Pavers replaced around Navy Memorial on Southbank
The Jacksonville Navy Memorial, also known as the Lone Sailor, on the 4,000-foot Southbank Riverwalk has a new set of pavers with a somewhat different look, according to Sandra Fradd, co-founder of Downtown Dwellers.
“The old pavers were deteriorating from an overspill of water. The circle around the fountain used to be yellow,” she said. “It is now gray, a color more suited to the fountain and the area, I think.”
Replacing the pavers around the fountain was a maintenance project costing approximately $7,000 for labor and materials, according to Tia Ford, City of Jacksonville spokesperson. The work was completed in July.
Birds-eye view of paver replacement project around the Jacksonville Navy Memorial.
(Photo by Sandra Fradd)
The bronze statue of a Navy sailor looking out to sea was created in 1987, installed in October 1988 directly on the Riverwalk, and was placed on top of a lighted fountain in 2014 during a Riverwalk reconstruction project.
According to an October 13, 2008, newspaper article about the rededication ceremony for the Navy Memorial, this is a “one of a kind Lone Sailor statue known as The Liberty Hound. The rededication took place on the 20th anniversary of the statue and coincided with the U.S. Navy’s 233rd birthday.”
Originally constructed in 1985, the Southbank Riverwalk was reconstructed during an 18-month, $17 million project. Led by the Haskell Company, in partnership with CH2MHill and Flagg Design, the project replaced the aging wood structure with a concrete path on the river, featuring colorful paver bricks.
The replacement of the Riverwalk was a personal project of former District 4 Councilman Don Redman, who was seriously injured while bicycling on the Riverwalk in 2013.
Two weeks after the February 2015 re-opening of the Southbank Riverwalk, the Sailor Fountain was reported to not be operating, but was repaired in about eight weeks.
By Kate A. Hallock
Resident Community News
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