The city of Jacksonville has begun opening a planned string of riverside public parks Downtown, with the intention to not only provide activities for families but spur revitalization of the city’s core.
The parks are a key part of the Downtown Investment Authority’s strategy to improve the quality of life Downtown and create more activity in the center of Jacksonville.
If the approach works, it will spur an influx of new residents Downtown, which in turn would attract new restaurants, retail establishments, mixed-use developers and companies looking for a place where their employees can live close to work.
Speaking Nov. 24 at the opening of public parks in the RiversEdge development on the Southbank, Mayor Donna Deegan said the idea behind the collection of Downtown parks is “to turn our riverfront into a true front porch for the entire city.”
“RiversEdge will also connect seamlessly with our broader riverfront park system, from Friendship Fountain on the Southbank to the new parks on the Northbank like Riverfront Plaza and Shipyards West.
“As we cut this ribbon today, I hope you’ll look around and imagine what this place is going to look like in five years, 10, 20 years from now. Children who aren’t even born yet having their first picnic here. Festivals and 5Ks becoming beloved traditions. Art, music, food trucks and community events filling these lawns and walkways, and a skyline that reflects a city that believes in itself.”
Some City Council members have expressed concerns over the cost of the parks, particularly increases that have occurred amid rising construction costs and evolving designs.
“There’s no concept of, ‘Can we afford this?’” Council member Ron Salem said during a Council committee meeting in 2024, telling city officials he expected them to set a budget and reduce amenities if needed to hit the target. “It seems like if you’ve got $60 million, the cost is $60 million and you’ve got to scale back.”
With new parks recently opening and construction on others underway, here is a snapshot of the projects heading into 2026.
The $32.5 million first phase of the park on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing is nearing completion, and a soft opening was held Nov. 29 as part of the Holiday River Fest.
Park features include a playground on top of a pavilion building, an event lawn, new bulkhead, improved Riverwalk and plaza space connecting to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
The city’s I Dig Jax website says construction of the second, $46 million phase will begin by the end of 2025. Plans for it include a beer garden and rain garden, plus a bicycle and pedestrian connection to the Main Street Bridge.
Construction is underway on the $6 million Northbank park stretching from Water to Hogan streets along the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
Plans include walkways shaped like musical notes, playable recordings of music connected to Jacksonville and a Walk of Fame dedicated to local musicians.
The city expects completion in spring 2026.
In October, the city unveiled designs that were 90% complete for the 10-acre park planned between Catherine Street and Hogans Creek on the Northbank.
Planned features include a two-story gallery and event pavilion, a beach, a cove with pedal boats, a fishing pier, multipurpose flex lawn and more.
The total cost of the park is listed at $74.7 million in the city Capital Improvement Plan.
The Jacksonville Fire Museum and USS Orleck floating naval museum are adjacent to the park.
Design work also is underway for a revamp of this Northbank park at 4110 Gator Bowl Blvd., east of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences now under construction.
Latest designs show such amenities as boardwalks, an elevated walkway, splash pad and a redesigned performance lawn providing greater visibility from Bay Street.
The city estimates the cost of the project at $28.5 million and says funding for construction will be available beginning in the fall of 2026. Construction is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
The $693 million RiversEdge mixed-use development includes four parks that opened Nov. 24.
Features include winding walkways, a yoga lawn and a playground with such equipment as swings, merry-go-rounds and high-tech touch-activated games.
The city issued a site-clearing and horizontal development permit July 17, 2024, for the RiversEdge parks and recreation area, for installation of hardscape and landscape, on 4.1 acres at a project cost of $35 million.
• In October, the city reconnected McCoys Creek to the St. Johns River in a rerouted channel between the One Riverside development and the Acosta Bridge.
• The city said the $107.6 million project was designed partly to facilitate greater recreational use of the creek, which had previously run beneath the former Florida Times-Union building.
• The revamped Friendship Fountain opened in February 2024 on the Southbank, and work continues on the St. Johns River Park neighboring the fountain to the east. The city expects to complete the park in spring 2026. Features include a history-themed play park, a wedding venue, picnic areas and gardens.
• Design work continues on a revamp of James Weldon Johnson Park, the square south of City Hall. The nonprofit Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park is partnering with the city on the project, which is under design by Hood Design Studio of Oakland, California. The studio also designed Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park in LaVilla, which opened in June 2024.
• The $8.8 million Artist Walk and skate park opened in August 2024 under the Fuller Warren Bridge. The skate park features include ramps shaped like the letters JAX, plus rails and stairs. The park and Artist Walk plaza are between Riverside Avenue and Park Street.