JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Lenny Curry is supporting a community effort to give Jacksonville an “Emerald Necklace.”
That's the name for a string of waterways and trails that would connect around Northwest and Downtown Jacksonville with the aim of attracting residents and tourists to one of the city’s biggest assets: its waterways.
Curry wants to start the project in Northwest Jacksonville's McCoys Creek, which often floods. That’s what the city and nonprofit group Groundwork are hoping to change.
The plan is to return the creek to its natural state, remove some man-made embankments, and elevate roads and bridges, like King Street, so people can get across McCoys Creek when the water is high.
McCoys Creek often creates problems for drivers during heavy rains. In May, people became stranded inside a van after trying to drive through floodwaters. They had to be pulled out by a truck.
In his budget address, Curry suggested spending $60 million over time to improve McCoys Creek and other downtown waterways and help create what will be known as the Emerald Necklace, a hiking and biking trail along the waterways.
SLIDESHOW: Renderings of what Emerald Necklace may look like
“It would be great to look at nice nature areas that are downtown,” Charlie Fetzer said. “McCoys Creek, Hogan’s Creek, all of those are areas that have really been abused and neglected for years.”
At McCoys Creek, the plan would be to elevate two bridges and roads along King and Stockton streets to decrease flooding.
That’s good news for Nicole Newsome, who lives near the creek. She’s been stuck before.
“It’s kind of difficult when it rains,” Newsome said. “It’s scary for your vehicle. That would definitely be good for this part of King Street.”
But some drivers who come through the area frequently aren’t convinced this is the solution.
“I don’t think it would really help, because still around the bridge it’s going to be flooded all up and down the streets,” driver Keith King said.
The changes are still in the planning stages. Curry wants to spend $13 million this year to start the project at McCoys Creek.
For the project to happen, Curry will need to gain the support of the council.
Groundwork Jacksonville, a community group pushing the city to create the Emerald Necklace, is involved in a study and design to maybe redirect the creek so it would flow naturally without man-made barricades. The group believes that could help with flooding. Create nature trails along the “necklace” route could also involve removing those barricades.
The group is meeting at Florida State College of Jacksonville downtown campus on Tuesday evening to discuss various segments of the plan.