JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A long-standing park in the center of Downtown Jacksonville could soon get a new look.
On Tuesday, a public meeting brought community members together to share their thoughts on the new designs for James Weldon Johnson Park.
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“I’ve seen a lot of changes, but I think changes for the good, changes for the better,” Jessica Tisby, a Jacksonville resident.
Tisby has lived in Jacksonville for almost 16 years. She has two kids who love playing at the park. But she doesn’t bring them to James Weldon Johnson Park too often.
“I think right now it’s kind of like a multi-purpose space but I think if we have designated integration here, I think it will flow better for the people downtown,” said Tisby. “Family-friendly stuff.”
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The historic park is getting a redesign. The last time James Weldon Johnson Park got an upgrade was in 1977 and it was called Hemming Plaza.
Back in August, the park’s design group held the first round of community feedback meetings. During those meetings, there were 16 conceptual designs for the park.
“They want shade, they want a lawn,” said Michael Degregorio, the principal at Hood Design Studio. “A lot of people said last time they wanted some type of water feature.”
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It was narrowed down to three conceptual designs based on community feedback from the last meeting. Those were presented on Tuesday.
Jacksonville City Council member Matt Carlucci said while he is hopeful the redesign will bring more shade to the park, he also would like to see the park help tell the story and share the history of James Weldon Johnson.
“That’s our public square,” said Matt Carlucci. “And now we’ve got it named right after one of the great public figures in Jacksonville’s history.”
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Tisby said a screen and multi-use play area would be ideal for a family-friendly environment.
“This to me is going to activate downtown better, it’s going to bring more people out,” she said.
After Tuesday’s meeting, the park’s redesign team will collect the feedback and then work towards one final concept design.
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