JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – City officials announced that the state has approved a $3 million appropriation to support programs in Northwest Jacksonville aimed at boosting small businesses, expanding vocational and workforce training, addressing food insecurity and preventing youth crime.
Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman, State Rep. Wyman Duggan and Sheriff T.K. Waters are expected to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday at Kings Road Memorial Park, at the corner of Kings Road and Almeda Street, the city said in a news release. Community partners and stakeholders are expected to attend.
Officials said the funding is intended to bring critical resources to District 10 and help address economic disparities, workforce gaps and youth violence through a collaborative, community-driven approach.
Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman called the funding a long-overdue step toward addressing inequities in the area.
“It’s been a long time,” Pittman said. “It’s deserving. There are a lot of inequities in District 10, and to be able to get this first-time funding for that amount of money, I’m excited.”
The appropriation will support small-business development, vocational training and workforce development programs, food insecurity initiatives and youth crime-prevention strategies, city officials said.
This comes on the heels of the shooting near Raines High School that left one man injured on Monday. A pastor and parent connected to the school said that the incident doesn’t define the community, and they are working to fix the issue of violence in the community.
“The conversation started after the shooting on Kings Road at Dollar General,” Pittman said. “I realized that District 10 didn’t have some of the amenities that are needed in its community.”
For small business owners such as Melvin Herman, owner of Starvin like Marvin, the investment brings cautious optimism.
“We need a lot of help,” Herman said. “We need everything. We need to build back up our neighborhood.”
Herman and his business partner, Kavena Phillips, said they hope the funding would help spark new development and resources in the area, which they say has long been overlooked.
“It’s good that they’re trying to pour into this neighborhood,” Phillips said. “It’s been put on the back burner for a long time, so great things to come.”
The pair said they are already planning to expand their business, with hopes of adding a convenience store and programs to support adults with intellectual disabilities.
The funding is expected to begin rolling out immediately, with a full breakdown of recipients anticipated to be announced at a press conference Thursday.