by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
The last time there was a major construction project on the Southbank of the St. Johns River between the Main Street and Acosta bridges was from 1963-65 when “Dallas Thomas Park” was under construction. A few years later the name was changed to “Friendship Park” and now, 47 years later, construction is once again under way for the Friendship Fountain Park renovation project.
Wednesday morning, standing near what was described when it opened in 1965 as “the world’s largest and tallest fountain,” Mayor John Peyton and other City officials celebrated the official start of the $3.1 million project. Concrete around the fountain and other areas of the park will be replaced by grass and trees. Natural seating areas and new sidewalks will be installed as well as modern energy efficient lighting for aesthetics and security. The budget also includes enough money to restore the fountain’s pumps, nozzles and lights to replicate the original performance of the Downtown icon.
“This is a cornerstone project,” said Peyton. “It will help Jacksonville be best positioned for post-recession recovery.”
He also talked about the combination of the Friendship Fountain Park project, the funded replacement of the Southbank Riverwalk and improvements to Metropolitan Park and the Laura Street and Bay Street enhancements. “We have a lot of great things happening,” he said.
“The citizens decided parks were important to advance the city and it’s easy to figure out why they decided to put a park here,” said Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton, looking at the Northbank skyline across the St. Johns River. “We’re here to continue to make the park relevant to our citizens.”
After the ceremony, Peyton said he recalled when he was 5 years old, going to the park with his family so he could ride a small electric car on the expanse of concrete that the park offered.
He also addressed critics of the project who believe that under the current budget conditions, the funds appropriated to improve the Downtown riverfront could be better used for other purposes.
“Our challenge is recurring costs,” said Peyton. “This is a one-time, long-term investment. Our task is to grow the tax base and to do that we have to amenitize Downtown.”
The park will be closed during the project, which is expected to be complete in about a year.
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