Program areas at Groundwork Jacksonville
Emerald trail: construction of the first trail segment (1.3 miles, the lavilla link will be complete by march 2024. It is located in the historic lavilla neighborhood in downtown Jacksonville, and will connect to the existing s-line rail trail. The trail segment includes the creation of 6 acres of green infrastructure. Construction of the second trail segment (.9 miles) will be underway by march 2024. This segment converts a two-lane one-way street to one lane of vehicular traffic to accommodate a two-way cycle track. It will connect Florida state college at Jacksonville and the springfield neighborhood to downtown and the st. johns river. Trail segment 3, the riverside link, is now under design with construction anticipated in 2025. The mccoys creek branches (its headwaters) will be under construction in october 2024. Phase 1 construction is almost complete, and the outfall is under construction.
Groundwork Jacksonville also has secured 10.3m in funding to construct the mccoys creek branches project. Construction funds were secured as follows: 50% from the Florida department of environmental protection, 25% from the national oceanic atmospheric administration and 25% from the city of Jacksonville. The branches sit within a 30-acre city-owned park and are the creek's headwaters. Construction is expected to begin by january 2024. Phase 1 of mccoys creek from i-95 west to king st. Currently is under construction.
Groundwork Jacksonville completed the conceptual design for the ecological restoration of hogans creek, the second of two creeks within the emerald trail project. The creek is almost three miles in length; currently floods; its infrastructure is failing, and the water and some of the surrounding land are contaminated. Gwjax has secured a 5.9m grant from the national fish and wildlife foundation to complete the restoration design. The design project will take approximately three years.
Groundwork Jacksonville, in partnership with the north riverside community development corporation, developed a home repair program and was awarded 1.2m to repair 46 homes. Roofs are being replaced with cool shingles; gutters and downspouts drain into raingardens to address climate challenges. The north riverside neighborhood is a very low-income, majority black neighborhood located along mccoys creek. The home repair program is a displacement prevention tool. Groundwork Jacksonville also implemented a training program to certify urban residents in horticulture and landscape maintenance in partnership with the university of north Florida botanical gardens, career source and Florida nursery growers and landscape association. It hired two graduates as emerald trail stewards who will be responsible for trail maintenance.