JACKSONVILLE, FL – Agency Landscape + Planning LLC (AGENCY), a nationally recognized landscape architecture and urban planning firm, has been selected to develop a design for a new 10-acre park in Downtown Jacksonville, along the western end of Downtown Jacksonville. The project will rehabilitate and transform an expanse of waterfront lands, which have been a central part of the city’s diverse and rich history, into a rich cultural, recreational, and civic asset for Jacksonville residents. The working name for the park is Shipyards West Park. Shipyards West Park is planned between Catherine Street and Hogans Creek along the St. Johns River Northbank.
The project is being led by the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA). The DIA and the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department oversee the project to build a destination riverfront park connecting City Center and the Sports and Entertainment District. Shipyards West Park will be a world-class riverfront park inclusive of complementary amenities that will provide the missing link between Riverfront Plaza and Metropolitan Park. The park is an important project within the waterfront activation plan developed by the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund as part of its riverfront development study in 2021.
AGENCY is joined by a core design team of designers and engineers - WXY and Haskell - who will contribute to schematic design drawings for a shared vision for the future of Shipyards West Park. Together, this team is generating a comprehensive and actionable design that will honor the site’s unique historical and ecological heritage, transform the identity and use of this underutilized gem, strengthen the connection of the waterfront to the city and the community, and intentionally link City Center to the Sports and Entertainment neighborhood through welcoming, walkable, and vibrant connections.
The collective experience of the core design team is supported by the expertise of a team of specialists who will investigate and advise on a broad array of cultural, environmental, and economic topics to ensure that every voice in the community is heard, and every aspect of the waterfront’s future is thoughtfully considered. Specialist team members include ADG, DVDL, ETM, Fluidity, HLB, JLPD, Mechling, Mekel, Moffatt & Nichol, and SSG.
"We recognize this opportunity - the Shipyards West Park design project - as a critical next phase in a long and building riverfront legacy story for Jacksonville. Change seems to be everywhere - the momentum established through years of incremental planning and building. The Shipyards as a whole is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a regional riverfront destination." Says Gina Ford, FASLA, Principal and co-founder of Agency.
While the design is in its preliminary stages, fundamental high-level aspirations for the project have been discussed. A wide diversity of passive and active programming will be considered as well as ecological regeneration strategies. This park will be for everyone bringing the community together and having design elements and park features that support the needs of the community as a whole. The project duration is approximately 12 months. Each phase of the project will be notated on the project website.
AGENCY and the team conducted a thorough analysis of the 10-acre site area, building from the foundation established by previous studies. The team will then interpret and layout desired programming and longer-term goals for the park. From this, AGENCY will begin developing design concepts for the park which stakeholders will vet and refine to a preferred idea before commencing schematic design. AGENCY and the DIA are committed to crafting an actionable design and creating a treasured new asset along the St. Johns River.
“This is an exciting time in history for Downtown Jacksonville. We are connecting people, creating opportunity, and embracing the beautiful views and majestic aura of the St. Johns River,” said Lori Boyer, DIA CEO. “Creating a world-class destination riverfront park system in Downtown is a top priority for the DIA, and the completion of Shipyards West Park is key to making that vision come to life. We look forward to providing the citizens of Jacksonville a space they can feel proud of.”
Learn more at https://www.shipyardswest.com.