For 14 months Alexander was the only paid employee, juggling everything through all phases of construction and design, including working with the LaVilla Culture and Heritage Association, serving as liaison to volunteers on the numerous committees, recruiting a museum curator and planning for the grand opening extravaganza. There was no script for this. There was no manual. There were so many unknown variables and so many pieces to pull together. But the LaVilla legacy of community and family support has helped make the dream a reality.
Identity is the glue that keeps a group together.
Identity is the lever moving an idea from maybe to done, said Jerry Spinks, Historic Preservation Commission chairman, adding that clearly, identity was responsible for the rebirth of this area. There are few aspects of the Ritz Theatre Project that the community hasn t been part of, said Alexander. Now, while listening to the sounds of jazz pulsating through the area, or watching lines of children waiting eagerly to take their seat, or mingling with grand ladies and dapper gents in the elegant lobby, it s hard to believe that just a few years ago the boarded-up shell of the old Ritz movie house was one of the few decaying relics left standing to tell the tale of LaVilla s shining past. LaVilla s Past LaVilla, which originally was a plantation, evolved into a town in the 1800s. LaVilla remained an independent municipality until annexed by the City of Jacksonville.