JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Often called the “City of Renderings,” Jacksonville is working to shed that nickname as officials on Monday provided an update on several downtown projects and riverfront parks that will soon be a reality.
“Making real progress toward a vibrant and thriving downtown,” Mayor Donna Deegan said during Monday’s news conference.
Deegan announced the launch of a new campaign called “I Dig Jax,” a website that includes a list and description of all current projects around downtown.
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One big project is the former Landing site on the city’s riverfront, dubbed “Riverfront Plaza.” Multiple studies were done to find out what the people of Jacksonville wanted in the space. Overwhelmingly, restaurants were the top choice out of all of the studies and analyses.
“Really there’s no restaurants, no entertainment venue very little,” William Land, a resident, told News4JAX. “Basically now, there is nothing, other than me walking my dog.”
Phase 1 of the Riverfront Plaza project is now under construction and includes an elevated destination playground on top of a park pavilion building, a large flexible event lawn, as well as a new bulkhead, riverwalk, and a plaza space connecting Riverfront Plaza to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
The park pavilion building will include a small café space, restrooms, mechanical rooms and storage space to support the park. Phase 1 is scheduled to be completed by late 2025.
The city is also working to finalize plans for Metropolitan Park. That’s the big central lawn where the Jacksonville Jazz Festival hosted hundreds of fans in the past.
“After years of feeling like we are stuck when it comes to this kind of progress. Cranes in the air is what we like to see,” Deegan said.
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Plans are also in the works to develop it into a community pavilion with a splash pad, performance area, and tailgate spot.
To learn more about the downtown projects in progress, visit this website.
