Work on the next phase of construction at Riverfront Plaza, the former site of the Jacksonville Landing, is underway, the city announced Jan. 26.
“I look forward to watching this vital project move forward over the coming months, and eagerly await the day it is ready for the citizens of Jacksonville to enjoy,” said Mayor Donna Deegan.
The Haskell Company, the contractor for the project, has started to install construction fencing, portions of which display project renderings, around the perimeter of the plaza.
Phase 1A began in July 2023 with the closure and removal of a portion of Independent Drive to clear space for park amenities. In addition, Independent Drive was rerouted to Hogan Street.
The next phase, Phase 1B, will include work on the overall infrastructure, the bulkhead and the Riverwalk, along with the construction of a café, a children’s playground, and a large green space.
The total cost of Phase 1B is expected to be about $38 million, comprising about $13 million for the bulkhead and $25 million for the park.
The phase is expected to be completed by mid- to late 2025, the city said.
The city said pedestrian traffic on Newnan, Bay and Pearl streets will be rerouted and signage redirecting foot traffic has been installed.
Traffic on Independent Drive will not be impacted.
“I think the main reason we wanted to get a little ahead of it today is they’re not going to have access to the Riverwalk and the lawn at Riverfront Plaza, as the construction crew takes over and starts work on that bulkhead piece and doing the underground utilities that are under the festival lawn area. So all of that will be starting in the next few weeks,” said Lori Boyer, Downtown Investment Authority CEO.
That means people accustomed to using the area for walks or exercise will have to come up with new plans for now.
The Hogan Street alignment project is nearing completion and Water Street is scheduled to reopen to vehicular traffic in late March 2024.
The city said it is working on a webpage devoted to the Riverfront Park Project and more details will be shared soon.
Eventually, there could be private development of a high-rise for housing, retail and business.
As far as the proposed “Jax” sculpture, there is no word on where that stands or if it will even be built. That won’t come up until the park is completed.
The events that usually take place at the site, such as Jax River Jams and public viewing for the 4th of July celebration, are being moved to the old courthouse and City Hall riverfront site while construction takes place.
Other downtown river projects could see a lot of changes this year as well.
Shipyards West Park, where the USS Orleck and Fire museums are located, will see more construction of another park by the end of this year as well.
News4Jax is a Jacksonville Daily Record news partner