A proposal by the city of Jacksonville to spend $12.59 million on land acquisitions to complete the Emerald Trail is on its way to City Council.
On March 23, the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee voted to allow the city Public Works department to file legislation authorizing a budget transfer for the funding, which would be used to purchase 17 parcels along the Hogans Creek Greenway in Downtown. According to a budget transfer request from Public Works, the acquisitions are necessary to carry out restoration maintenance, decontamination and flood mitigation along Hogans Creek to connect the Emerald Trail on the east side of Downtown with the Northbank Riverwalk and venues in the Sports and Entertainment District.
The parcels range from 0.05 acre to 7.42 acres, as listed in city documents.
The largest parcel is at 601 E. Adams St., running along the west bank of the creek northwest of the Maxwell House production complex at 735 E. Bay St. Duval County Land Trust purchased the parcel for $100 in 2012, according to Duval County Property Appraiser records.
Property records show that owners of other targeted parcels include Kraft Heinz, the owner of the Maxwell House plant; Southern Region Industrial Realty Inc., of Atlanta; an LLC connected to Jacksonville real estate developer Jessica Miner; an LLC with a general partner LLC connected to Barbara Jaffe, executive director of The Jaffe Group at Morgan Stanley; and Contega Business Services LLC, managed by the Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow law firm of Jacksonville.
Scott Carter, chief of engineering and construction management in Public Works, told the MBRC committee that the acquisition funding was part of the overall budget for the Emerald Trail project.
Most of the properties stretch from Union and Washington streets along Hogans Creek to the southeast, where it meets the St. Johns River.
An exception is a parcel at 2330 Boulevard St. north of Downtown owned by Dzinic General Contractors LLC.
In addition to the budget transfer, Public Works also requested that the legislation included authorization to issue a declaration of taking and direct the Office of General Counsel to institute condemnation proceedings if the department cannot reach an agreement or proceed on any of the properties.
The Emerald Trail is designed as a 30-mile route in central Jacksonville connecting 14 neighborhoods to Downtown, the St. Johns River, McCoys Creek and Hogans Creek. Along the route are 16 schools, two colleges and 21 parks.
Portions of the trail have been completed. The project is a partnership between the city and nonprofit Groundwork Jacksonville.
Groundworkjacksonville.org shows the segment running through the Sports and Entertainment District as being under design.
In September 2025, the city held a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Hogan Street Link section of the trail, which runs from Riverfront Plaza to Union Street and is expected to be completed by early 2027.
In July 2025, a $147 million federal grant issued for the Emerald Trail under Joe Biden’s presidential administration was voided when President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
At the groundbreaking of the Hogan Street Link, Mayor Donna Deegan and Groundwork Jacksonville CEO Kay Ehas said the loss of the federal funding would halt work on the trail. Deegan said the city would continue seeking federal funding and trail supporters also are working to obtain private donations such as sponsorship funding provided by VyStar Credit Union for the Hogan Street Link.