The Jacksonville Riverwalks are a network of multi-use trails and open space developments along both the north and south banks of the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River () is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders 12 counties. The drop in elevation from River s ...

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. The roughly

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Northbank portion travels alongside the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville,

Riverfront Plaza Riverfront Plaza is twin-tower office building complex in the downtown area of Richmond, Virginia. Built from 1988 to 1990 on the former site of the Old Mansion Coffee Co., it was developed as a joint venture of the law firm Hunton & Willia ...

Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts The Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts (JCPA) (originally the Civic Auditorium and previously known as the Times Union Center) is a performing arts center located in Jacksonville, Florida. Situated along the Riverbank, the venue is kn ...

CSX Transportation Building The CSX Transportation Building is a high-rise office building located in Jacksonville, Florida. Completed in 1960, the building currently serves as headquarters for CSX Corporation. The building is located in the Northbank area of Downtown ...

, and extends into the

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

district. The Southbank portion of the trail connects local landmarks such as

Friendship Fountain Friendship Fountain is a large fountain in Jacksonville, Florida. It is in St. Johns River Park (also known as Friendship Fountain Park) at the west end of Downtown Jacksonville's Southbank Riverwalk attraction. The world's largest and tal ...

Museum of Science and History The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is a museum in Jacksonville, Florida. It is a private, non-profit institution located on the Southbank Riverwalk, and the city's most visited museum. It specializes in science and local history exhibits. ...

and

Riverplace Tower The Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida and was the defining landmark in Jacksonvi ...

History

The first section of the Riverwalk opened on the Downtown Southbank on November 8, 1985. It was intended as a venue where tourists and local residents alike could view the beauty of the river and the skyline of the city. On a sunny day, the view from the walk includes shimmering water, shiny buildings, sailboats & speedboats. The walk was designed by Perkins & Perkins Architects to be a festive waterfront public space linking

and Harbormasters Restaurant (now River City Brewing Co.) with hotels and office buildings east of the Main Street Bridge. Friendship Park Fountain was built in 1965 and became one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. A graphic system was developed and, included banners, kiosks and signage to provide visitors with clear and legible information, as well as reinforce the warm and lively image of the riverwalk. A few of the project were built but scaled back. The St. Johns Wharf was a planned open-air marketplace to be built over the river adjacent to the Wyndham Hotel. A few shops were built along the riverwalk, but the wharf was never constructed. Four open air pavilions were planned and projected to include concessions and restroom facilities. only two were constructed. The Ship Museum, an attraction to emphasize the historic relationship between the city and the river; projected to include floating ship exhibits, was scaled back to the current Jacksonville Maritime Museum, now closed. Multiple projects did not come to fruition. The Grove, a raised grass seating area shaded by a grove of palm trees; The Pyramid, an outdoor structure with terraced seating area for special events; An Aquarium located south of the maritime museum, facing Friendship Fountain, which would showcase local freshwater and saltwater marine life; A Great Lawn for recreation and relaxation; A sidewalk café under the bridge that would link both sides of riverwalk; A 3,000-seat open-air amphitheater with bandstand and theatrical lighting, built out into the river that would be used for public concerts, ballets, festivals and school graduations. In January, 2005, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the latest extension of the Northbank Riverwalk. Construction took nearly two years for the , $8.7 million project. The landscaped brick walkway connects the existing Riverwalk at the CSX building to Riverside Avenue. Its features include historical lighting, water fountains, trash receptacles, bike racks, irrigated landscaping and over 100 benches. Nearly 40 feet of Riverwalk was temporarily closed in late 2006 when corrosion caused steel pilings to fail and the supported walkway buckled. The city allocated $1.3 million to inspect the entire Riverwalk and make emergency repairs, and planned a multi-year capital improvement project eventually costing $25 million for upgrades split between both riverwalks. As part of that project, the city began installing 306 pile jackets in and around the area of the 2006 closure at a cost of $1.4 million. At the January 31, 2008 meeting of the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC), plans were tentatively approved for a 128-slip dockage facility to be named, ''The South Shore Marina & Riverwalk at the Aetna Building''. The project would include a new section of southbank riverwalk on the

Aetna Building Eight Forty One is a , 22-floor office building on the south bank of St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Completed in 1955, it was the tallest building in the city for 13 years until surpassed by the Riverplace Tower. It was "The Tallest ...

property, which has of riverfrontage. Permits from the

Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government Government agency, agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the Federal government of the United States, federal governm ...

and the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

had already been obtained, but financial conditions forced the project to be placed on hold. The City of Jacksonville and

Fidelity National Financial Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF), is an American provider of title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. A Fortune 500 company, Fidelity National Financial generated approximately $8.469 b ...

executed a land swap in 2008 that added in exchange for the parcel of land under Riverside Avenue's historic fire station. The city has the option to move the structure before it can be demolished, and funding for that purpose is being discussed. The ''Riverside Arts Market'' (RAM) was begun in 2008 beneath the Fuller Warren Bridge around the Northbank Riverwalk. It is open on Saturdays, 10-4 from March to December and features an eclectic mix of vendors offering arts and crafts, food and drink, fruits and vegetables and live entertainment in a family-friendly environment. Eight of the market's vendors have subsequently opened brick & mortar stores or restaurants. In late June 2009, a 12-foot corner section of concrete walkway on the northbank collapsed due to erosion of the steel bulkhead. Another portion of the riverwalk was closed after bricks became loose when the walkway sank several inches. Repairs to both damaged areas were completed prior to the July 4th celebration and fireworks show. A meeting was held in January, 2010 between Mayor John Peyton and several city councilmen to discuss progress on three major downtown improvement projects, including Southbank Riverwalk replacement. Legislation was filed to fund these three projects with a price tag of $23 million. $11.9 million was allocated to replace the wooden structure with a more durable material with a 40-year life span, and upgrade lighting, railing and trash receptacles. On February 9, 2010 the city council passed the three bills without debate, providing final approval for all three projects. As of late 2011, the Northbank Riverwalk ran from the

Fuller Warren Bridge The Fuller Warren Bridge is the prestressed-concrete girder bridge that carries Interstate 95 (I-95) across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The current structure was finished in October 2002, replacing the original bascu ...

to the former Shipyards property, owned by the city of Jacksonville. There are plans to extend it west to Riverside's Memorial Park, and east to Metropolitan Park across from the stadium. Free parking exists under the Fuller Warren Bridge. The center of the Northbank Riverwalk is the

Gallery

File:Tupacjax.jpg, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, located long the Riverwalk File:BrooklynRiverwalk.jpg, Brooklyn segment of the Riverwalk File:Americancruiselinejax2.jpg, File:Jax FL Chart House Restaurant05.jpg, The Chart House Restaurant located along the Southbank Riverwalk File:BerkmanPlazaJacksonville-Feb2010-b.JPG, Housing alongside the Northbank Riverwalk

History

Gallery

See also