The presence of the St. Johns River running through downtown Jacksonville is one of the city’s greatest assets.
In the 1980s, the city worked hard to put that natural asset to use, creating the Riverwalks along the north and south banks of the river.
Originally the Riverwalks were planned with far more amenities, including a riverfront aquarium, an amphitheater, and an open-air marketplace, but many aspects of the initial plans were either scaled down or removed.
Over the years, even some of the elements that did get built out have been removed: the maritime museum, some riverfront shops, and a few other amenities.
But with the ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Jax becoming a high priority for the city, it would make sense to start exploring ways to improve the Riverwalk experience to generate more activity along our valuable riverbanks.
Both the Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks have gradually expanded from their original footprints over the years – but there’s still more work to be done.
The city has discussed expanding both Riverwalks in the future, with the Northbank Riverwalk running from Memorial Park to the Shipyards and the Southbank extending from the Aetna Building to the future site of The District.
Expanding the Riverwalks would allow more nearby developments an opportunity to utilize and activate the riverfront and would add value for those who utilize it as a running or walking path.
It would also help with the completion of the planned Emerald Trail system of multi-use paths throughout the urban core, allowing those trails to also easily lead into the riverfront at multiple junctures.
While activating existing portions of the Riverwalks should take priority, expansion of the two-mile pathway should be a long-term goal for the city.
