by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
According to City Council member Suzanne Jenkins, land flanking the Main Street Bridge on the Southbank may soon get its new landscaping.
Legislation to fund the approximately $200,000 tree planting project was introduced in early March, and Jenkins said if the bill passes, rows of palm trees will be planted and an irrigation system installed on the Southbank up to Prudential Drive.
However, since its introduction, little Council discussion has taken place regarding the bill. Jenkins said that’s because “risk management issues needed to be properly addressed.”
“I know there was a concern from the City that there would be people working in a major public right of way, near a lot of traffic,” said Jenkins.
Instead of City workers performing the work, project partner Greenscape of Jacksonville would oversee much of the project.
“So it’s really more of a Greenscape issue,” said Jenkins. “I know everyone, specifically the General Counsel’s Office, wants to be assured that Greenscape is properly covered to have people out there like that, because if they aren’t and something were to happen, that would become an expensive problem for the City.
“Nobody wants that.”
Recommendations have already been made for Greenscape to obtain and maintain workers compensation insurance for the duration of the project.
“That’s basically what’s holding it up and once we have the information we’re asking for, I’d hope we could move the bill through committee and get it passed,” said Jenkins. “I’m ready to get started.”
Barring complications, Jenkins said the project could be completed before the Super Bowl.
“Obviously, there are times when you don’t want to be out there planting trees like in July or August,” she said, “but if we had to, I’d think we could have them out there by September or October.
“It’s just a matter of coordinating our efforts so we can see this through.”
Earlier this year, DVI director Terry Lorince said the landscaping would be a good way to highlight the Main Street Bridge, which is nearing the end of structural repairs and maintenance work.
“We like to think of that portion of land near the bridge as a portal in and out of downtown,” she said. “We have completed a design that would, ideally, work in conjunction with the work going on now because we want to be able to place more emphasis on how attractive the Main Street Bridge is.”