Jacksonville residents are seeing the slow transformation of their riverfront from one with limited access or activity into one filled with public amenities and greenspaces beautifully showcasing, enhancing and complementing their city’s most beautiful natural resource.
In the proposed 2025-26 budget Mayor Donna Deegan presented at a special city council meeting last month, $87.5 million is earmarked specifically for downtown riverfront park construction, with an additional $26 million for park improvements.
Many riverfront park projects are already underway, some even nearing completion, while others are progressing through various design processes.
The Parks at RiversEdge
The parks at the RiversEdge: Life on the St. Johns development are possibly one of the most anticipated network of four new public parks along the city’s Southbank. Now several years in the making, these four parks – Marshfront Park, Central Park, Northwest Park and Fitness Park – will feature different asthetics and amenities for guests to enjoy. Additionally, the Marsh Boardwalk will connect Marshfront Park to Fitness Park.
At its June 18 board meeting, Downtown Development Review Board, in its capacity as the Community Redevelopment Agency, approved a second performance schedule extension of three months for the RiversEdge project for various components, including the partial and full opening dates of Central Park, The Pearl – Central Park’s custom-designed and -built art installation, an incoming pavilion in Central Park featuring a stage and public restrooms and a portion of RiversEdge Boulevard North.
“…The progress they’ve made is wonderful,” said DIA Director of Operations Guy Parola. “…So these extensions really are geared to not punish anyone, but to set the stage for a successful, wonderful project.”
Bill Schilling of Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. addressed the board with updates pertaining to the parks, stating three of them are very near completion and opening. The requested extension, he said, pertains mainly to Central Park as it has undergone redesigns in collaboration with Marc Fornes, the artist designing The Pearl.
“As we got…involved with the sculpture, their scope expanded to also include the park, so we spent a good bit of time – and, honestly, extra time – really redesigning the Central Park for the Central Park to really speak with and interact with the sculpture that’s being built, and so that has taken us additional time,” Schilling said.
As is within her authority, former DIA CEO Lori Boyer had already previously granted a good cause extension to Dallas-based RiversEdge developer Preston Hollow Community Capital. The DIA Board is authorized to grant another extension of up to six months, though Boyer explained the developer only requested a three-month extension. This helps avoid repercussions should the developer fail to meet the newly-extended deadlines.
“What you need to be aware of is the way the contract works is, if they can’t complete – if you gave them six months today and they can’t complete by the six-month deadline, they’re in default and they don’t get paid, or you have to go to Council to amend the agreement, which is a process you have to start three months before the deadline,” Boyer advised the board.
Schilling said he anticipates the partial opening of Central Park on Sept. 1, though he added there is a possibility the developer may still need additional extensions for other items.
The DIA Board unanimously approved the extension request with the new completion deadlines as follows:
- Central Park Partial Opening: Aug. 30, 2025
- Central Park Full Opening, The Pearl, The Pavilionand RiversEdge Boulevard North: Sept. 30, 2025
Metropolitan Park
Meanwhile, just across the river from RiversEdge on the Northbank, designs for Metropolitan Park are progressing, with the design team currently working on technical studies and a more detailed design, according to Scott Jordan, principal for Civitas, Inc., the lead firm on the design team revitalizing the landmark Jacksonville park.
Following a trio of community open houses, the conceptual design process wrapped up early this year, during which the community provided feedback on three different design options for the park and what types of amenities they’d like to see in the redesign.
According to City of Jacksonville Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Daryl Joseph, another community open house will be planned sometime later this summer, though a date has yet to be scheduled.
In the interim, and following the open house, the public can review progress of the Metropolitan Park Revitalization at www.revitalizingmetropolitanpark.com.
St. Johns River Park
With the renovated Friendship Fountain and brand-new playground drawing more than 600,000 visitors already – each averaging a 35-minute visit – the St. Johns River Park on the Southbank has already transformed into a thriving, riverfront destination along the Southbank, though the City is not done with its plans for the public space.
District 5 City Council Member Joe Carlucci said designs for an incoming restaurant building are at 70% completion. At its July 22 meeting, the city council approved the $1.5 million to build the restaurant. Carlucci said the final design will be determined in collaboration with the incoming tenant, once that has been procured, though residents could see construction on that begin early next year.
“You don’t want to do final design without the tenant, but the goal is to get the operator, the tenant, input by the end of the year and then construction will begin right after New Year’s Eve,” Carlucci said.
Carlucci said the progress the City is seeing along the riverfront is a “welcomed change.”
“We’ve seen a lot of renderings, but not a lot of buildings and I think people are finally starting to see life coming into the riverfront on the Northbank and Southbank,” Carlucci said. “I know for me, being a lifelong resident here, I’ve certainly been excited to see it.”
For more renderings of the parks discussed in this story, click here.
