Construction starts on old Landing site, Riverfront Plaza park after month delay

Hanna Holthaus, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read

Construction began Monday on the long-awaited Riverfront Plaza park at the former Jacksonville Landing site – and will take over a year to complete.

The city finished demolition of the riverfront mall in 2020. The Downtown Investment Authority, along with local advocacy groups, then planned and took bids for the design of a new park to be the centerpiece of an expanded riverwalk. 

In the meantime, the city has used the open greenspace to host workout classes, concerts and events.

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Originally slated for June, construction was delayed to accommodate crowds using the open space to view July 4 fireworks.

Work will start toward the Hogan and Waters Streets intersection, where the playground and cafe will be, Lori Boyer, CEO of the DIA, said. The closed off portion of the roads will become part of the park itself.

Workers create a mounting point for informational signage on the grounds of what will become Riverfront Plaza on Tuesday. The first phase of the project, named Riverfront Plaza, will start with infrastructure and bulkhead work before it is transformed with gardens, walkways and a cafe with a playground on top.
Workers create a mounting point for informational signage on the grounds of what will become Riverfront Plaza on Tuesday. The first phase of the project, named Riverfront Plaza, will start with infrastructure and bulkhead work before it is transformed with gardens, walkways and a cafe with a playground on top.

Stage one of the project will also include work on the bulkhead, walkways through the park and a “festival lawn” parallel to the river to continue events like Jax River Jams, Boyer said.

The first phase will take between 12 to 18 months to build and cost $25 million, already allocated through last year’s Capital Improvement Plan.

The second phase will be primarily east of Laura Street and include construction of a beer garden, fountain and a walking-biking path between the Main Street bridge and Riverfront Plaza. Boyer said some of the funds from the first phase could remain to put toward the second phase, but it will otherwise have to be funded separately.

Crews began the early work of preparing the former site of the Jacksonville Landing for new use as the city's waterfront park Tuesday morning.
Crews began the early work of preparing the former site of the Jacksonville Landing for new use as the city's waterfront park Tuesday morning.

The proposed “Jax” statue, made of polished stainless steel and standing 151-feet tall, would only be added at the conclusion of phase two but is not guarenteed. The artist is currently working with the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to gain public feedback and workshop the statue after some criticized the design and $18 million price tag.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Riverfront Plaza construction starts on Jacksonville Landing site

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