As several new public parks continue to open along the riverfront of the North- and Southbanks, the City of Jacksonville sought public feedback for the second phase of Riverfront Plaza at an open house last month.
The open house took place on Wednesday, May 13. City of Jacksonville Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Daryl Joseph said he received significant community feedback that afternoon as residents had the opportunity to review updated renderings of the second phase of the park, which is currently under construction.
“People love it,” Joseph said. “With all the landscaping, we planted a lot of trees in the first phase, and we’ll continue the landscaping component into phase two.”
With progress continuing at nearby Pearl Square, Joseph said the design team has also communicated with Gateway Jax to ensure the landscaping will transition smoothly between the private development and the public amenity.
Updated renderings also featured the riverfront swing deck, a new amenity that residents had not previously seen, which Perkins&Will Senior Landscape Architect Brian Carson said came from prior community feedback.
“You can look over the river, you’re under the shade of the trees – it’s a lot about shade and comfort, diversity of use for different people,” Carson said.
While some new elements, like the swing deck, have been added to this second phase, updated designs still carry forward items previously discussed, including the beer garden and, most importantly, pedestrian and cyclist access to the park from the Main Street Bridge.
“That multi-use trail originally, and still does, go over the roof of the beer garden,” Carson said, adding that the beer garden will remain a full-service restaurant that will cater to families of all ages.
Hilltop Grove will offer a quiet, shaded seating area overlooking the park activity. At the same time, changes have been made to the previously more sweeping grand civic stair and plaza element of the park.
“We’ve kept the civic stairs and that moment to frame the view of the Main Street Bridge and the Water; it’s a little bit smaller, but we’ve sort of done double duty and added that shaded grove where you get the big civic stair view, you get the seating, you get the civic activity, but you also get somewhere to hang a little bit more comfortably in the shade and overlook the park,” Carson said.
The public meeting took place in the shell building that will eventually house the café in the Riverfront Plaza. Joseph said the City plans to turn that space back over to the community later this fall.
The following day, the Downtown Development Review Board had an opportunity to review these same renderings in a presentation at its monthly board meeting. Board members praised the designs and shared positive feedback, with some asking about lighting components within Phase II. DDRB Chair Linzee Ott shared similar remarks, commenting on this “clever” use of space beneath the Main Street Bridge.
“As we are seeing all over the world, activating under-bridge spaces, it just makes so much sense,” Ott said. “…I just want to make sure we do have lighting under there, but this is very exciting, and I think we’re all excited to see it come to life.”
While there will be updates to the community on Phase II’s construction progress, Joseph said he doesn’t anticipate any additional open house events. Phase II is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
