The Cost of a Real Urban Park

Now that the Jacksonville City Council has approved legislation giving the city full possession of the Jacksonville Landing and setting it up for potential demolition, what’s next? No one outside of the mayor’s office really knows for sure, but according to Mayor Lenny Curry’s chief of staff, Brian Hughes, any proposal will have to include public green space.

This is a rodeo that downtown Jacksonville has seen before with the rise and fall of the Main Street Pocket Park and Kids Kampus during the Peyton administration. Wholesale demolition of the Landing will give the city around 6 acres of land to work with. If combined with the East Lot, it increases to 9 acres of land that could include some form of public green space.

In hopes of not seeing another poorly designed and maintained public green space situation take place in downtown, let’s take a look at what a real urban park resembles and the type of price tag commonly associated with them.

Here are ten popular parks constructed in vibrant central business districts around the country over the past fifteen years. What they all have in common are the type of amenities that Jacksonville has traditionally avoided due to concerns about maintenance and liability costs. These include spaces such as visitors centers, restaurants, limited retail, and immaculate landscaping. You may also be surprised at the construction cost for some of these spaces. With this in mind, let us know what type of public green space you’d like to see along downtown’s riverfront.

10. West Shore Park