Recommendations to City of Jacksonville for a Destination Riverwalk
The northbank riverwalk, along our American Heritage-designated St. Johns River, should be the star of the downtown show! We believe it should be a continuous, shaded, iconic, linear park.
We envision the riverwalk from the Fuller Warren to Metropolitan Park as one destination park, a spectacular attraction in and of itself. As we have learned from other cities like Greenville, a well-designed, beautiful riverwalk would not only inspire economic development but also help mitigate climate issues, create vibrancy, promote healthy lifestyles, and instill civic pride.
The current piecemeal approach is simply not going to get us there. We suggest:
Holistic, Strategic Approach to Design
• Engage ONE world-class firm to design and oversee the entire northbank riverwalk.
o The riverwalk is currently being designed by at least 6 different entities and certain portions are not being designed at all
o Engage one of the firms already working on the riverfront (Agency, WXY, etc.)
§ Neither the DIA nor the City has the time to envision and oversee
§ The firm would coordinate with the various riverfront designers
o Ensure that the riverwalk is designed to standards that exceed our existing riverwalk design standards
§ Details matter-ensure timeless design for benches, lighting, signage, railings etc.
§ Shade trees must be prioritized and planted in abundance along the entire span
§ Incorporate green resilient solutions to protect our downtown from flooding
§ Ensure room for all-bikers, walkers, joggers, strollers, wheelchairs, sitters, etc.
More Voices, Mayoral Oversight
Assemble a compact, nimble, unbiased, and informed advisory committee for design input and approval (recommended by the Mayor’s Transition Committee)
o Late Bloomers would welcome the opportunity to participate as (the members of the Carolina Foothills Garden Club did) in Greenville, NC.
o This type of informal group would allow for swift progress and quality resultsOversee the advisory committee from the Mayor’s Office
o Mayor Delaney set precedent with Preservation Project/Better Jacksonville PlanEngage the community and solicit feedback at multiple stages of design
Focus on Connectivity
Complete the riverwalk extension to Metropolitan Park to coincide as closely as possible with the opening of the Four Seasons
o Per DIA, it is possible to do the riverwalk first, before neighboring development o City possesses the necessary property rights to build the entire riverwalk
o In light of their success, Tampa’s Mayor recommended doing our riverwalk NOWConnect James Weldon Johnson Park to the Landing by beautifying and making Laura Street more pedestrian-friendly and vibrant
Connect seamlessly with the Emerald Trail
Submitted by: Sally Barnett, Susan Caven, Meg Commander, Gina Donahoo, Debbie Early, Maureen Ely, Susan Feeley, Gabriele Dempsey, Barbara Ketchum, Laura Magevney, Karla Newton, Robin Patton, Mary Pietan, Leslie Pierpont, Marian Barnett Poitevent, Natalie Rosenberg, Susan Smathers, Sally Surface, Neely Towe, Courtenay Wilson