The original Akra Bros Department Store, circa 1959.

Restoring a historic building is no small undertaking; on top of aesthetic appeal and modern amenities, restoration specialists must consider state and local preservation laws. We helped Crispens and his architectural team with the extensive design and planning required to bring this space into the 21st Century.

We knew there was great potential in these display windows.

Fortunately for us (and Crispy’s), preservation grants – including the first facade grant from Operation New Hope – and tax credits helped ease the financial burden, allowing the BMor Creative team to focus on restoring the splendor of the structure itself. Despite this windfall, grassroots funding was still a must; multiple fundraisers were held to create awareness and share our progress with the neighborhood, and residents came out in droves to support the soon-to-be local pizzeria bar and grill. It would still take months of elbow grease and persistence to bring this space into the 21st century, and transform it into Crispen’s dream restaurant and art gallery.

Setting up for a community FUNdraiser.

We wanted your first impression of Crispy’s to be both sophisticated and welcoming. One of our goals was to highlight the beautiful display windows and covered alcove by restoring the original tin and copper banding. We then incorporated copper accents into the sign and exterior lighting to create this striking, reflective entryway.

Inviting by day and somehow even more stunning at night!

Inside, we were fortunate to have nearly 6,000 square feet of space to play… err, work with. We were lucky to find several diamonds underneath the rough layers of the previous years, including terrazzo marble floors, a central grand staircase, and two second-story skylights.

We restored this neglected stairway into a central thruway to the upper dining level.

Since opening its doors just over a year ago, Crispy’s Springfield Gallery has been at the center of Jacksonville’s Urban Core revitalization effort. Crispy’s and the BMor Creative team opened the gateway, and more small businesses like breweries, restaurants, and coffee shops are popping up in the historic district, each offering unique, local flavor.

The alcove windows make a great live band stage, leaving the dining room space free for patrons.

The spacious, bi-level dining area is family-friendly and visually pleasing.

In 2018, Crispens was awarded the Jacksonville Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Ignitor Award, which recognizes individuals who serve as catalysts for urban neighborhood development.

In February, John Crispens was awarded the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Ignitor Award. This recognizes someone who has served as a catalyst for urban neighborhood development.

We were thrilled when the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission recognized our combined effort to revitalize Springfield’s commercial district and honored us with a 2018 Jacksonville Preservation Award, for “outstanding local achievement in the field of historic preservation.” Watching new life breathed into old buildings inspires us, and we love living in a city that recognizes the importance of preservation.

Becky Morgan has been running her commercial interior design company for three years and now, she’s setting up a storefront of her own.

Morgan, the owner of BMor Creative Inc., whose clients include planned restaurant and mixed-use space Crispy’s and the Happy Grilled Cheese in Five Points, is opening a studio at 157 E. 8th Street soon.

As a resident of Springfield, Morgan said the decision to open a storefront was a convenient move for her, but also one that she believes could give her business more visibility.

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The old entry to Springfield on West Pearl Street. Established in 1869, Springfield is the state’s largest historic district.

The renewal of Springfield has had its share of obstacles the last two decades. Today, skyrocketing home values and substantial Main Street business investments indicate the current turnaround may be sustainable.

After the 1960s, when the urban middle class began to flee to the suburbs, Springfield experienced decades of neglect. But the neighborhood always had its charms.

Changing perceptions

In 2010, Southern Living and Florida Trend magazines touted one of Springfield’s comeback attempts.

Becky Morgan moved to Springfield that same year. Having lived in a gated community with a long list of restrictive covenants, she appreciated the neighborhood’s “free-spirited nature.”

Becky Morgan and John Crispens outside Crispy’s at 1735 N. Main St. Crispens plans to open the 150-seat restaurant this month.

“Everyone does their own thing,” she said.

At the time, Morgan said, Springfield had a “charming commercial corridor that was crumbling to pieces.” While that might have repelled many, Morgan — an interior designer with a passion for historic preservation — saw the potential.

“It’s just a vibe,” said Morgan, who opened her Springfield interior design company, BMor Creative, in 2014. “I want to be part of the action and the change.”

During the last three years, she has helped John Crispens build his 150-seat restaurant, Crispy’s, in the old Akra Bros. Department Store.

To return the building to its 1933 art deco style, Crispens restored the sleek black tile exterior and entryway features, such as the architectural glass and zigzag, copper-on-nickel trim. He also preserved the building’s skylights, staircase and terrazzo floor.

Crispens had not visited the neighborhood until about a decade ago.

“We came and fell in love with it,” he said. “We’ve been living here nine years now.”

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By May, John Crispens hopes to renovate his vintage Springfield building at 1735 N. Main St. into Crispy’s, a restaurant, bar, art gallery and dry-cleaning service.

“I’ve been wanting to start a business in Springfield for quite a while,” said Crispens, 46, who moved to Jacksonville from Long Island, N.Y., in 1992 and has been a Springfield resident for more than six years.

Crispens said he wants to contribute to the level of development along that part of Main Street, which is north of Downtown. He considers himself lucky to have found the almost 6,000-square-foot building, which he bought last year.

“The building is over 80 years old, with many unique architectural features including terrazzo marble floors and two giant original skylights,” he said.

In addition to the floors and skylights, the grand staircase to the second level also will be restored.

The city is reviewing a building permit application for Johnson Home Builders Inc. of Yulee to convert the space. Plans show the renovation would turn the first floor into a dining room, bar, kitchen, business area and storage. The partial second floor would accommodate more dining, as well as live music and private events.

BMor Creative Inc. is the interior designer. Baker Klein Engineering and The Ohmega Group are the engineers for the plans. All three are based in Springfield.

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