JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Riverside community members gathered at the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters Union Building on Stockton Street to voice concerns and learn about plans for the Emerald Trail.
On Thursday, Groundwork Jacksonville, a local nonprofit assisting the city with the Emerald Trail project, hosted the meeting to get community feedback.
Recommended Videos
RELATED: Jacksonville’s Emerald Trail project takes step forward with opening of LaVilla Link
The Emerald Trail will be 30 miles long and connect 14 different neighborhoods, 16 schools, two colleges, and 21 different parks throughout Jacksonville’s urban core.
Residents wanted to express how the trail would impact their community.
Shirley Singleton has lived on Gilmore Street for almost 20 years and does not believe her voice is being heard in the development plans for the trail.
“They (Groundwork) have their plan, and it doesn’t necessarily agree with what we have to say,” Singleton said.
She made it clear that she is not opposing the trail but does not agree with its design.
“Originally it was supposed to go down the alley on College Street. Now it’s on Gilmore Street. First, they were talking about putting it on the street. They were going to put it right in front of my street. I didn’t want it there.”
She wanted Groundwork to reconsider the location but had little hope that that would happen.
“There’s plenty of other alleys. I just don’t want it on Gilmore Street,” Singleton said. “They have their plan. They are determined to do their plan.”
She also expressed concerns about the upkeep of the trail once it’s finished.
We reached out to Groundwork to learn how the community feedback would be utilized. We have not heard back.
In May, the LaVilla Link opened providing a little more than one mile long of walking and biking paths, swings and an observation deck.
Construction on the Riverside Link is scheduled to start in 2026.