1942), and Hardin-Roel Furniture (1947).

This building is still a paint store today, but most of us know it as Seabrook. Seabrook has helped more than a few of us find just the right color combination for our house. I'm also told they helped give the building across the street (the one with the Orange Peel) its Miami Beach vibe--thanks Seabrook!

Save the Strip? From What?

You might be wondering what could possibly threaten our vibrant neighborhood center, the Fondren Strip?

If you haven't heard about the proposal to tear down Fondren's historic neighborhood center, here are a few images that will help you visualize it.

Here is the Fondren strip on a beautiful sunny day before the stores open and the traffic comes out.

click to enlarge

Here is an aerial view of the strip as it exists today, with labels attached.

click to enlarge

And here is the proposal by local developer David Watkins, with the current buildings superimposed in red to help you see how this proposal relates to our Fondren strip. As you can see, all but one building is slated for demolition in Watkins proposal. Additionally, the Pix Theater, the only building Watkins plans to leave, and currently the most prominent building in The Strip is to be reduced to the lowest building in the development.

click to enlarge