Road work commences in 5 Points
A portion of the 5 Points Concept plan, which has been in the pipeline since 2013, is about to become a reality. Residents and business owners in the 5 Points area of Riverside received notice from the City of Jacksonville in late August that road improvements were slated to begin Aug. 31, weather permitting, and […]
Lakewood and Ortega stores to close as Stein Mart files for bankruptcy
After several years of struggling to find its financial footing, Stein Mart, a discount department store whose headquarters is a fixture on Jacksonville’s South Bank, fell victim to the COVID-19, as the pandemic caused it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Aug. 12. Included in the bold move is the company’s plan to permanently […]
A stunning statement of resurrection
Everything is coming up sunflowers now that two local artists have finished the AIDs Memorial mural on the side of the Park Street bridge over Willowbranch canal. Keith Doles and his assistant, Zac Freeman, both artists with workshops in the Cork Studios, painted the bright, cheery mural on the historic bridge in late August. “We’re […]
Alumni forms committee to save name of Robert E. Lee High
What’s in a name? Quite a bit. Just ask the alumni of Robert E. Lee High School. Built in 1927 to meet the needs of a growing city, Lee High School in Riverside joined Andrew Jackson High and Julia E. Landon High as three Jacksonville high schools constructed the same year to replace Duval High […]
RAP, city officials discuss removal of 75 trees from Willowbranch Park
Many Riverside and Avondale residents were shocked to learn recently that the city project to restore the Willowbranch Creek canal could mean the removal of 75 trees from Willowbranch Park, which prompted Riverside Avondale Preservation to seek a meeting with city officials. The plans for the canal restoration along Willowbranch Creek between St. Johns Avenue […]
Uncertainty haunts educators as start of school year nears
The only thing that is certain about start of this school year is that nothing is certain. Due to a continuing spike of COVID-19 infections in Duval County, plans to reopen have been made, remade, and changed again. As of July 23, the Duval County School Board approved a plan to reopen Wednesday, Aug. 20, […]
RAP cancels 2020 Home Tour due to COVID-19
With the safety and wellbeing of the community as its highest priority, Riverside Avondale Preservation has made the decision to cancel its 2020 Home Tour. The Tour, which was originally planned for April, had been rescheduled to October 24-25. Unfortunately, due to the recent resurgence of COVID-19, RAP’s Home Tour Committee felt it was necessary […]
Ryan Companies closes on land earmarked for new JEA headquarters
On June 30, Ryan Companies US, Inc. announced it has closed on the parcel of land where the new JEA headquarters will be built. Ryan Companies was selected, after a lengthy ITN process, in April 2019 to develop, design and build the new headquarters. The 1.5-acre parcel Ryan proposed for is on the 300 block […]
