JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 An effort to save hundreds of dilapidated homes across some of Jacksonville\u2019s historic neighborhoods is officially getting underway.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI just think, for the purpose of rehabilitation and preservation, to do something is better than to do nothing right now,\u201d Peluso said.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Historic Center, to take ownership, restore the homes, and sell them.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n