JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As a demolition crew begins to tear down the downtown Jacksonville Landing, there are still many who love to use the nearby Riverwalk along the St. Johns River.
But some bricks along the Riverwalk have started to crumble, leaving holes in the walkway. To ensure safety, a fence has been set up, blocking off a part of the Riverwalk near the Landing until the cause of the crumbling can be determined, News4Jax has learned.
On Tuesday afternoon, cones and yellow caution tape could be seen around the areas where bricks were seemingly caving in. By Tuesday evening, there was a fence up near the Landing for everyone's safety.
"We can see the safety issue," said one person who strolls along the Riverwalk.
Others wanted to know whether the holes would be fixed, so News4Jax contacted the city for answers.
Our cameras were there as staff members with Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Gaffney's office were there to look at the crumbling Riverwalk, which is in Gaffney's district.
Gaffney sent the following statement within minutes:
"Our office has been made aware of this within the past few minutes and we are reaching out to the appropriate city agency to make sure safety measures are in place."
The city also responded, saying:
"Parks and Public Works both have crews investigating this issue and they will work quickly to safeguard this area. We will let you know as soon as we have any additional information."
As for the Landing demolition, according to the city, the interior demolition of the two buildings closest to the St. Johns River is underway and a demolition team will tear down the outside of the structures at the end of October or the beginning of November. The whole project is scheduled to be done by May or June 2020.