Jacksonville City Council is considering legislation to grant $70,000 for cleanup and safety improvements in merchant districts in Riverside and Avondale.
Ordinance 2025-0690, which would provide the funding, moved through the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee with a 5-0 vote on Sept. 15, with Council members Ken Amaro and Chris Miller absent. Hours later, the Council Rules Committee approved the ordinance on a 7-0 vote.
According to a summary of the legislation, the funding would go to Riverside Avondale Preservation, which will work with business owners in the districts to identify public improvements to address crime, safety and blight in the districts.
RAP would use the city money to pay for litter and waste removal, landscaping, power washing and other upkeep, plus related contractual services, equipment and supplies to address the business owner concerns.
Founded in 1974, RAP works to preserve and protect the historic Riverside and Avondale neighborhoods through community participation, education, advocacy and events. The closely associated neighborhoods are along the west bank of the St. Johns River southwest of Downtown Jacksonville. It is the home of Five Points, the King Street district centered at King and Park streets and the Shoppes of Avondale. All three offer dining, nightlife and retail.
The ordinance is being considered as an emergency and could be approved by Council as early as Sept. 23. Council member Jimmy Peluso, who introduced the legislation, said the emergency was to ensure the money could be distributed before the end of the 2024-25 city fiscal year Sept. 31.
Peluso said the $70,000 request would be a one-time ask and that he didn’t expect RAP to return to Council in future years for more funding.
The legislation will appear before the Finance Committee on Sept. 16.
Peluso is also proposing Ordinance 2025-0539 to establish the Five Points Dependent Special District. It would require commercial property owners in Five Points to pay an assessment to provide for security, lighting and landscaping improvements, new wayfinding signage and special events aimed at attracting visitors.
That legislation has been deferred for several weeks as Peluso and Five Points leaders distribute letters to businesses in the area confirming their support for the district. Peluso said during the Sept. 15 Neighborhoods committee meeting that he hoped to pass the ordinance by October.